Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-11-17
sWepIs4 RAIlaoAp hE.IAu

SWEDISH RAILROAD heS tAURANTs
Food I'm Great Quantities. but It Must
BE BoIted In a Hurry.
/ have had my first experience of
the Swedish mode of catering for
travellers. We were warned at the
door that every one entering the res
taurant would have to pay two
kroner two shillings and twopence
halfpenny), whether he ate as much
as he was able or ate nothing at all.
There was an appalling rush for
victuals and drink. Thanks to the
helpful person, got nicely through
the repast in twenty minutes, the
limit of time allowed. Surely the
twenty mig 1t have been extended to
thirty minutes or more without, in a
slow coach country, inconvenience
to the railway administration.
For the two kroner one had the
run of all that was displayed with
IHomeric righteousness on long and
wide central table and on a great
buffet. The variety of victuals and
drinks was infinite. What were
there2 SouDs a la franchise and la
suedoise, native whets to appetite
l(delicatessen), including caviar, an
chovies, sliced tongue and sausages /;
smoked salmon, smoked goose and
cucumbers favored with aniseed.
The fish division included Holsters,
salmon boiled and g1illed pike and
salmon trout. Poached eggs lay on
'beds" of cooked spinach. Basinfuls
of salad wel placed among dishes of
roast beef, veal and fowl, the latter
of some diminutive breed. Besides
these there were pies, puddings, jams,
cranberry compotes, pan and oven
cakes, sweet omelets, and lastly,
wood Strawberries, with whipped
cream.
The coffee was equal to Leloyen's,
but there was no time to drink it un-
less one scalded ones throat Knives,
forks and plates were laid i'll heaps
on the central table. Beverages were
sold at cost prices. Around the room
stood small tables with nothing but
Iablecloths on them. One helped
ones self as one pleased and ate as
one could.
This is what an "old soldier" would
do in a Swedish railway restaurant.
If with a party he would appoint
himself it's general, directing one of
his friends to pounce upon as many
chairs as were wanted and set them
round tai q, on which he was to
keep guard; another would be told
off to capture knives, forks and
plates, to order drinks and provide
the party with glasses. His next
duty would be to carry plates, soups
and viands from the big table to the
one that had been secured. The gen
erals part would be to ladle out soup
and snatch up food from the big
table, heaping up as much and as
many sorts on each plate held out to
him as he could. The whole party
would be thus provided for without
loss of time and could eat in hot haste
no doubt of nearly everything.
AT railway meal In Sweden one
may see as many as seven or eight
sorts of viands on the same plate at
the same moment, and all getting
mixed. But the travellers appetite
is proverbial, and the fastidious per-
son risks being starved. All that is
offered is of the best, but having to
gobble rather than to eat one can
hardly discern its good quality. The
Swedes hold that this system OF
gorging ones self rapidly has its ad-
vantages, it enabling travellers to 60
for long time without further r.
freshment, because they cannot d.
gest the food for many hours, ard
therefore cannot get hungry.-Lon-
don Truth,