The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-24
TONS OF. FREE LUNCH.
Where Edibles for New York Drink.
CTS are Prepared.

of Saloons Is Manufactured in Over
Thirty Establishments.
These facts are published for the en-
Aghtenment of the many thousands who
Eat free lunch. They have probably OBJ
served the fact without duly bordering
on it, that this Kind of nutriment wher-
ever found in this city has generic
flavor. That is explained here.
The free lunch eaters of New York
consume daily two tons of potato salad,
ton and half of beans, $50 gallons Of
beef stew and hundredweight of Ca
Ware, not to mention the pounds and
pounds of cheese, frankfurter sausages,
pickles, olives, corned beef, macaroni
and all the other constituent elements
Of the $4,000 worth of free lunch that
Is dispensed each day in 1000 saloons.
To supply this enormous demand
twenty catering companies bake beans.
boil beef and mix up salads and lallsorts
Of food
The pioneer in the business and the
firm that supplies most of the free lunch
consumed in New York has its hash
foundry and headquarters on Washing
ton street, where once stood small
church, near the Christopher Street ferry.
It is four story building that gives en-
ployment to forty men, ten women and
twelve horses.
A small sign inside the Office door be-
trays it. Otherwise the passerby would
know not what it was. From outside
appearance it might be soap factory
OF paper box warehouse, instead of be-
ing the source of sustenance to the 10000
men who, it is estimated, live by free
lunch alone. There are, besides 100000
others who sample it day by day.
The building in question contains a
neat business Office, great elevator that
drops wagon, horse and all down in the
cellar to be loaded for delivery, huge
kitchens, ovens, ranges, boilers, ice
houses and all the other necessary adj
juncts to the manufacture of New
York's free lunch.
A visit was made by a reporter to the
factory the other day when the baking
of the first batch of beans-500 pounds
was about to begin.
Pans and dishes were clanking, cal
drons were steaming and everything
was going quickly.
Tomorrow is Friday" said the man
ager. Fish is in great demand and we
have to work off these beans and get at
the pike, roclzish and salmon. We have
900 pounds of fish to cook and it means
extra work"
Up stairs machine chopper was at
work on huge mass of corn beef for
hash purposes.
Piled upon a table were tubs OF
pickles, pigs feet, olives and other thirst
compellers. The icebox was yielding up
it's stores of fish and flesh. The free
lunch factory was in full blast.
Everything went by system and every
thing was clear and clean as a new pin.
Even the stairs were scrubbed to a
snowy whiteness and, if it is true that
each must eat his peck of dirt, one can
rest assured that he will get but a small
percentage in his free lunch.
The manager said that besides beans,
beef and potato salad they also made
and furnished everything that could be
thought of in the way of dainties and
delicacies for the finest class oftrade.
The extent Of the free lunch system in
New York can in some degree be esti-
mated from the variety of comestibles
provided by this one catering company.
These comprise clam cliowder, clam
broth, beef pie, veal potpie, vegetable
and tomato soup, boiled ham, beans in
eight varieties besides the famous Bos-
ton style, boned turkey, 1nacaroni,
salmon salad, chicken salad, lobster
salad, fried oysters, fried CLAIMS, clam
fritters, boiled pigs head, baked livers,
liver and bacon, roasted pig, soft crabs,
fried cells and SO on.
The, process of bean baking and salad
making was next seen. A ton OF beans
boiled merrily in four large caldrons.
Quantities of these were scooped with
large ladies into curiously shaped iron
kettles, which were placed in the oven
and parboiled Then they were trans
ferred to the familiar little brown jars
and put into another oven. Here they
were to bake twelve hours. 1t takes
twenty-four hours in all to bake them
into Boston beans.
For the potato salad potatoes-barrel-
fuls of potatoes-were being cooked.
They were then peeled, and five or six
bushels of sliced onions were added and
the salad was, done. Under, the super
vision of an Italian expert ten large pans
of lnacaroni were being prepared. AS
soon as anything was finished it was
placed on plates and dishes bearing the
name Of the firm, and put ready for the
wagon to take out early in the morning.
The free lunch factory works every
day but Saturday. Saturday is the free
lunch makers holiday.
Beans and beef must be prepared on
Sunday for Monday delivery, but no
work need be done on Saturday for Sun
day.
New York leads the world in the max
| ing of free lunch. New Orleans and San
Francisco are noted, too, and Cincinnati
and Chicago come in for free lunch hon
ors also. But none of these cities can
boast of any shop where free lunch is
made by the ton as it is here in New
York every day of the year except Sat
| urday.