Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-07-01
ABUSE OF THE STOMACH.
A Restaurant Observer Makes Some Pass
ing Notes.

4 Restaurant Observer MAKES some faSS-
ing Notes.
l was trying to dispose of straw berry
breakfast and my morning paper at the
same time-about II o'clock. 1t was a
public restaurant in Herald square, and
the late breakfasters began to become
adulterated with early lunchers. The
world never stands still in Herald square.
The kitchen here shifts cooks, new set
of walters go on at given hours, a change
Of faces at the cashiers windoW-that'
all. But men and women come and so
at the little. clean. bare tables all day.
while new forms and faces are reflected
from the mirrored walls all night. There
are men just finishing their suppers be-
fore going to bed when the early work
ers begin to pour in for their breakfasts.
There are breakfasts being ordered as
the midday business lunch is being bolt
ed by hurried hundreds. In short, there
are brea kfaStS, lunches, dinners and sup
pers being served during every hour
of the Qay and highland no questions
are asked and no troublesome eXplana-
lions required as to the conner being too
late for the one or too early for the
other.
Only in such a place can one get q
realistic glimpse of a great city. | was
thinking of this when young man car
rying a dress suit came in and took a
seat opposite to me- ordering a straw
berry ShOrtcake and a glass of iced tea
This served as an appetizer, apparently
as he Immediately followed it with a
beefsteak. fried potatoes and coffee. All
of this vanished before | had finished
my Strawberries, and the young mans
place was taken by a sleek-looking gen
tleman, who got a single egg with brown
bread and a glass of water. upon the
destruction of which he drew from his
-no r to,l l-n+o oil .n1 TOO
therefrom a glass about as big as a thin
BILE, and poured some sort of medicine
into it. which he tossed of with an ain
of patient resignation. a woman with
face that would split wood sat just
beyond, reading Il newspaper through a
pair of gold glasses between desultory
nibbles of dry toast and furtive assaults
on little metal teapot at her right.
The tea and the toast cost 3 cents each,
but she got 50 worth out of them She
looked daggers at a young gourmet
across the way, who began breakfast
with an omelet, called for a clean plate
and got away with huge veal outlet
and fried potatoes and two glasses of
milk. closing things with two big sections
of fruit cake as an evidence of good
faith.
Such terrible abuses of the human
stomach as can be witnessed in these
places would brighten a savage. During
business hours an amount of food is bolt
ed within a few minutes-or, at least
but half masticated-that ought to have
claimed half or three-quarters of an
hour. The women, as rule, eat spar
ingly. Women in restaurants a la carte
are more economical than men, The
price is a leading consideration. They
look over the bin of fare for the bargain
counter. Next to the surprising number
of women who live in restaurants is the
surprising cheapness with which they
live. They can get all that is necessary.
and get it good, for about So a week.
New York cor. of the Pittsburg Dis
patch.