Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1895-08-20
EATING AND EATERs.
IT IS NOT GOOD FORM TO DO MORE
THAN TASTE AND SIP.

~ Nnritcd 60 p Smart Dlunot, Dine before
You oo-How Dinners aud Banaueis o.
Fabuious Cost Are Got Up and servsa ~
Caterers.
An American author and musician
told a queer little story the other day
that ran like thiss
event 70 tho opera; sat in q box
with two ladies and three men; social
leaders; very swell; felt out Of place;
heard nothing but talk and chatter;
missed oil the singing and music; after
the opera, supper &C the Waldorf; ex-
pocted that, Of course; went prepared
very hungry; all the dainties Of the sea-
son on the table. but nobody ate; wine
in abundance, all drinking; more talk
and gossip; wouldn't eat alone, 10
starved; not polite 20 eat nowadays,
I'm told; proper to mince along, taste
a morsol and talk; don't like It; no
more fashionable suppers for nell
Another man, IN habitual diner out,
remarked;
II invariably eat my dinner at home
before going ont to dine. Nobody thinks
Of eating at q public dinner nowadays
Il is the height Of i'll breedingi At pri-
vate dinners with ladies he who eats
Is voted a bore. He must sip and taste
and talk; that's all that is expected Of
him. II I didn't eat at home I'd starve
70 death.
Perhaps something in recent years
has altered the belief that the nearest
way to a mans heart is down his throat.
Hosts used to feed their guests to put
them ia good humOr, to make their Wis
it's agreeable. Everybody at the table
ate and drank and all went merrily.
Better dinners than those provided
today the world e saw, but they are
not eaten. New York dinners are supe-
rior in many respects TO those Of any
other city in the world. The people have
money and arc willing to pay for the
best tho market affords, and there is no
doubt that tho New York market is I'M
surpassed. There are more relnements,
too, at an American entertainment than
elsewhere, moro variety. Still it is well
to dine at your table before going
TO the house Of a fashionable friend. At
the latter you are expected to entertain,
not to partake of what is set before you.
Leave that to tho servants OF to the ca
terer. Rich folk used to have their own
servants prepare the dinner when guests
were expected, but nowadays every
thing Is left TO the caterer. It is so
much less trouble, you know. Why
worry for days arranging a dinner for a
dozen or two Of ones friends when il
oov 10 bofto- Hone ~ sho ,oko-o-e We
have plenty of caterers Some have
grown rich aud proud on the feasts and
banquets given by the fashionable set.
When a millionaire wants to give q
dinner he sends for his favorite, tells
him the number of guests expected, adj
vances a few ideas on the general style
Of the entertainment, names the day
ard hour, and says, ~ leave everything
to YOU The menu is submitted, and,
IL satisfactory, both as to price aud dish
es, the preparation goes IN.
The entire dinner is prepared at the
establishment Of the caterer, after
which, ON the day appointed, it is care
fully packed in hampers and boxes and
conveyed to the house where it is to be
eaten. Most private houses are fitted
with excellent ranges, and ON them the
caterers chefs do the cooking. Positive
" nothing is left to the homo cook.
The caterer takes entiro charge of the
kitchen. Hecould not be responsible for
the dinner otherwise. The dining room
also is turned over to him, for the din
ner itself is scarcely more important
than the arrangement of the table OF ia
bles.
Certain unwritten rules are followed
in this respect. When there are less than
20 persons they are usually seated at
one largo table, rectangular or round;
but when that number is exceeded it is
the custom to use small tables, as they
can be better served. Six persons to a
table is the rule. Tho expansion Of So
ciety in New York in the last ~ years
has been very great, and the size Of the
private dinner has increased enormously.
Il used to be considered a big thing to
have 10 or IL guests, but now it is COM
mon enough to have from 30 to 80.
Where receptions a few years ago mum
bered from 300 to 400 guests, they now
number from 600 to 1000.
Inc CUbb VI u QlAuCl uCpruun Du tho
wines and flowers. An excellent dinner
can be served for, say, 30 persons at $40
a plate. the flowers will cost about $15
aud the wines from "a to $40 a head.
At Mrs. Astor's famous ball. in the win
ter Of l8S9-9O, the finest entertainment
she ever gave. the wines ON the supper
table were very select. Her S%teinberger
Cabinet cost $40 q bottle.
The dinner to Charles O'Conor was
one Of the finest ever given In this city.
Il was managed by Sam Ward and cost
over 500 a plate. The menus alone cost
90 apiece. The decorations were most
elaborate, the tables being literally COW
cred with rare flowers The wines We're
the c~ostliest that could DO had. Some Of
Sam Wards priceless Madeira was
handed around. The guests numbered(5O.
The dinner to President Andrew John
son on the occasion Of his visit 10 New
York, IN 1866. cost 500 a plate Leland
gtanford's dinner u Mrs. dRanti about
~. n.H-.s. - n[nH-- ~