The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-10
CHINA IN BIG HOTELS.
Thousands Of Dozens Of Pieces for the
Steward to Look After.

Decorated Ware Fad With the Pro-
prietors-The Number of Dishes 1t
Takes to Furnish the De Soto Tables,
and How They Are Cared For-Who
Is Responsible for the Broken and
Nioked Pieces.
The latest fad among hotel proprietors,
that is, among those who keep hrst-class
establishments and cater to the elegant
tourist travel, is decorated china ware,
and there is a great rivalry among them
in the elegance and artistic taste dis
played in the decorative designs.
The colors used are, of course, modest,
and for the most part delicate tints are
used in the coloring, except in the princi
pal design which is on each piece These
designs vary with the location or the
hotel, and may be the monogram or crest
Of the house, a design OF the hotel itself,
or some similar decoration, according 10
the tastes Of the proprietors.
1t may be interesting also to know the
amount Of china thabis required for use
in a large hotel. The De Soto, which may
well be taken as model, as it is one Of
the largest in the south, and has during
any, has just received and put in use an
entire car load of chinaware, which is an
imitation of Haviland's famous china
wares, and was made in Liverpool, o.
This car load consisted of 1000 dozen
pieces of thirty different sizes and va
rieties. The proprietors have selected a
neat and very tasty design for the decora-
tion Of this china, each piece having a
circle or rim of cream and gold with the
well-known crest or monogram of the
hotel as principal design. 1t is as pretty
perhaps as will be found in any hotel
south of New York, and gives the table
settings a neat and elegant appearance.
NOT ALL ALIKE.
OF course, in so large an order as a
thousand dozen the same number of
each piece is not ordered, as there are
some pieces which are used much more
rarely than others. In this carload there
were three different sizes of plates, of
which there was hundred dozen of each
size. There was 80 dozen each of four
kinds of vegetable dishes, 100 dozen in
dividual buffers, 100 dozen each of cups
and saucers, 80 dozen after dinner coffees
and so dozen soups, and numerous other
pieces in smaller proportions. This will
constitute the entire outfit to be used in
the hotel this winter, the plain china
ware which was used last winter having
has an outfit of fine imported chinaware
for the use of special and private parties,
as well as silver and glassware, for use
on such occasions, but the object of this
article is to give an idea of the amount of
chinaware in daily use at large hotel Of
this kind.
Much care has to be exercised in hand
ling so large an amount of china, in order
to diminish as far as possible the per
Ng,gs y,Fk
lot of china like this during a season, is
put by most proprietors at about 1874 per-
cent. This does not mean, of course,
that this amount Is actually broken, but
includes also large number of pieces
which become nicked and cracked in one
way and another, and such pieces are
never put back on the tables, but are
sent TO the auction house, or to some
secoud-class restaurant, where they are
considered a luxury.
LOOKING AFTER THE BREAKAGE.
The greatest care is used in handling
the china. Most large hotels now use
steam dish washers, which contain COM
partments for each piece, dozen or more
of one piece being put into one compart-
ment, and these thoroughly wash and dry
the dishes without breaking them. Three
servants can do more with one of these
machines than was formerly accomplished
by eight using only their hands. The
china is kept in closet built specially for
the purpose, and a servant is employed
especially to take charge of that closet.
At the first of each month an inventory
Of all the china is taken. and all pieces
broken through carelessness are charged
up to the dish-washers or walters, upon
whom the responsibility for the accident
rests. In this way pretty strict &C
count of the stock of china in large
hotel is kept up with, and it is rarely
necessary during the season to order
more than 100 dozen duplicates of the diff
ferent pieces, all told.
Make note of it.-Twenty- cents buy