The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-13
TWO EXTREMITIEs IN EATING,
From the Five-Cent Meal to the SO
Dinner


E. ". smalley in the Chicago Times
Herald.
New Yorktown on the Bowery. near
Canal street. 1 found the other day the
cheapest 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. Ten-cent meals are not at all re-
markable on the Bowery, where there are
dozens of places in which you can get
what Is called a dinner for 10 or Is cents,
but have never before seen an attempt
made to provide thoroughly clean. decent
and appetizing meals for cents. This
concern was established as a charity by
DR.. Klopsche, proprietor of the Christian
Herald, but it is run on a straight bust
ness basis, and the manager, who is a
nephew of Rev. DR.. Talmage, says that
1t now pays all expenses of rent, superin-
tendence, food, cooking and waiting The
rent alone is $500 a year. Since the res
taurant was opened, about a month ago,
more than 5000 meals have been furnish
ed, and more than nlne-tenths of them
were of the scent class. Now what does
a man get for his nickel? / say a man,
for l saw no women at the counters. He
has his choice of a plate of hash liver
beef stew or pork and beans, and he gets
a bowl of coffee, with sugar and milk,
and three slices of good bread. If he pre-
fers oatmeal and milk, he can substitute
that for his meat ration. The food is all
well cooked and wholesome, and is served
in very liberal portions so that a hungry
man can really satisfy himself at an ex-
pense of only cents.
The Decent meal consists of, first, either
oatmeal and milk or soup, then choice OF
roast meats, with two kinds of yegeta-
bles, bread and butter, coffee or glass
of milk and some kind Of desert, usually
rice pudding or bread pudding The
place Is never closed night or day. No
matter at what hour the hungry wayfarer
may pass, the doors are open and the
lights burning The customers are by no
means tramps or "bums" most of them
are respectable looking men. No one is
refused a meal, however, no matter how
dirty or forlorn may be his appearance
nor Is the beggar turned away who has
not cent 10 pay. There is n back room
in which the moneyless applicants for
food are freely supplied, but, strange to
say, there are very few Of this class Even
the destitute and depraved seem to feel
that there is a certain improperly in call
ing for free victuals at a place where a
square meal Is offered for cents II
would seem that they prefer to beg the
nickel and pay for their meals like hon.
est folks. The manager kindly goes into
the details OF his economies TO anyone
who has the curiosity 10 ask about tie
workings Of the place. He tells at what
surprisingly low prices he gets his meat
and vegetables by purchasing them In
large quantities, and how his milk costs
him only 2h cents n quart. II still SEEM
ed something Of a mystery. however, how
Il r. possible TO M a hungry stomach
with good food for cents and leave n
sufficient margin Of profit to pay for rent,
service and superintendent. Tho mana
ger insists. nevertheless. that he Is build
ing up a modest little bank account and
he likes to tell how the cashier 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. II
seems 70 me that this institution Is a very
remarkable and benefcent charity. and 1
commend Il 70 the attention OF people en-
gagged in benevolent work IN Chicago as
worthy OF their study and Imitation.
Now let us 20 TO the other end OF the
social scale. AZ the Fifth avenue entrance
to Central park stand three tall ana ole-
giant hotels. which are OF the very highest
rank In New York and are patronlzed by
wealthy or fashionable people. am not
wealthy or fashionable, but I am stopping
with my wife at one Of these hotels. hav-
ing fancy to sec how the world lives
In all grades Of the social scale We have
little room on the seventh floor with ono
window, and with barely space enough
for the essential bed room furniture. II
has two closets however and Ia one Of