The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-28
MEALS ron 10 GENTS.

lE- v Smalley, Chicago Times Herald
Down on the Bowery, near Canal
street found the other day the cheaD-
est restaurant in New York. An old
music hall has been converted into a
vast dining-room, equipped with the
customary counters and stools and AT
the door there are signs announcing
meals for and 10 cents Tan-cent
meals are not at all remarkable on the
BoWery, where there are a dozen places
IN which you can get what is called a
dinner for 10 or Is cents, but I have
never before seen an ATTEMPT ma de IN
provide thoroughfy clean deceit C,r5
appet1zing meals for cents This CON
Germ was esta blished as q charity bv
1Jr- KIoPsche, proprietor of the Chris
Eiall Herald. but it is run on 2 St7,a isrI1t
business basis. and the mana ger who
IS nephew of Rev. DR.. TalInage saws
that II now pays all expenses of rent
superintendeEce, food cooking and wait
ing me rent alone is 50 500 2 wear.
Since the restaurant was opened about
month ago, more than 65. coo meals
nave been furnished, and more than
nlne-tenthS of them We're of the scent
cLass- Now what does a man get for a
nickel2 I say q man, for I saw no wo-
men Al the counters. He has his choice
of a plate of hash, liver. beef stew or
pork and beans. and he gets a bowl of
cOHee, with sugar and milk, and three
slices Of good bread. If he prefers oat-
meal and milk. he can substitute that
Tor his meat ration. The food is all well
n
very liberal portions, so that a hungry
man can really satisfy himself at an
expense of only cents.
The 10-cent meal consists of. first.
either oatmeal and milk or soup. then a
cnolce OF roast meats, with two kinds
or Veget2 bleS. bread and butter coffee
or a glass of milk and some kind of
dessert, usually rice pudding or bread
pudding The place is never closed dav
or night No matter at what hour the
hungry WayfaTer may pass, the doors
are open and the lights BURNING The
customers are by no means tramps or
'bums'-nOst of them are resDecta BILE
looking men, No one is refused a meal.
however, no matter how dirty or for
aorn may be his appearance nor is the
beggar turned away who has not a
cent to pay. There is back room "a
which the mOneyless applicants for food
are freely supplied, but strange to saw
there are very few of this class Even
the destitute and depraved seem to feel
that there is a certain improprietv in
calling for free vituals al q place where
q square meal IS offered for cents 1t
would seem that they prefer to beg the
nickel ann pay for their meals like hon
est folks The manager kindly goes in
20 the details of his economies to any
one who has the curiosity to ask bout
the workings of the place. He tells at
what surprisingly low prices he gets his
meat and his vegetables by purchasing
them in large quantities. and how his
milk costs him only 215 cents q quart
II sun seemed somewhat of a mystery
however, how it is possible to fill a hun
cry stomach with good food for 5 cents
and leave a sufficient profit to pay for
rent, service and superintendent. The
manager insists, nevertheless, that he is
building up q modest little bank ac-
count and he likes to tell how the cash
der of his bank came one day TO see
what sort of a meal he could get and has
been coming. ever since regularly for his
lunch It seems to me that this insti-
tuition is a very remarkable and bene-
ficent charity. and commend il to the
attention of people engaged in benevo-
lent work in Chicago as worthy Of their
study and imitation.