Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-11-06
A MEAL FOR A DIME.
A VISIT TO THE CHEAP EATING
HOUSES OF CHICAGO.

Places Where a Man Can FIJI His
Stomach at Small Cost-Bm of Fare.
What a Nickel Will Buy-some of the
Boarders.
'say, Jimmy, that bloke goin' yonder gin
me dime an I'm agoin' ter cit a solid, |
square meal"
The speaker was bootblack. His com |
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 square meal |
one can get for dime. 1t was about II |
o'clock in the morning and dozen or more |
men were seated at the tables. When a 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 very short time the waitress returned,
bringing large bowl of vegetable soup a
plate of beef, potatoes, a large bowl of coffee
and some pudding. On each table stood a
heaping plate of bread, pickles of two kinds
and a dish of butter While the bootblack
was vigorously attacking the viands before
him the reporter engaged the proprietor in
conversation.
What classes of men frequent your
placer
''Oh, all classes; small merchants, clerks,
mechanics, dock laborers, trafnps and ped
dlers l feed an average of 700 a 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 this"
"That's easy enough Lots of fellows are
paid off the first of the month. They have
plenty of 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 sumF'
1--WE never heard any complaints They
have all the bread they want. Cast your eye
around and see if you don't think enough is
brought every one
sit must demand fairly rigid economy to
make money in this business said the re-
porter.
at does, but l come ont ahead. l don't
| give my customers napkins or tablecoths;
there's saving. | 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.n
'Do you make any discount where one buys
meal tickets"
| Certainly; | sell twenty-one tickets for
| Sl90 A good many of my customers take
5 cent lunch for both breakfast and sup
per. In that way they get through month
for about $3.50"
| ''What is a 5 cent lunchF'
| "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
| e society man after choice dinner at his
club He paid his score with the remark:
Look fur me agin, Dickie; yer bill er
fares 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 clean and sweet as could
be found anywhere. To query Of the re-
| porter the proprietor said;
II have been feeding some eight hundred
| day, mostly working people"
The reporter observed white and colored
people at the same table "Colored people
| and Cinnamon have to be fed as well as white
| people; don't see any difference in their
money" the proprietor added
| At the place were several newsboys and
bootblacks. Their uniform order was cup
of coffee with roll and butter.
| In Clark street eating house steady tide
was pouring in and out At this place the
majority were anything but workingmen.
! The word ''bumr was written on their dirty
| faces, and in their bloated hands, in their
very shabby clothing, and their ragged shoes.
1t was observed that they took all the advan-
tages possible of their situation, eating every
| particle of food served them.
THAT there won't do" said the keeper to a
red nosed chap with stovepipe hat that had
passed through many a drinking bout, and a
suit of clothes which left the factory half g
dozen years ago; ''it won't do, l say. If you'd
have taken two slices wouldn't have said q
word; but you've hooked six, for l seen ye
do it.
That's my last dime, Joe" muttered the
Door devil, ''and 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 so to work!n
$50 to work7 Who would hire mel What
manner of work could dos / wish l were
dead" he cried, bitterly.
At this place were tottering age whose gray
hairs had brought it no honor: middle age,
stranded and enfeebled; young manhood,
red eyed and besotted; boys with faces of
men No noise prevailed. Not single face
of them all revealed the possibility of smile.
What is there left of humanity when it has
lost all pride and all expectations, when II
exists but to drink as often as drink is to be
had, and begrudges the bare pittance required
| for foodi
In one Of the cheap places of Halsted street
was comely young woman neatly dressed
and her husband was also Clearly attired. He
was communicative, declaring that he cleared
$1,000 year II could make more" he ad
ded, ''if didn't buy, as do, the best of cot
fee and nice meats. But | have a nice, re
spectacle trade"
A man entered while the reporter wa
there and called for plate of pork ant
beans A fairly liberal quantity of this Bos
tonian delicacy was served the customer
together with two slices of clean, whit,
bread. When he had eaten he paid five cents
A Desplaines street eating house ADVERTISED
on a card in the window: 'Three rolls and
big cup of coffee for five cents" The reporte'
5 entered. One man called for a meat stew
: with bread and coffee. This meal cost hin
! just nickel. The same insufficient sum wa
asked for hash, with bread and coffee, or SOU
with bread and coffee.
At all the places visited the maximum pric
for square meal' was ten cents
In Rather Small Business
/ was sitting in street car when m
; neighbor nudged me and said: "Do you Sc
that bald headed, sanctimonious looking oil
man talking 50 confdentially to the driver
Do you know what he is saying! Why, he
} telling the driver that the young fellow in th
other end of the car has not paid his fare
: How do knows have seen him do it BE-