Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1886-10-30
THE CATERER.
How Some Entertainment
Are Supplied with Food.
Caterers of Every Grade who Garry Eat
ables to CITY Hoaseho!1s.q

The caterer, says correspondent Of /
the Troy Ttuaes, is now power in New
York. A few years ago q well-stocked +.
household vas considered suth lent unto |
itself, but now the caterer AMI his assist
ants are called in for anything out OF the
REGULAR order Of things, from luncheon |
Of SIX people to supper for five hundred
guests. There are caterers Of every
grade. from good -natured and hard
working negroes vino serve meals TO
bachelors living ii cheap rooms, At
prices ranging from thirty to seventy
cents meal, up u the Pinaris, who
pretend to be peg higher even
thar Dlrnonico The humber caterers
maybe seen tradging along in the morn
Ing from their homes in the poorer quar-
ters of the city, Juggling ob.ong
tin boxes that have been ia
panncd sea brown at date
more or less remote, and vending their
way toward sleeping bachelors all over
L
square and two feet and half high,
with big handle on the top. Within
are tin shelves. Under the bottom shelf
are alcoholic lamps. On the shelf is a
platter with chops, steak or ham. The
space between that shelf and the next is
only three inches, but the shelves above
=
room for the cups, saucers, coffee and
! milk pots and sugar bowl. All of these
things have their slots, into which they
| fit closely. The top shelf is used for the
table cloth and napkins. The front of
the box is door. 1t swings open and
| exhibits the breakfast to the hungry
lodcer when the caterer bustles into his
room. More prctentiors kits than this
are sent out BY the hotels and restau
rants. A breakfast may be carried miles
through the snowy streets and laid on
the table hot and inviting. The cater
ing department Of the big restaurant is
very important one. There is ;Cprcju-
York. At all events, it is exceedingly
| questionable to live in one, and the
people who are not supplied by caterers
from choice are from awe Of the form OF
fashion Contracts to serve meals may
be made with the big restaurants at
rates far below the re -ular fg ures on the
bill Of fare But perhaps the caterer
is most highly appreciated by people
who entertain.
Instead Of bulldozing the regulation
cook into preparing a dinner for a num-
Der of guests, note to the caterer set
ties it ALL There is then no hurry, no
delay, no wrangles with servants, and
promptly served. Half an hour before
il is time for the guests to arrive wagon
Of the hearse pattern with chimney
through the roof drives up. Nlmblc as
sistants carry in the wine from the re-
frioerator in one cn1 Of the wagon and
the cdibles from the hot compartment in
the other end Everything is there,
from the flowers II the salt. The rcgu-
lar servants retire and the caterer takes
possession of the kitchen, pantry and
dining room until the guests have
gone. Then the wagon drives up
again, and in twenty minutes all traces
of the dnue7 party, whether t. six or a
hundred guests, have disappeared. This
plan Of giving dinners grows more and
more popular every year. The extent u
which the fashionabl. New York house
wife depends on the caterer, not only for
food but for nearly everything else IN the
way of entertaining, Is growing NOR ani
more noticeable. These useful servants
take all the details Of the work Of party
giving off the hands OF the hostess. Tney
lay tn dancing cloth, prov..lc musicians,
. have tn dancing orders c.snoosej al
yrluted decorate the rooms. put up the
storm awnings. number Il carriages,
, provide extra chairs. Goa, checks, suppe,
and help. and virtually -. the ea.er-
tainmeat. AL the Lady of ne house ha:
to do IS to wa, doSn - her par.ors aal
| receive her guests WHEN ;hey begin =
arrive. TIE COS. u al :a.s : very mu,i
less than one wouli imagine, s1d the re
> 81. .r9m the 5in. h4bb4a aal annoy
ances ,n4: prevail when the hoas
+. servants ua5'e-ta,e The work i decided.