Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-12-13
TONS OF FREE LUNCH.
WHERE GplsLEs foR NEW yoRx
DRINKERS ARE PREPARED.

DRINKERS ARE PRtPARtu.
A vis,t 70 The Ostsisai Srss Lsssh fss-
tssy-Ths Yssd ysssd % the Csssssss
ss sai.sas 10 Asssssssar~d is Over
rhir,y Essssiish.es'@
These facts are published for the en-.
ightenment Of the many thousands who
eat free lunch. They have probably OBJ
Ierved the fact without duly pondering
on IL, that this kind Of nutriment wher-
ever found In this city has generic
favor. That is explained here.
The free lunch eaters of New York
consume daily two tons Of potato salad.
A ton and q half Of beans. $50 gallons of
beef stew and . hundrrdweisht of ca
Ware, not 20 mention the pounds and
rounds Of cheese, frankfurter sausagc-,
pickles. olives. corned beef, macaroni
and all the other constituent elements
Of the $4,000 worth of free lunch that
IL dispensed each day In 1000 sAlcons.
To supply this enormous demand
twenty catering COMPANIES bake beans.
boil beef and mix mp salads and all sorts
Of food.
The pioneer In the business and the
irm that supplies most Of the free lunch
consumed In New York has i,s hash
foundry and headquarters ON Washing.
ton street. where once stood . small
church. near the Christopher Street ferry.
II IL four story building that gives EN-.
ploymen, to forty men. ten women and
twelve horses.
A small sign inside the ofiice door he
trays IT, Otherwise the p~sssrby would
know not what 10 was. From outside
appearance II might be . soap factor,
or q paper box warehouse, instead Of be-
ing the source Of sustenance 10 the 0, 900
men who. IL is estimated. live by free
lunch alone. There are. besides 10000
Others who sample u day by day.
The building In question confirms q
neat business Office, great elevator that
droIs wagon. horse and all down In the
cellar to L. loaded for delivery. huge
kitchens, ovens. ranges. boilers, ice
houses and all the other necessary ad'
juncts o. the manufacture OF New
York's FRYE lunch.
A visit was made by reporter TO the
factory the other day when the baking
of the first batch of bcans-j0o pounds
was about to t-gin.
Pans and di.hes were clanking. cal.
dron. were steaming and everything
was going quickly.
Tomorrow Is Friday" aid the man
ager. "fish Is In great demand and we
have to work Of thesc beans and get at
the pike, rockfish and salmon. We have
600 pounds Of fish 10 cook and u means
extra work"
Up stairs q machine chopper Was at
work ON huge mas Of corn beef for
hash purpc~e.
Piled upon . table were tubs OF
pickles. pigs feet, olives and other thirst
oompellers. The icebox was yielding up
its stores % fish and hesh. The FREQ
lunch factory was In full blast.
Everything went by system and every
thing was clear aud clean as new pin.
Even the stairs were scrubbed 10 q
snowy whiiene-s and. u u IL true that
each must eat his peck Of dirt, ono can
ret assured that he will get but 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 dainiie- aud
delicacies for the finest class Of trade.
The extent Of the free lunch system In
New York can In some degree lie esii'
mated from the variety of comestible>
provided by this one catering company.
These comprise clam chowder. clam
broth. beef pie. veal po,pie, vegetable
and tomato soup, boiled ham. beans In
eight varieties besides the famous Bos-
ton style. boned turkey. macaroni'
salmon salad. chicken salad. lobster
salad. fried oysters. fried clans. clam
friitsrs. boiled Pigs head. baked hvers,
liver and bacon. roasted pig, soft crabs,
frie,i eels and - on.
The process of bean baking and salad
making was next seen. A ton OF beans
boiled meri lily In four large caldrons,
Quantities of these were scooped with
large ladies into curiously SHAPED iron
kettles, which were placed in the oven
and parboilei. Then they were trans
ferred to the familiar little brown jar
and put into another oven. Here they
were TO lake twelve hours IL takes
tweniy.four hours in all to bake them
into Boston beans.
| For the potato salad potatoes-barrsl
fuls Of potatoes-were being cooked
They were then peeled, and five or sil
bushel. Of sliced onions were added and
the salad was done. Under the super
vision Of mn Italian expert ten large PAM
Of macaroni were being prepared. Al
soon "a anything was finished 10 wa
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 ever,
day but Saturday. Saturday is the frss
lunch makers' holiday.
Beans and beef must be prepared or
sunday for Monday delivery. but nj
work need DO done on Saturday for Sun
day.
New York leads the world In the max
ing Of free lunch. New Orleans and Sar
Francisco are noted. too. and Cincinnati
and Chicago come In for free lunch hon
ors also. But none Of these cities car
boast Of any shop where free lunch u
made by the ton a. 1t ID here In New
York every day of the year except Sat
ur,iay.
Free lunch IL distinctive American
institution. II was unknown In Europ'
until May. 1891. when Miss L. Joyce
the proprietress Of the Mariners hotel
in Liverpool. placed In the taproom
free for AL spread between the hours o.
II and I. She continues 10 do 30, 10 tn
great Joy OF her many patrons, up 70 In
present time. New York World.