Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-04-24
MODEL COFFEE HOUSES.
6UF PLYING CLEAN FOOD AT THE
LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICE.

A Question which Thoughtful and PHI
laEthropio Persons Have studied-A
Field for Practical Denevolence-PhiI-
adelphia's Model Coffee House.
Thousands of brain and hand toilers take
their midday meal in down town restaurants.
1t is within the memory of most people when
this was practically unknown here. Tho
growth of the city ind the extension Of the
limits Of residence districts have served to
bring this about. In this respect Chicago Is
merely having the same experience as Paris,
London, New York. Boston, Philadelphia
and the other large cities of the world.
The great metropolitan centers have also
long had to do with the matter of supplying
to the people the cleanest and most nutri-
tious food at the lowest price possible.
Thoughtful and philanthropic persons have
studied the question in It's economic and
moral bearings, and the experiments made
in other cities have generally been very sat
isfactOry and successful The coffee house
of Great Britain is known the world over
The British workman is as familiar with it
as with the church or chapel he attends, the
vocation he follows or the yeTnaCular lie
speaks. 1t is "A place where he can get for
from three TO five pence from six 10 ten
cents a substantial repast of good food and
coffee, tea or milk, served in clearly man
ner, in a respectable place, to which lie could
take his wife or daughter, on some ones else
daughter The same conditions and classes
are to be found in America as in London or
Liverpool, Glasgow or Manchester, Birming-
ham or Bristol The cities of the United
States like New York and Philadelphia, Bos-
ton and Chicago, have had growing up the
past twenty-five years the same lunch or res
taurant system which has long obtained in
the cities beyond the sea.
CHICAGO RESTAURANTS.
Chicago is as well supplied with excellent
restaurants as Paris or New York, according
10 its size. No visitor from the near or far
east fails to compliment this city in these
particulars The Travelled, cultured and we'll
TODD classes recognize and appreciate such
comforts and Convenienccs more readily than
any other There is however, a portion of
the community whose members are not often
heard on these matters They are not the
opulent or middle classes, but the wage work
ers. How many places are there down town
where respectable shop girls, for example,
earning from SO to So and So a week, could
afford to go and get warm noon meal, or
even lunch, suitable to brain or hand
worler There are restaurants without
number where persons earning from $40 to
$50 or 800 "A week can suit themselves as to
the bill of fare, and yet how does tho case
stand with respect to those who cannot afford
TO pay more than 80, IS cents or 81 IA week
out of their hard earnings for lunches, and
who feel they must have some nutritious
food in the middle of tho day! Tho w. c.
T. u. has undertaken and maintains lunch
establishment where healthful, plain, nutri-
tive food can be obtained at about cost, but
in the nature of the case this coffee house can
do no more than suggest what might be done,
In thaaverage restaurant all articles of food
cost five cents or multiples Of five There
are several establishments where from 5000
to 4 600 persons are fed daily. The charges
are reasonable, the coffee, rolls, milk, etc,
are excellent, the places scrupulously clean
and neat, and the service all that could be
wished; and yet many of the working people
are unable to patronize them because of the
scanty wages they receive, and the strict
economy they must constantly exercise. In
some Of the experiments in Great Britain,
Philadelphia and elsewhere, there have been
maintained eating houses for just these
classes, and they have been successful. Why
might not some of our philanthropic citizens
find in this field for their practical benevo-
lence! Is it not worthy of attention.
PHILADELPHIA's MODEL.
A model coffee house has been maintained
in Philadelphia for years. 1t began in one
room The food was good, well cooked, clean
and cheap. A pint Of the best coffee, with
cream and sugar and roll, cost five cents.
1t was no charity. Patrons paid for what
they got, and got what they paid for. The
idea was not one of profit, but purely of phi
lanthropy 1t steadily grew in favor, and
its generous founder, a leader in the Society
of Friends, has had it enlarged time and
again Then a room was opened to women.
The workingmen were benefited and work
ing women came to be by the addition of the
department for them. A reading room was
added in time, and a hall that would seat 800
persons.
Other coffee houses have been established
on the same general plan. The original re-
freshment room opened in 1874, has grown
to accommodate 400 persons at a time, and
over 5000 meals are served daily. The bill
of fare provides for some seventy articles,
whose cost is from three to ten cents. This
will give some idea of expense to customers
Oatmeal, grits, mush, stews, pot pie, Goldfish
cakes, liver, eggs potatoes, corn, peas, and
tea coffee or milk, with bread, five cents
peaches, frozen custards and melon in season,
six cents; beef, veal, mutton, ham, fish or
baked beans, eight cents, and sirloin steak,
chowder or egg omelet, ten cents The dishes
are large and are described as ample for all
the requirements of the inner man. This
model coffee house has no cigar stand, al
though very high prices have been offered
for a corner to sell tobacco. The idea of the
Philadelphia coffee house may lead some
philanthropists in Chicago and elsewhere to
go and do likewise.--lnter Ocean.