Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-03-08
THE BUTCHER TALKS
HOW THE WEALTHY FAMILIES IN
NEW YORK BUY THEIR MEAT.

Once the Head of the Family Used to
Go to Market Daily and Order the
Meat for Dinner-Now the Buying Is
Done by the Servants I'm Most Families.
Twenty-Five years ago the aristocracy
considered it necessary to trade with GER
tain butcher. who kept shop in Univer-
sity place, where now gaudy barroom is
located. All the great people ordered of
him. and many families on the outskirts of
the exclusive circle pretended to do the
same even when they didn't 1t was al
most as much badge Of good standing to
get food from him as it was later to have
Mr.. Brown, of Grace church, take charge
OF wedding or funeral. The butcher
died several years ago. but his son has
continued to hold much of the fashionable
trade, although others have share of it.
The son is Il man of middle age, and. hay-
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" he said the other day. has
changed its ways of living greatly since |
hrst come to know some of its 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 cossip.
and sometimes something more than So
clety 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
lelsurely then, at least the social part of it,
than 1t 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 Rave CHANGED.
After awhile, as the rush for money got
hold OF society people as well 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.
"Iou will probably be surprised to hear
first families average 30 per cent. less to-
day than they did fifteen years ago. can
show you 10y my books and by those of nv
father how the bills of the same families
have gone down in that ratio
The only reason that 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
" years ago 1t would amaze the average
person TO know what sort of people will
protest and grow indignant over 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
dreis Of dollars When he gave dinner
money was no object.
AN EPICURE's ORDER
i remember one occasion when he or
dered zoe chicken livers. At that time we
were not receiving chickens from the west
In the quantities that we are now. and it
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
servants would revel in the finest chops
the market afforded. One reason why the
bills OF wealthy families are no longer so
high is that most of the big dinners given
10y them are given through caterers The
same family that would formerly 90 to
great expense and trou BILE 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 La
BILE to damage. OF course in some very
fine houses the 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
tradesmsn 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 some fancy sauce which SO dis
guises the taste and flavor that only an ex
pert can tell what be 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
for 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 fer
them to influence a family to change
tradesmen. For instance, if a cook comes