New-York tribune., 1896-05-03
LUNCHEON NOT QUITE FREE.
BUT THE FACTORY GIRLS GET LOW
RATES.
TEA AT TWO CENTS A CUP AND SOUP At THREE
CENTS PI.ATE-SOME CANNOT PAY
EVEN TFFsE FIGURES.

TEA AT TWO CENTS CUP AND SOUP AT THREE
CENTS PI.ATE-soME CANNOT PAY
EVEN TFFsE FIGURES
The noon hour Is trebly welcome to the West Side
factory girls since the foremen have permitted the
managers of the New England Kitchen. In Hudson
ST.. to furnish the girls with luncheon The glove
handkerchief womens waist. biscuit and box fac-
tories are among those who have accorded the prN-
lege Tea of the best quality carefully prepared.
with milk and sugar in 1t. and hot and fragrant as
II just poured from the pot Is furnished TO the girls
for two cents cup. Soup savory and deliciouslY
seasoned. made of the best meat stock ana Vege-
tables costs only three for a plentiful help-
Ing. and rice pudding. steamed 80 long and havored
so decatey that 1t bears little resemblance to the
taseloss concoction that often bears that titie Is
served likewise for three cents
Fish balls al four cents a piece and beef croquetes
for three figure often the bill of fare. and
clam chowder and liberal shares of macaron. nicely
cooked and favored. are sold at merely nominal
prices.
Promptly at the stroke OF t. the representative
from the kitchen taps cautiously at the door OF the
big upper chamber. where the machines are whir-
ring and catorng. The tap IL Significant 10 the IN
mates for 1t means that Ann has come for the table.
and IT is with Ann that they trade every day. those
who have not the means to do So envying those
who have \ hundred pairs OF eyes look interested
w. on AS the square deal table is moved out into the
entryway at the head Of the stairs. and then the
d,or closes again. shutting off the view while the
eatables placed in marketable array. Bread
tomato soup rice pudding baked apples. and last.
but not least the big kettle of tea that fills the place
with fragrance he bill OF fare on this particular
day.
DESCENT on THE TABLE
The first to appear as patrons four sedate-
looking girls from the rooms above. who come 10
arrange for the supply spoken for in their depart
ment. The forewoman Of the main room comes out
also to have her own portion set aside. and then, at
gwen signal. the girls come. helter-skeler. pell-
nell. out OF the big door and gather about the table
as thick bees about the comb.
Dozens OF arms are outstrctched al once, with cup
or can upllfted COR Ann undertakes to provide only
the vands. not the dishes.
PUT four cups Of tea in this can SAYS dark
haired GIRL Of four chums who take their lunch
together.
one shudders to see the nice tea poured into such
n discoored bent. uninviting receptacle as this old
lard can is but there are many other cans just like
IT, and doubtless the imbibers are not fastidious.
Many hold thick white mugs others bowls OF
varying shapes and sizes and one girl OF far com
pexion and dressed In mourning holds out a
pitcher that like herself has evidently seen better
days In spite o: the hard usage that has lined 1t
with cracks and robbed II OF both spout and handle.
II stil bears remnant OF It's former beauty.
The girls varied In type as the vessels they
provide Some are plainly and unblushingy untdy.
while great rents and holes conspicuous In both
skirt ana waist OF their dresses Others despite
ha tha Gmeh @ air o putting H. Si 10, or
ward which an astute observer has declared to be
r s insS. upon no matter ~hat her
wheher he goes w'hoq' h TncheSn & or akes G It s9
ways. and does II thoroughly ana persisenily. with
out regard either 70 the time am pIucnce 1t In;
features Nearly every one OF AIMS patrons buy
ing tea. baked apples or pudding was crimped and
lis there cup Of tea TO spare" asks one OF
these frzzy heads holding out tin cup She has
come down from an upper story and j. late;
IAN sold out clean. she i told. al she turns
away looking disappointed
RAINEs BILL EVEN HERE.
"Five OF M regular customers amt here" says
Ann when the heplng-out IL done and che counts
over the pennies. dimes and nckes on the table
before her
They are home three days every week now: the
factories all putting the girls on half.time or
this here Ranes bill has hurt the factories at sast
that's what they tell me over AT the biscuit factory
stopied and the saloonkeepers not buying so much.
Il never do we'll with the girls on Mondays.
i"ft over from sundays dinner with them for lunch,
The rest OF the week, though. they are crazy ior
could not bring rice pudding enough. In the cold
weather they go for the soup. but since us getting
warmer they want something sweet: These baked
apples now at cent sell splendid. and I've got
Ave orders for cocoa tomorrow they se, that aor
Al some of the factories the kitchen assistants
are allowed TO 40 In ana dispense Their dlshes AT
each individual desk bench II the patron wishes.
The superintendcnts. however throw cold water on
this plan. declaring that II gives excuse FOR dis
order among the employees. Before the New-Eng-
land Kitchen management prevailed with the au-
thoritrs 10 let them try the plan. the factory girls
had no chance OF getting a warm luncheon. they
have only a half-hour OF spare time ana with th.r
small wages they could not afford TO patronize
ever ,ho cheapest Of restaurants. Now they get
lcookod yiands for less than the food actually
COSTS II is a matter Of regret that the New Eng
land kitchen should not yet have paid ts expenses.
IL is supported entirely by the bounty OF private
Individual who does not care TO divuge his name,
and it's aim Is TO assist the poor and 10 aid the sick
by furnishing them nutritious foods at the lowest
cost 49,,
There IS no restaurant AT the New England
Kitchen but hot. cooked food is sold over the
counter from II a. m. to p. IN. each day, III sup
plies meals 70 families and parties OF men In apart
ment houses and all OF the dishes are palatahle
and inexpensive. Dishes cooked to order are also
sold at moderate prices. Those in charge are
anxious that this department shall be enlarged
sufficiently defrny the expense incurred by SELL
ing to their poorer patrons at such low rates -
Dr T. Eggleston Is the president Of the institu-
ton, and Miss Ella J. knight, who has made
scientific cooking a life-study IL the manager:
Every minute detail about the appointments or
the Kitchen is exquistely clean and all operations
are conducted with clockwork regularity ana
method. The food is not well-cooked one day ana
Indifferent the next. but Ia Invariably excellent
The humble people living In the vicinity OF the es-
tablishnent recognize Its value and there con
slant carrying OF pitchers. bowls and pals FOR the
fresh cooked dantes to be had at It's counters.
In Ia IT,