The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-02
DONE BYAHOTEL CHEF
The Salvation Army New Years
Dinner to the Poor
WAS A BIG ONE IN EVERY WAY.
Over Seven Hundred People Were
Fed-Ic Was an Interesting sight.

There was crowd in and about Saliva
ton Army hall on East Seventh street at
noon yesterday. 1t was composed of
poor people who were there to help dis
pose of the big dinner the army had pre-
pared for them:
The hall itself was used as rece ption
room and it was inadequate. There were
fifty or more on the steps.
The dinner was spread on two long ia
bles in a vacant store room next to the
hall and it did indeed look tempting.
The tables were covered with white pa
per and were most tastefully if cheaply
arranged.
The back part of the room was used as
a kitchen and was we'll crowded with
good things of all kinds.
The dinner was gotten up at the sug
gestion and through the efforts of
Captain Dodds and his wife. The captain
was sick, but was able to lend his pres
ence to the feast if not his help. It was
a donation dinner; that is, part of il was
donated outright and part of if was
bought with money that was donated.
1t was estimated that at least six hun
drad poor people would be fed, and
tickets were issued by the army where
they thought they were needed.
be the chef at the National hotel, was
the cook and delightful feed he made
of it.
This was the bill of fare:
Soup.
Chicken.
Roast Beef. Brown Gravy
Turkey, Cranberry Sauce
Chicken with Dressing.
Apples. Oranges
Mashed Potatoes. Sweet Potatoes.
Baked Beans. Stewed Tomatoes
Sugar Corn.
Sponge Pudding Lemon Sauce.
Minee Pie. Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie.
Tea. Coffee. Milk.
The crowd that was waiting for the
dinner to begin consisted for the most
part of children. Some of them were
we'll dressed, bat the majority were lily
clad. There were patches on their
! clothes and holes that let the cold air
| in were plenty. The men were in much
the same condition and there were peo-
pie waiting who looked as though they
hadn't had a good meal for long time.
! Children with pinched little faces, and
| eyes that seemed enlarged by the sunk
enness of their cheeks. Faces that were
not so clean as they might have been.
| but with glad look on them that told
of something joyful expected. -.
There were women, in the best they
! had, most of the dresses clean but patch
! ed, and their hands were hard and toll
stained. They didn't say much. They
were too used to suffering in silence.
At the tables the children were per-
fectly happy They looked it and acted
it. Most OF the old folks ate in silence.
1t was the bread of charity"
1t was busy scene. The Salvation
Army women in their red waists, blue
skirts and white aprons waited on the
tables.
1t is estimated by Mrs. Dodds who su-
perintended the dinner, that at least $50
people were fed during the day at the
hall and that upwards of seventy five
dinners were sent to people who were
either too sick to come or hadn't clothes
enough to covev them sufficiently.
Il was success anyway, and the Sal
walton Army people are satisfied that
they made at least several hundred poor
folks happy for day by breaking the
monotony of their lives of work and pow
erty.