New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-24
DINNER SENT HOME IN A BOX
A BUSINESS THAT MIGHT BE DEvELOPEDs
FAILURE OF AN ATTEMPT TO FURNISH HOE
MEALS Ar HOMES ON A LARGE sCALE

| To OF man that ne uOes Dot hhow "A''~ -
meal is to from is as much as 70 say tnat DO
! s NJ badly broken, az the Ten COMMANDMENTS Yet
there arc lots Of people NewYork in that state OF
mind every day, who have plenty OF money In ther
| pockets. These are they who dwell In mfn~neo
| rooms, apartments, fats, or even houses, yet nom
necessity or choice take their meals at restaurants
hotels eating houses everywhere anywhere that tho
hour the fancy, the OCCASION the appetite or tee
| purse makes convenient. There are many such. acc
that manner of living has charms and some real
advantages for people who follow certain occupations
and those who are accustomed TO and kr0w the town
we'll enough to get the best vane for their money hxo
IT, on tho whole, better than any other method avail
able to them yet there times when the stoutess
stlcker for the system has to acknowledge its d'sad
vantagcs and confess the old fashioned way %
having ones meals at the place as he sleeps ana
| lives In Is the best after all.
Let the gastronomc nomad grow too SICK TO leave
his with comfort yet not sick enough to require
nurse ard lie begins 10 realize how good IL would Do
find his meal spread In the adjoining ROOM Lot him
| rise Writer morning and End biizAard roahns
without. Or told rao rsltirg hs window panes' ana
no loses relish for the walk TO MS breakasting place
upon an empty stomach. Let him oversleep himself,
and he while dressing, find his meal ready
the moment he arises, but must let business wait WHO
To walks to that meal block away, or go hungry 10
work Women too find it awkward 10 go out for tho'r
meals they must thea always dress themselves ia
street Clothes and such trick coming TO beakiass
I'm curl papers can In such case be innNfeo
upon the most lcnient or the most dehnauens
of husbands. For people who have children, taxing
them ont to meals IS, indeed, WEAKNESS 10 .ho
| flesh They must be washed, dressed and comoeo
anew for their every appearance in public opportun
ties for correcting their manners and restraining .hc'r
preedness arc sadly meagrc, and those happy make-
shift snatches Of food, given In kitchen or pantry
which arc always more TO the taste OF boy 'h .
hurry to get back to his play than any regular mea
are impossible. And for q certain DARING Vco oI
slovenly natures and luxury for women whose hea1n
is as they say In parts OF the soush, trinln'
which also many people like and take, but are rsn'
fully ashamed to acknowledge breakfast IN bedtnA
is out of the question
AN INNOVATION IN HOUSEKEEPING.
The remedies for these discomforts are, Oh co"ses
excepting house," lodging in boarding house OF no'es
having ones meals sent from restaurant or hav'
ing them furnished regularly by caterer Ine MSS
Is the best, If afford to do it properly IN"
second has only its cheapness to recommend n' tue
third involves living in neighborhood where one OF
more restaurants arc the fourth-haying COOKED 1000
sent in regularly by on the surface 10
have many and strong points in its favor, yet IL mas
received trial in New-York without success. ooms
years ago occurred TO few entcrprsing men 'hae
money might be well invested In company TO supply
people in their own rooms by the day, week or month";
with hot meals and the necessary dishes ana utensils
70 eat them with But little reflection IS necessary
pick upon many classes OF people 10 whom INC "es
would prove acceptable, provided the service couio
be made as perfect as proposed. There Is tns
man of family whose wifes frail health forbds ner
looking after the affairs of the house, which must Do
left wholly to hired help II the labor Of cooking and
providing food could be lifted from this household one
faithful servant would able TO perform the duties OK
nurse to the invalid and chambermad In general
Again there IS many mother whose grown up
daughters are willing and able to engage in tho
light homework Of the home, but dread the disase
and moro or less dirty work incident to preparing three
meals a day. A servant must DO kept for these
duties and the servant question Involves SO many
vexatlons, worrimens, and sometimes worse tmnss'
that II the cooking could only be done as well outside
the family would gladly adopt the only sure metnoo
of getting along smoothly with servant girl that Isl
getting along without her. Then there Is another
large class OF people in NewYork composed OF married
couples both of whom earn their living IN Shops,
Offices or factories. To such people the ability OF tho
wife to continue wage-earner is OF tremendous I'M
portance In the little household economy. 10 Keep
a servant without the eye Of the mistress on her by
day is to court bankruptcy to board expensive and
often dangerous welded happiness and domestcity;
TO keep house. wife doing the cooking before going
TO work In the morning and after working hours in tho
evening" would undermine the health of an Amazon;
but to keep cosey fiat tidy and have breakfast and
dinner sent in piping hot and neatly served morning
and night, not dishes to wash afterward, wouia
seem TO be the most admirable solution OF the question
that could be imagined -
Accordingly q Joint stock concern was organized
onder tho style Of the New-York Catering Company.
with 300 900 capital and an extensive ana
equipped plant, consisting OF kitehehs, aensery{
y agons handsome plated services, and corps OK ex
nerIenced walters and cooks. Many customers were
secuyed al prices ranging from $40 to Gle week for
two meals day for person. and me thing starteo
with a great flourish of trumpets and more snan iAr
prospects Of success. For time 1t ran we1' an e.@
cellent service given, the bill OF fare was LIBERAL
h.t
great deal too much money had been laid cut on the
plant The services OF pated-ware ana cusery 400
each and the firm that supplied them was one OF the
creditors to file Judgment ssa snme ' oyersg no
allowance had been made for tho fact that most Oh
who fS S bs 1S p AND the truth that
this factor was going to DC arSo on ong be prSeos
ws Be caer rS3 to the
run Other reasons for the failure were that many who
thought they would like it, found on trying the limo.
i6sv Raa sesi my the eU dish provided DAYS
had S be S Sasen 50 or eo ns ss
every one wanted lots of it. there was not enough to
g 81 Delivered or it deterOraed by standing
great many dishes suffered even by the short time taken
the eompay began to be pnched for ready money
the quality Of the food and cooking began TO is,i on
soeedly grew dissatisfied and closed their contracts
since then, no similar attempt has been MADE. ono
or small concerns cater 10 Woto easily
Glass Of customers and made good living by IT, One
~ tbe best restaurants uptown has good many Gus.
toners whom It supplies by the week. but they must
live within two blocks Of the source OF supply; and
every restaurant, and their name Is legion, VIII deliver
orders near at hand at slight advance on regular
rates. , ,,. ., r,.,r ax,,or,.r..H
and restaurant keepers in that the field Is
there 10 be filed that NewYork Is large enough to fur
nsh plenty Of patrons TO such an enterprise that tho
dea has never had the right kind Of test that the ser
want girl question is getting worse daily ana the worse
{, gets the better for the caterer and that II tho
nlan were tried again with due business precautions
and orethought, II only meats and vegetables were
served at the regular rates leaving entrees, salads,
desserts e:c to be supplied from the patrons lee
box as his taste dictated; supplying, too only such
dishes as the food is served on then New Workers.
would catch on to speak, and finding ts praccal