The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-03-10
Plush Coated Gentlemen in
Houses of the Rich
SILVER COOKING UTENSILS
Palatial Kitchens and Gems in Pots
and Kettles
The Freaks of the Wealthy In New York City.
High Art In Boilers and Pans and
Thousands In Liveries
special Corresnondence to The HERALD

costs almost as much as the state apart.
ments. The day has gone by when after
every room had received its quota OF
space, a little portion of the basement was
dubbed the Kitchen and duly provided
with range and sinks and, it may be,
set of wash tubs.
The 10,000-a.year chefs of the Have
meyers, Gerrys, Vanderbilts and Astors
need $40, 900 kitchens in which to prepare
their wonderful CONNECTIONS. These kitch-
ems are worth coimng long way TO see.
Theodore A. Havemeyer has the hnest
kitchen in America, in MS beautiful home
in Madison avenue and Thirty seventh
street. 1t is not in the house proper, but
in sunny, airy apartment. buiit on rs
an extension to the great house, with
windows on two sides, and such perfect
ventilation that, on the hottest days IN
summer there is not a suggestion IN the
beautiful house that dinner, luncheon
or breakfast is being prepared.
The walls, ceiling and floor are OF white
tiles, which are kept immediately white.
The range IS IL stately affair OF sheet iron
and steel, and the sinks for washing vege-
tables are OF white marble, Tor she reason
that the wlite enamele.i nks crack ana
dissolve SO easily. Eve. .'ot and sauce
pan is OF copper linad WIN silver. The
copper utensils are considered to give the
any injurious combination CT me copi,er
with the substances cooked i'll IT. The
ventilation and lighting OF this kitchen
are perfect, and all %. the doors from the
cooking OF food are drawn OH by forced
ventilation. The light by day is sunlight,
and at night there are floods OF electric
light, for the chef needs TO see the color OF
the dishes he is preparing, for 1t would he
an imlossibiity for him to taste them
all and he depends upon his sight, ana
rarely does this sense llay him false: The
force required in this kitchen in addition
to the chef are a first and second cook,
pastry cook and two kitchen maids.
Ebrdge +. Gerry's kitchen is "a poem.
Walls ceiling and floor are OF spotlcss
white marble. The sinks, the mortIrs Tor
preparing forcemeat and similar edlbes
are all of the glistenin,. white stone. All
of the pots and pans are OF silver lined
copper, except those for frying, which are
of iron. Beside the ten-toot range is
charcoal broler for meats and fish, for
particular people decline to eat any food
which is cooked over ordinary coal; they
contend that the fat dropping upon the
fire develops gas which Is very offensive
to their dainty palates.
The cook table is OF wood, of course.
1t is of snowy white birch, formed OF
strips four or five i"ches thick, set on the
edge. The chef can pound away on this
and beat and hammer his metals into
DcIlcCblOll WlbHout any NuHSSi vi
awakening the sleeping household. The
refrigerator is in separate room, Just be-
hind the kitchen. The pastry cook has
an apartment to himself. In it is Il
small bakers oven, which is superior in
every respect to the ordinary range for
baking all kinds OF delicious bread and
cakes. Besides the chef, the culinary
force employed by Mr.. Gerry includes
second cook, pastry cook aid three
kitchen maids. The mepls they prepare
all outrival any service in New York.
There is birds nest soup and oyster
crabs, a new delicacy which costs two
dollars for every cover; French snails,
toothsome filets, terrapin and nunlberless
delicacies that it would be impossible to
get, even at Delmonico's, unless arranged
for several days in advance.
The fact that Mr.. Gerry is credited
with having the most sumptuous table in
New York, indicates that his kitchen is
a most ella borate affair. On wines and
foods alone Mr.. Gerry sp nds in the
neighborhood OF 500, 600 year. His wine
cellar contains vintages costing $40 and
$l5 Il bottle, and at banquet OF only
twenty covers vast amount of money
can be drunk in al evening.
Cornelius Vanderbilt has great, roomy,
sunshny kitchen, which is kept so shin
ing and clean that it is no wonder his
chef prepares the daintiest and most de-
licious CONNECTIONS at every meal. The
IOOT is OF Dan, lDS Wills are llleu anu tile
sinks and pots of heavy white porcelain.
The range is placed against the rear
wall, and there is serving table in front,
OF oak covered with zinc, on which the
pots and pans can rest without burning
the surface OF the heavy wood.
There is large balm marie, which is a
vessel filled with hot water, into which
the vessels continuing soups and vegetables
are placed for the purpose of keeping
them hot after they are thoroughly well
done and all ready for the service. There
are Big windows on the side and venti
lators, which keep the kitchen, even at the
busiest hour, as sweet and clean smelling
as is the parlor. The refrigerators and
cold and warm storage rooms are off the
kitchen, and so is the baking department.
The pastry oven is so well regulated that
bread and the most fiakey, airy pastry can
be baked at the same time, with perfect
success.
John Jacob Astor's new kitchen in his
new house on Filth avenue and Sixty
fifth street is just receiving the finishing
touches 1t is tiled in white, with CHEEKY
looking touches of bright red. This
kitchen seens perfection, for the use OF
coal is done away with entirely; the
ranges, bake ovens and lighting are all
done by electricity. The chef could go on
duty every day, If he desired to give up
his well paid art OF cooking, as an cleo
trician, and he persuaded Mr.. Aston to
introduce TINS novelty IN MS grand new
kitchen. The clever young millionaire
has experimental great deal with cleo
trio currents and his new kitchen ranges
were made from designs which he him
self suggested. The chef is enthusiastic
in his praise OF the new process, and as
sures every one that when the house is
formally opened the fashionable folks
will be astonished at the results of fash
ionable cooking.
Not content with emulating to an ex-
travagant extent all the fashionable fads
and idiosyncracies of the English nobility
the New York society people, now that
they have exhausted that domain, are
turning their attention to the servants OF
their households.
\ veritable reign OF ''Jeemes in Plush"
is upon us. Where it will end no one can
foretell. From indications it looks as if
the pompous overfed gentlemen who
opens the door for you and says not at
home or condescendingly bows you
with polite graciousness into the drawing
room, will soon represent u greater an
nual expenditure i'll the matter of clothes
than his master.
New Workers have hitherto been some
what conservative in the matter of liveres.
They have adhered to plain, well-made
affairs which the wearers could don with
becoming pride. This conservatism,
which is now rapidly fading away, may
have been due to the traditions of free
dom, peace and happiness which are sup