Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-11-06
A MEAL. FORA DIME.
A VISIT TO THE CHEAP EATING c-t r HOUSES OF CHICAGO.
Places Where Man Can FIJI His Stomach. at Small Cost-Bm of Fare

panion, of the same class, regarded him en- viouSly.
 A reporter followed the lad into West Madison street ten cent eating house" in order to learn how much of a square meal one can get for a dime. It was about II o'clock ill the morning and dozen or more men were seated at the tables. When tall and robust blonde damsel approached the lad for his order he said, in authoritative tones:
 "Let it be beef an plenty with, Kitty"
 In a very short time the waitress returned, bringing q large bowl of vegetable soup, a plate of beef, potatoes, Q large bowl of coffee and some pudding. On each table stood q heaping plate of Dread, pickles of two kinds and a dish of butter While the bootblack was vigorously attacking the viands before him ths reporter engaged the proprietor in eonCersation.
 What classes of men frequent your placer
 "Oh, all classes; small merchants, clerks, mechanics, dock laborers, tramps and ped dlers. 1 feed an average of TOO day. This is the first of the month and business is not as good the first two weeks as it is the last two"
 'How do you explain thisg'
 SThat'sEeasy enough Lots of fellows are paid off the first of the month. They have plenty af stuff then, and are too stuck up to come into house of this kind; but later they are glad to get the meals furnish"
 You charge but 10 cents for any mealF'
 ''That is all. This entities a man to but one kind of meat, though If they want two kinds they must pay five cents extra"
 But can you afford to give hearty man all he can eat for so small sumY'
 "rve never heard any complaints. They have,aal the bread they want+ Cast your eye around and sec fyeu don't think enough is brought every dne."
 ''It must demand fairly rigid economy to make money in this business" said the re- porter.
 Ut does, but I come out ahead. I don't give my customers napkins or tablecloths; there's saving. I don't buy the best porter house steaks, but the food is solid. The way come out ahead is by Keeping expenses down and by feeding such large numbers of peo- ple."
 Do you make any discount where one buys meal tickets2'
 Certainly; I sell twenty-one tickets for $190. A good many of my customers take a 5 cent lunch for both breakfast and sup per. In that way they get through a month for about S5.3O."
 "What is a 5 cent lunchg'
 "A bowl of coffee and all the bread and butter one wants to eat"
 Presently the bootblack ended his repast and walked up to the counter with the air of a society man after a choice dinner at his club. He paid his score with the remark:
 Look fur me agin, Dickie; yer bill CT fare's improvin'."
 Having seen the inside of one of these places the reporter proceeded to make the round of dozen or more on the west and south sides On Desplaines street, is 10 cent house which furnished bread as white and apparently as elean and sweet as could be found anywhere To a query of the re- porter the proprietor said:
 q have been feeding some eight hundred @ day, mostly working people,"
 The reporter observed white and colored people at the same table. 'Colored people and Chinamen have to be fed as well as white people; don't see any difference in their money" the proprietor added.
 Atzthe2 place were several pewsbeys and boothlaclss Their uniform prier wasa cup of coffee wilma roll ana butter.
 In Clark street eating house steady tide was pouring in and out. At this place the majority were anything but workingmen The word ''bum' was written on their dirty faces, and in their bloated hands, in their very shabby clothing, and their ragged shoes It was observed that they took all the advan- tages possible of their situation, eating every partifIesof food served them.
 That there. won't dol said the keeper to a red nosed chap with a stoxepipe-h hat that had passed through many drinking bout, and q suit of clothes which left the factory half a dozen years ago; ''it won't do, I say. If you'd have taken two slices I wouldn't have said a word; but you've hooked six, for seen ye do it."
 That's my last dime, Jce,n muttered the poor devil, land didn't know where in the name of God to get any more This is the first meal I've had in two days"
 ''Then why don't you go to work9"
 "Go to work9 Who would hire mes What manner of work could dol 1 wish were dead;s' he cried, bitterly.
 At this place were tottering age, whose gray hairs had brought it no honor; middle age, stranded and enfeehledi young manhood, red eyed and besotted; boys with faces of men. No noise prevailed. Not single face of them all revealed the possibilityof smile What is there left of humanity when it has lost all pride and all expectations, when 1t exists but to drink as often as drink is to be had, and begrudges the bare pittance required for foodl
 F. Inone of the cheap placesof Halsteg street was eomely youag woman neatly dressed, and her husband was also cleanly attired. He was communicative, declaring that he cleared $1 200 year. ''I could make more," he ad- dedJ Eff 1.didnf buy, as do, the best of oof fee and nice meats. But have nice, re- spectable trade"
 man entared; while the reporter was there and called for plate of pork and beans. A fairly liberal quantity of this Bos. tonianl dhiicaoy was served tho customer, together with two slices of clean, white bread. When he had eaten he paid five cents. A Desplaines street eating house advertised on card in the window: "Three rolls and a big cup of coffee for five cents" The reporter entered. One man called for Q meat stew, with bread EaRd 1offee s,9Ais pnsal. cdst him just nidseI iThe s4heh AiAchht sum was asked fol. hash, with bread and cdfee, or sour l with bread and coffee. m At all the places visited the maximum price for "square mealn was ten cents. In Rather Small Business l was sitting in a street car when my neighber nudged me and said: "Do you sec | that bald headed, sanctimonious looking old