Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1892-03-04
THE BUTCHER TALKS
HOW THE WEALTHY FAMILIES IN
NEW YORK BUY THEIR MEAT.

Go to Market Daily and Order the
Meat for Dinner-Now the Buying Is
I Done by the Servants in Most Families.
Twenty-Five years ago the aristocracy
considered it necessary to trade with a Ger.
tain butcher, who kept a shop in Univer-
sity place, where now a gaudy barroom is
located. All the great people ordered Of
him. and many families on the outskirts of
the exclusive circle pretended tt do the
same even when they didn't. 1t was al
most as much a badge of good standing to
get food from him as it was later to have
Mr.. Brown, of Grace church, take charge
of 4 wedding or funeral. The butcher
died several years ago. but his son has
continued to hold much of the fashionable
trade, although others have a share of it.
The son is a man of middle age, and, hav-
ing been apprenticed when very young, he
has learned a great deal about the ways in
which the tables of fashionable people are
supplied:
Society" be said the other day, has
changed it's ways of living greatly since |
first come to know some of it's members.
Formerly the gentleman of the family
used to come down to my fathers shop in
the morning and order the supplies for the
day. Women or servants were never seen
there. Those used to be interesting times.
The gentlemen would come in, order what
they wanted. and then stand and talk for
some little time before going to their
Offices. You could hear all sorts of gossip,
and sometimes something more than so
ciety chit chat. They would talk about
the interesting affairs of the day. Lawyers
would discuss celebrated cases and talk
about some of the judges in a way that
would make their ears ring if they could
have heard them. New York was more
leisurely then. at least the social part of it,
than it is now There may not have been
so many men who didn't work and had no
visible occupations. but those who were
workers did not spend SO many hours in
their Offices.
THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
After awhile, as the rush for money got
hold Of society people rs we'll as others,
and the Office hours became longer, the
men got too busy and the servants took
their places. Except in isolated instances
ladies rarely came to us, and they come
more rarely now They don't like to fuss
about such things.
You will probably be surprised to hear
that bills for meats and vegetables of our
first families average 80 per cent less to-
day han they did fifteen years ago. lean
show you by my books and by those of my
father how the bills of the sam families
have gone down in that ratio.
The only reason that l can give for this
change is that there are so many other ex.
penses now which did not exist formerly
that even rich people have to practice
economy at their tables in the present day,
which was not dreamed of fifteen or TWEEN.
ty years ago. 1t would amaze the average
person to know what sort of people will
protest and grow indignant over Il raise in
the price of meat of from one to two cents
a pound. Formerly | dealt only in fine
meats. and purchased other things for my
customers when ordered. In the old DAYS
some of our customers never considered
the cost of an article, provided it WAS
satisfactory. Among our best customers
WAS Mr.. Bennett. We frequently got or
ders from him that amounted to hun.
dreds of dollars. When be gave IA dinner
money was no object.
AN E%PICURE's ORDER.
II remember one occasion when he or.
dered zoo chicken livers. At that time we
were not receiving chickens from the west
III ViS CLoS VIC L uOW,G lu III
being winter chickens were scarce. We
had to scurry around a good deal to get
the number required. We sent him only
the livers. but of course we charged him
for the whole chickens. His meat bill was
always very large. although the old man
ate very little. The servants in that house
lived like royal personages. While the old
man breakfasted off toast and tea, the
oxy,,t vo,,1 p1xro -, 49, n-A I--
and steaks and the finest vegetables that
the market afforded. One reason why the
bills Of wealthy families are no longer SO
high is that most of the big dinners given
by them are given through caterers. The
same family that would formerly go to
great expense and trouble to give a dinner
are relieved now of all bother and respon-
sibility, while the professional caterers for
the time being take charge of their house.
holds.
'"There are several apparent advantages
in this method. The lady of the house no
longer has to worry her head, the house
is not upset in the same degree as for
merly and the china and silver are not liza.
BILE to damage. OF course in some very
fine houses tl~ private silver and china are
still used. but many big society dinners are
supplied with all the details by the caterer.
The dinners are not so good, though, as
they were. and the reason is very apparent.
Society people may not know it, but we
tradesmen can tell them that the food SUP.
piled by the caterers on such occasions is
not nearly SO good as that which they pur.
chase themselves. OF course when the
food is served nobody can tell the differ
ence. These French and Italian caterers
cook the life out of the meats, and then
provide SOM fancy sauce which so dis.
guises the taste and flavor that only an ex
pert can tell what he is eating anyhow.
COOKS COMMISSIONS
THE present method of having servants
purchase the supplies of the household is
unfortunate both for the tradesmen and
the families. The cooks rule the roost.
Tradesmen are compelled to pay commits
sions to every servant who comes to their
shop. 1t is extremely hard and expensive
70, a man to be honest. 1t is surprising in
how many ways servants will scheme to
get the better of a tradesman who refuses
to come to their terms. 1t is very easy for
them to influence. a family to change
tradeshen. For instance, if a cook comes
to my shop and buys supplies here, and |
don't do rs she wants, she can fix me very
quickly. She car spoil the meat that /
serve by soaking it in water over night or
hanging it oyer the wash boiler. have