The morning call., 1893-05-07

ceeded in squandering two or three thou
sand Collars. He expected to be able to get
through with as much more before the end
OF another week. when he intended to re
turn to the mountains He had been lucky
as miner, but his good fortune had been
no blessing TO him, since he had parted with
bis gold without Il thought of its value and
as II his sources of supply could never be
exhausted.
The meeting was mutually agreeable. and
III reply to the question of what he was
his late experiences in the restaurant basi.
ness, expressing regret that the lack of a
little money alone prevented him from re-
opening the Hole in the Wall, in which a
thousand or fifteen hundred dollars per
month could be cleared, he thought, with
good management.
How much are you short?" inquired
Havens.
"Short?" repeated Dan, "why. Pm short
the whole amount required, about $1,000.
No, not quite so bad as that, he continued,
pulling from his pocket and displaying forty
or fifty dollars IN gold and silver; Il can
chip this in"
Don't take any chances with a home
stake like that, laughed Havens, squirting
at the handful of coin. Hunt up another
quarter somewhere and buv a steamboat.
But never mind. I've got the gold in old
Sylvestel's safe, if it hasn't been stolen
since last night, and I've half notion TO
deprive myself If the fun of gambling ii
away by starting you in business. How
much did you say it was likely To pay ?"
"A thousand or fifteen hundred per
month. If reasonably well managed"
"And what if conducted with dash and
genus?"
The profits might possibly be doubled"
All right, nay boy, you shall have the
money, aud, more than that, L will be your
partner in the business. l have some idea
OF how a flTst-claSS restaurant ought to he
run in this country. There should be
nothing humdrum in the management.
Patrons get tired of regulation diet, however
good ii may be. and should be greeted with
little surprises now and then, both as TO
price and style OF service. Such diversions
are always appetlZlng TO men OF taste, ana
we shall scarcely invite the custom of any
other class. Yes, we will reyOlutioniZe the
business, and soon place every other res
taurant in The city in the category of hash
houses. What do you think of it, Dan ?"
Think of it?" replied Ferguson, with
enthusiasm, why, I'm delighted at the
partnership suggestion, and as you propose
to furnish all the funds 1t would scarcely be
decent in me 10 deny you the privilege of
conducting the business in your own way"
"Al! right, then; come al ing tn me -
aud Havens conducted his newly made
partner to the Crescent City HE, where
he weighed ou; 10 him twenty five hundred
dollars In dust The bills against the Hole
in The Wall were paid and transferred TO
Ferguson; the furniture and goodwill were
sold under the old attachments, and bid in
By him as a matter OF form, and within a
week the establishment reopened under
the new management with a stock of
choice wines and a formidable display of
fish. game and other delicacies IN one OF the
windows. The old cooks were retained
and the Hole in the Wall was again
gla1 h r..ff, Tt,.
standing that expense was not to be con-
sdered, Ferguson undertook to do the pur-
chasing for the concern, and Havens
stationed himself behind the counter as
cashier and receiver.
The success of the place under the new
management seemed to be assured. The
Hole in the Wall became the resort of cpl
cures, and with fresh details of walters was
kept open all night. as before. 10 supp a
belated public with wines, oysters ana cold
collatious.
"We've struck the winning card. Dam
said HaYens, gleefully, "and must play 1t to
the limit through the deal"
Have your own way about it, was the
an wer; "gou are keeping cases"
The chief cook was sent for. You are
doing we'll" said HaYens to that function
ary. You are Just saiyating our patrons
with your splendid work in the Kitchen.
But can't you startle the public now and
then by devising strange dishes that no one
ever heard of before?'
The cook thought he could, and the next
day the bill of fare of the Hole in the Wall
embraced ragout OF grizzly bear and frog
salad; the day following, woOdehuck stuffed
with truffies and omelette of snipes' brains
and pigeons eggs; the day after, buffalo
hump hash and racc0on larded with oys-
tiers, and thereafter one or two dishes daily
no less novel or provocative of c. mment. OF
course, all these gastrOnomic glories were
not genuing, but the cook knew how to
make them palatable and they became the
talk of ihe city.
Then bewildering scheme in connection
with prices was IN Introduced by Havens.
While he would ast0und one customer by
charging him no more than % cents for a
brolIed spring chicken and Quart bottle OF
champagne, the bill of another would be ST
perhaps for plate If alleged woodchuck,
stuffed with trufiss. As designed, these
occasional fantastic charges attracted addi-
tional attention TO the Hole in the Wall and
while II was sometimes suggested that the
place must be under the management of a
lunatc, the superiority of its food and
service was generally admitted.
AS before mentioned the hotel and res
taurant walters OF the period were largely
composed of newly arrived adventures
working their way to the mines. As their
terms OF service were usually brief, there
was Of course constant demand for wait
ers, and placard proifering employment in
the capacity referred to occupied a per-
manent place in window of almost every
restaurant. The Hole in the Wall was not