Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-06-02

Roswell Fishers Experiment IN Montreal
Endures SuccessfulIy-He Has "a Large
Apartment House in Which There Is
Only One Kitchen.
Mr.. Roswell Fisher, of Montreal whose
article on cooperative housekeeping in The
Nineteenth Century attracted general at
tention, gave an address on that theme at
the Workingman's school on Fifty-fourth
street
Mr.. Fisher told his audience that some
two or three years ago, after nearly twenty
years study of the question of cooperative
housekeeping, he found himself in a posi-
ton to carry out the conclusions at which
he had arrived on a scale not so large as he
desired, but sufficiently large to admit the
essential feature of professional manage
ment. He accordingly built on the prin-
cipal residential street of Montreal an
apartment house containing twenty apart
ments, each with eight or ten rooms, and
forming complete dwelling but for the
omission Of appliances for cooking.
In the basement, in addition to the fur
naces for heating the house. water for
baths, etc, and other conveniences of a
good apartment house, Mr.. Fisher fur
nished complete club kitchen, a small
private suite for the manager, and a club
IauuurS, VIII ulnlnR room. Inc Kitchen
Is In direct connection with every pantry
by electric bells and speaking tubes, and
there are two dumb walters at convenient
points, each serving into ten pantries, two
on each floor
In addition to the usual kitchen plant
there is buffers tray for each tenant,
and sufficient covered tins and white ware
IN which TO send the meals to the indi-
NlduaI service rooms.
no" MEALS ARE SERVED.
III the leases Whlch are Tor at least year,
there Is a clause requiring each tenant To
pay quarterly uniform tax or kitchen
subscription, which assists in covering GER
tam hNed charges OF the kitchen, such as
the cost OF management, the interest on
and the depreciation OF the plant, fuel and
gas IeaVlnS only the wages OF the kitchen
help, the cost of the food, and calculated
profit OF about to 10 per cent. FOR contin-
gencies.
The service of meals IS managed As fol-
lows: Every day a simple bill OF fare for
breakfast, lunch and dinner, conforming
! to the usual home requirements Of the
/ class OF tenants IN the house, with one or
| TWO extras, = made out 10y the manager
| Tor the succeeding day, and i delivered 10
| each tenant at breakfast. Those dishes or
| meals which are not required are scratched
| out and the bill returned 10 the manage
ment with wants, complaints, suggestions
| or remarks added
The manager then Is enabled 10 arrange
| for the marketing, and also TO make out
! breakfast, lunch and dinner tables for the
| cook, showing what each tenant requires,
| at what hours and for how many persons.
! Meals Cancelled before the hour for cooking
are allowed for and all extra orders sent
down are carried out, so far as possible.
| All the bills OF fare are filed, and at the
| close of the week the totals are presented
| and the accounts are settled.
1t was stated that the tariff prices for
! breakfast, lunch and dinner do not include
butter, cream and sugar, which are
charged for absolutely rs ordered. Nor do
! they include tea, coffee, fruit and other
desserts, which the kitchen does not sup
| ply at all All extra dishes or meals not
| shown on the bill Of fare, but called for. are
charged at cost price and 10 per cent. ex-
ira. Twenty-fCur hours notice is required
! tor large lunch or dinner parties
! ADVANTAGES OF \ CLUB.
| 1t Will be seen that 10y this plan Mr..
! Fisher has been enabled 10 carry out his
| purpose; that each tenant Of his home
| club possesses a private and individual
| dwelling in which he i able to live in such
| a manner and on such a scale as his habits
and tastes and means call for, and with
all the elasticity of ordinary home life, free
! from the publicity of the club. hotel or
| boarding house and is at the same time
/ spared the ceaseless worry and annovances
| of the private kitchen while enioving a
| much better cooking than is possible to
| the EMPLOYERS of the ordinary cook.
The cost Of this system incIudinS, the
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