The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-23
RESTAURANTF0R WOMEN.
A Dining Hall Sacred from the In
trusion Of Any Mortal
Man.
The Enterprise Has Started Out
With Very Flatterin0 Pros
poets Of Success.
An "Exclusive Women's Restaurant" II =
New venture-Ho Managed Waiter
Girls Comment.

Now venture HOW Managed Alter
Girls Comment.
A dining hall for women where no man Ia
to DO allowed to enter under any circum-
stances" has recently been opened near thu
big office buildings around Nassau anG
Liberty streets. A New York Sunday News
representative heard OF the female dining
establishment, and, being a woman and
having the usual amount Of surplus curios-
ity of her sex, started out to find where II
was located. In all the n%eighboring restau'
rants the help had heard of it, but no one
seemed to nj where it was located. A
bright maiden who was hullinR Strawberries
in Il bakery buffet said:
"Ah, I've heard nothing else from the
gentlemen who lunch in here for aweek but
jokes and inquiries referring to the 'Exclu.
sive Woman's Restaurant l am glad
this is q mans lunch-room, for it is pro-
verbally known that women never give q
tip to a waiter. and 1 make on an average
So a week by gift money. I think if you
keep on walking down Nassau to Liberty
and then down Liberty, you will find the
lunch-room;" and she sucked the rich, ripe
berry juice from her stained fingers and
went on hulling, regardless of the tastes of
those who might want a plate of the lus-
cious fruit.
Up two flights of stairs. newly painted in
delicate gray; on the second landing the
restaurant was found. 1t had a latched
door. but a knock brought in view a head
which peeped through n slide in the door
panel-which is used to receive small pack1
ages. A Qreeting followed, betraying the
sex OF the visitor, and q comfortable willow
rocking chair was brought from the ladies'
room to add to the comfort of the guest.
Mrs. Binninger is the superintendent and
under her are the h~ousekeeper, cooks and
mattresses.
II am paid a salary said she, land have
nothing to do with the bills or payments.
/ do the marketing and have especial orders
from the ladies identified with the enter
prise to %patr0nize woman merchants in
every case where it is possible to. We buy
fish, meats and vegetables from an old lady
who has a stall in Fulton market; we buy
our linen from WOmen and we employ only
women help.
1.-THE enterprise has been started on the
cooperative plan by subscriptions of
wealthy women.
'The rules are that no man, not even a
OG1 NO u Ii "OllA
is always welcome. We have in connection
with our dining tables a lunch room, where
benches are %arranged; there q pOor woman
can bring her children and eat her lunch
from a basket. Coffee and tea are only
three cents a mug. and sandwiches five
cents. For ono week we agree to furnish
good, hot lunches for $1.75."
"What are tho occupations of the girls
who lunch here?"
''Type-writers, teleRraphers, copyists and
clerks, and speaking of women who come
here, it might be we'll to say that many
women who are obliged to come to the city
OIL shopping expeditions, and who do not
care to be stared at in a public restaurant,
drop in here on their way to the ferry on
the homeward trip. Only last week We had
a party of six young matrons, who took
lunch here, and who expressed themselves
delighted to find us out"
The writer was then escorted through the
long dIning-room-its windows are draped
in spotted white muslin, and pretty %etchings
are hung on daintily-tinted walls-to the
ladies' reoeption-room, where there was a
desk half open, revealing a we'll stocked
supply n z 4 table 15 b Pppeti sny saopi;sa x aad
interesting reading matter, includ-
ing the daily papers, weekly and
monthly magazines. A portierre hangs at
the left, and just inside it are basins. tow
els and toilet requisites for the comfort of
the guests. On the t1oor is a cool, striped
Japanese mating with.two or three CHEEKY
with an initiative cherry mantel shelf above,
%garnitured with roses and photographs,
gives a domestic and comforting appear-
ance to the room.
II notice." said the housekeeper, who
was in this room, that many of the girls
letters begin dear mother or dear father
when they write here, SO the influence of
this cosy room on them to pass their leis-
ure moments is a good one. The other day
there was a young fellow came here and
pulled the bell. He wanted to come in and
wait for a young lady whom he said was his
cousin. l told him he couldn't come. He
got mad and made the girl go out-without
eating her lunch. He wanted to nav for
her lunch, but | wouldn't take it from him,
go she paid it. We are ordered to have no
dealings with men, and l am bound to obey
orders.
''This is the china closet. We take great
pride in our china, and have four separate
sets, presented to US by the uptown dealers,
That one IN brown came from Macy's and
has 126 pieces-the platters and tureens are
extra large, regular hotel size. Then wa
have a clear white with a gilt stripe, a blue
porcelain and a gray iron stone china set.
We change the table china every few deys.
think It gives the girls an appetite. In
this big chest we keep the table linen. of
which We are fairly we'll supplied. Miss
Grace Dodge tent us Il set Of pretty red
tablecloths which the girls are very fond of.
I'm the buttsry we have three splendid
refrigerators, in which we keep eggs, but
ter. cheese and milk. Lastly, is the kitchen.
We cook altogether by gas"
The girls eat with their hats off. It in a
pretty sight to see them all providing IN to-
9ether at noon time, and when they get
seated and begin to play havoc with the
edibles, there is a deal of chatter, laugh
and jingle of knife, fork and spoon.
The iceman, who deposits his ice at noon
there every day. ia not even allowed in the
place. He waits outside the door for the
female cook to carry the ice in.
1T bs just as well they don't have any
help but Women in there he said, "a man
would go crazy with them in ten DAYS. /
wouldn't take the job Of experimenting all
those girls for any money!
The question Ia, will the pretty, gayly-
dressed office girls continue to be hapny
eating their luncheon without the tlatterinp
eye of some male upon them, admirinS
their shapely features and graceful forms.
At any rate. the women's exclusive restau-
rant has started out well, and the undertake
ing promises success.