The Somerset reporter., 1897-02-25
MACHINE LUNCHES.
fHE GERMAN AUTOMATIC DISPENSER
OF oUlt.k RCPAsTS.

German Railways.
Germany is showing the rest of the
world hoW quick lunches may be
served without employing walters and
how hungry person may have just
what he wants to eat ana drink at
fixed price without paying an extra tip
and without feeling himself called
upon, no matter how particular he may
be, to find fault with the service unless
he is satisfied to make his complaint to
mechanical contrivance which differs
from some walters in - far that II
makes no pretense of caring a rap or
the turn of handle how uncomfortable
or how badly served the hungry one
may be. The contrivance, which has
been perfected by the Quisicana compa-
ny of Berlin is 20 perfectly arranged
that even those people who object to
the manner of washing the cups and
plates in the ordinary quick lunch
places are deprived Of their cause for
complaint because every customer may
supervise the cleaning of the cup which
he will use, and If he is so inclined may
attend to the duty himself.
The quick lunch stands are provided
with automatic spraying nozzles for
cleaning glass and china and insure per-
feet cleanliness No rubber tubing 10
used TO conduct liquids, silver tubes be-
ing employed for the purpose. The serv-
ice is run by clockwork
In place of the ordinary counter there
are sets of ornamental cabinets ranged
along one side of the room, which have
a shelf projecting at a convenient
height, upon which glasses and cups are
placed Above these there are faucets
and number of slots to receive the
coin. When the customer has decided
what sort of a drink he wants-coffee,
tea, chocolate or beef tea--he drops the
coin in the slot and receives the regula.
ton quantity. The cold drinks-lemon.
ade, soda water and all sorts of "soft
drinks'-are kept in glass vessels and
the hot drinks i'll nickel tanks surround
ed by hot water bath, which is heated
by gas.
But the establishment is not limited
to drinks, ard the hungry man may
also be served. Sandwiches and cakes
are kept in n glass stand circular i'll
shape, which is covered with a glass
bell Each bell contains about Il dozen
sandwiches, and the purchaser indicates
his choice by dropping his coin into the
slot opposite the kind he wantss and the
stand revolyes sufficiently TO bring his
sandwich to an opening where he may
take it out Stands similarly arranged
provide hot beef, chicken and other
meats.
The quick lunch is nothing new in
Germany, though, as amy person will
know who has made a railroad trip be-
tween Berlin and Copenhagen by way
of Warnemunde. A man who made the
trip several years ago said:
"We were coming back from Den
mark and stopped at a little place on
the German frontier at about noon.
Everybody was hungry, aud the Ameri.
can contingent was disappointed when
the conductor shouted, 'Funf minuten
aufenthalt' We knew that five minutes
would not give us time for meal, and
we lost no time in leaving the coach as
soon as it was unlocked Everybody
rushed pclimell into the restaurant,
where lot of wire things that looked
like old fashioned rattraps Were piled
up. Everybody grabbed trap, paid
about % cents for it aud rushed back to
the train.
"What looked like a trap was really
an ingeniously contrived lunch basket
having three compartments In one was
an ample portion of chicken; the next
contained sandwiches, and the third
dainty piece of pastry and a small bot
tie of wine, over which ii little drink
ing glass was fastened. Little salt and
pepper shakers and knife and fork
were fastened to the sides, and the
whole was covered with japanese pa
per napkin. The fact that we were all
hungry and that the whole arrangement
was unexpected may have had some.
thing to do With our enjoyment of the
luncheon, bal il WAS agreed that it was
the most perfect of the quick kind we
had ever seen. The bottom of the wire
lunch basket WAS covered with piece
of glass and paper beneath il bore the
request III German, French and English
to leave the empty basket with the train
hand. "
Managers of quick lunch places say
that the automatic restaurant would
not be patronized sufficiently to make it
pay in New York.
"The main object of the automatic
arrangement, said one, lis to do away
with walters and save the outlay Oh
that account We have accomplished
that end by making every man his own
waiter, and | believe that breakage in
machines falling off in trade and coun-
terfeit coins would make change from
our present system to the automatic an
expensive experiment. As to the quick
lunches for travellers on railway trains,
much can be done, and no one knows
that better than the traveller who is
compelled TO make meal of what he
can buy from the dealer i'll pies, apples
and sandwiches who hawks his wares
through the cars The buffet and the
dining cars have reduced his field of
operation but he is still in business, I
selling the same old sandwiches to the
people who cannot afford To ride in
drawing room ears, and to them the
quick lunch on the plan of those which
they have in some parts of Europe would
be blessing. New York Tribune.