The Dickinson press., 1888-07-21
MODEL COFFEE HOUSES.
SUPPLYING CLEAN FOOD AT THE
LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICE.

LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICE.
\ Question Which Thoughtful and Phi.
lanthr"pic Persons Have Studicd-A
Field for Practical HencyoIcncc-rhi,-
tdclpliia's Model Coffee House,
Thousands of brain and hand toilers take
their midday meal i'll down town restaurants.
1t is within the memory of most people when
this was practically unknown here. The
growth of The city and the extension of the
limits of residence districts nave 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 ccnters have also
long had to do with the matter of supplying
Ia the people the %cleancst and most nutri-
tious food at the owcst price possible.
Thoughtful and philanthropic persons have
studied the question in its 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 rs familiar with it
us with the church or chapel he attends, the
N'"'tllol III lollOWS OF inc NCTnncOlAf lie
speaks. 1t is a place where he can get for
from three to five pence from six to ten
cents a substantial repast of good food and
coffee, tea or milk, served i'll II clearly man.
her, i'll u respectable place, to which lie could
take his wife or daughter, or some ones else
daughter. The same conditions and classes
are to hc found in America as in London or
Liverpool. Glasgow or Manchester, Birming-
liam 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
taulant 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
To its size. No visitor from the near OF far
east fails I" compliment this city in these
particulars. The Travelled, cultured and we'll
to-'lo CLASSES recognize and appreciate such
comforts and convenicnccs more readily than
any other. There is, however, n portion of
the community WHO'S member are not often
heard on these matters. They are not the
"p,llent OF middle classes, but the wage work.
crS. How many places are there down town
where respectable shop girls, for example,
earning from 81 20 81 and ST n week. could
afford to go and get II warm noon meal, or
cvrn n lunch, suitable to Il brain or hand
worker. There are restaurants without
number where persons earning from $40 tn
: ID or SloU Il week can suit themselves as To
the bill of fare, and yet how does the case
stand with respect to those who cannot afford
to pay more than 30, IS cents or 81 n week
out of their hard earnings for lunches. and
who feel they must have some nutritious
food in the middle of the day. The w. {.
i. u. has undertaken and maintains Il lunch
establishment where hcalthful, plain, nutri-
tive food can be obtained at about cost. Int
in the nature of the case this coffee house can
do no more than suggest what might be done.
mthcavcragc restaurant all articles of food
cost five cents or multiples of five. There
are several establishments where from 3.Mm
To 1000 persons are fed daily. The charges
are reasonable. the coffee, rolls. milk. etc,
nre excellent. the places scrnpulously clean
and neat, and the service all that could he
wished: and yet many of the working people
nrc unable to patronize them because of tn.
Sranty wages they receive, and tho strict
economy they must constantly exercise, In
some of the experiments in Great Britain.
Philadelphia and elsewhere, there have been
maintained eating houses for lust these
Glasses. and they have been successful. Whv
might not some of our philanthropic citizens
find i'll this Il field for their practical benevo-
lcnce. Is it not worthy of attention.
rHILADELPH1A's MODEL.
A model coffee house has been maintained
i'll Philadelphia for years. 1t began in one
room. The food was good, we'll cooked, clean
and cheap. y pint of the best coffee, with
cream and sugar and Il roll, cost five cents.
1t was 40 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. u leader in the Society
of Friends, has had it enlarged time and
again. Then u room was opened to women.
Tic w%orkinglnen We're benefited. and work
ing women came to he by the addition of the
department for them. a reading room was
added in time, and Il hall that would sent son
persons.
Other coffee houses have been established
Oh the same general plan. The original rc-
freshment room, opened in 1874, has grown
to accommodate 400 persons ut II time, uu,l
over 5000 meals are served daily. The hill
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, ml,sh, stews, pot pie. Goldfish
cakes, liver. eggs potatoes, corn, peas, and
tea, coffee or milk, with bread. five cents:
peaches. frozen %custaltls and melon in season.
six cents; beef, veal, mutton, ham, fish or
baked beans, eight cents. and sirloin steak.
chowder or egg %onIclrt, ten cents. The dishes
arc large. and are described as ample for all
the requirements of the inner man. This
model coffee house has lie 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 i'll Chicago and elsewhere to
go and do likewise Inter Ocean.