The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-11-13
EATING N vAsHNoTor.
Lunch Time in the Goverameua
Dcpartnents-HoW ths En-
pIoyes are Served.

IN the Govern ~
Dcpartments-HoW the Em-
pIoyes are Served.
Every day about noon, writes a CORES
pondent from Washington, g little red
wagon with dairy sign on it, ddeS
draws up at the Treasury, sud By the
time il has been there a ninunte OF two
you see It surrounded BY lot of bare
headed men and women. Some Of these
carry TN cups and other have their hands
fun OF pumpkin pies, ginger bread and
other dehCacies Of this nature il is the
property of thrifty dsirJnan Of the
city who Cultivatee the department
trade. He hustles around TO the various
departments about the lunch hour fun
ishing milk and pies and this sort Of
thing 10 the hungry and thirsty clerks
many Of whom eagerly seize this oppor-
tunlty for q frugal and healthful midday
lunch Dinner at y O'Clock Is a thing
almost unknown in Washington.
The popular dinner hour with the
masses Is 5 O'Clock, or thereabouts, and
from that on until : or IN the evening
The result Is that lunch l. an important
feature of the half hour given st noon
In the departments a good many Of
the clerks carry with them from their
homes a little box OF basket with their
lunch. In nearly all the department
there are arrangements for serving
lunch for those desiring Il, In the base
ment of the Treasury, Post Office, Interior
and State Departments there are regular
lunch rooms with tables, bills Of fare etc
In the W ar Department there are = mum
Der Of lunch stands scattered through
the basement, AZ which those who do
not carry their bl-sch with them regale
themselvs~
~ sne new Pension Office a caterer
goes through the rooms at the lunch
hour dealing out coffee. milk and eatables
of all sorts 10 those desiring them As
a rule II is only the more sristocrstic Of
the clerks who go out to lunch The
heads Of the bureaus and officials with
salaries above -, 600 feel that il is BE-
meath their dignity 10 carry a lunch with
them or 10 eat AZ the lunch rooms pre-
pared in the department. So you may
see them scattered about at the restaur-
ants and cafes in the vicinity of the de-
partments at the lunch hour One Of
the most interesting and curious Of
these lunch establishments l. Just op-
pOsite the Treasury. II disPenses milk
with coffee and sandwiches and Tie
It has q long counter running aCroes
the end ike a bar, and TOW Of Cbairs
along each side Of the room. The Gus
toners walk up 70 this bar, select their
sandwich or pie. as the case NAV be, call
for their mug Of milk or coffee, or half
and half which means half cream aud
half milk, and. having been served, fan
back to the chairs along the Val and dis
Clss their lunch and the gossip Of the
day with their neighbors. Go IN there
any day between l2 and 1 O'Clock and
you may see Treasury dignitaries of all
sorts and sizes, below the SECRETARY him
self ranged in rovs along the walls
holding a mug of milk IN one hand and
a hunk Of pie III the other, and dis
ClIssinE meanwhile the latest phase OF
politics or the result Of the last game of
baseball The Cabinet officers are gen
orally little more dignificd about their
eating. Most Of them 30 home to their
lunches, having their carriage call FOR
them at the lunch hour. II they are too
much hurried, however. thev have a
lunch sent to them from some neigh Dor
ing restaurant and holt il in the privacy
Of their offices. TIE President usually
lunches about2 O'Clock or as soon as the
Cabinet meeting ends. He often takes
Col Lamont with him. and sometimes
Bome member of the Cabinet OF q friend
from New York