The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-23
VOCATION FOLLOWED
BY BUT ONE MAN
Work of Alexander Filippini In I'm
proving the Service of Meals.

Work of Alexander Filippini In I'm
proving the Service of Meals.
1t is difficult to believe that there is
any employment under the sun in which
only one man is engaged. But an en-
ployment of such a kind has been
found, and what is still stranger, the
man so engaged crosses the ocean Oft
ener than any other human being.
This unparalleled record is held by AL
exander Filippini. He spends practi-
cally no time ON land, frequently reach
| ing port in time to sail back again on
another liner upon the same day.
Mr.. Filippini is known as the travel
| ing inspector of the American liners IL
can readily be understood that the pro-
vision of excellent meals on steamships
is very difficult task on account of the
small working quarters for cooking and
| the difficulty of keeping up supplies OF
varieties of fresh vegetables, meat and
fruit. His work lies in overseeing and
| improving the service of meals on the
ships. Such large numbers OF people
have to be provided for that unless
perfect system is established, everyone
attending to his duties like clochworA,
the meals take an unreasonable time
and people are badly served. For years
uniform system in the saloons OF the
vessels, those in charge of each vessel
having different methods. Complaints
were continually being made by pas
sengers. To systematic steamship
cooking on a new basis. Mr.. Filippini,
who for years previously superintend-
ed at Delmonico'S was called In lie
then felt the need of an ocean voyage,
and gladly accepted the position. 1t at
age, that he had undertaken an enor-
nous task, so many changes would be
absolutely necessary. The work of get
ting the men to abandon old ways was
very difficult. Mr.. Hobart. now vice
president, happened To be one of the
passengers on his first trip. Many
complaints were made by passengers.
and Mr.. Filippini saw that he must
show each man in the service exactly
how things must be done. He met with
great opposition and ugliness at first.
but his instructions were soon appre-
GATED Such marked Improvement
resulted as the voyage progressed that
passengers, including the present vice
president, complimented him for his
work.
When the first report was turned in
and approved, full authority was given
to Mr.. Filippini, and he started out
with new courage, adopting the best
ideas ON each ship. He goes on board
a ship without previous arrangement,
not being expected. and watches the
preparation and serving of meals,
shows the cooks and bakers essential
details, sees that the table stewards are
in good training, what supplies are
lacking all this has to be reported up
on. Cooks have to be kept from care
lessness, and great promptness is essen
tial Some cooks, for instance, were
apt to make sauces carelessly or apply
them on meats from cans without even
warming, to waste supplies. to hold
back fiavorings, brandy, for instance,
and keep little supplies for themselves
while bakers sometimes forget that
bread can be made twice as good by
thorough kneading. Such were the diff
ficuties.
Then Mr.. Filippini also studies the
classes of people travelling at various
seasons, and prepares menus for each
day to suit the tastes of people from
all parts of the globe. For instance,
he does not forget to have roast beef
for Englishmen occasionally, sauces
and stew for Frenchmen, Hungarian
goulasch for Austrians, wiener wursts
for the Germans and maccaroni and all
dressings for Italians, as extras, suiting
the tastes of all nationalities without
having the bill of fares predominant in
dishes not acceptable to others. He
gives close attention to the second and
third cabins as we'll as to the saloon, SO