The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-16
Written Before Last Nights Banquet


Who is going TO cater for the dollar din
ner of the Bryan Democrats?
New York is city of curious feasts
and of great feasts. We have young mil
lionaires who invite their friends to a
Christmas feast costing anywhere from
$500 to 5000 plate, and an organization
OF rich Republicans, who paid it was
said, $50 plate for sumptuous repast to
/ give Ambassador Choate a good sendoff
to London, says the New York Herald
From the time of the first big dinner
here to Charles Dickens In 1867, New
York has grown wonderfully in the or
ganization of magnificent public dinners.
By all that implies n,oney-plenty of it
and the Bryan Democrats want good
dinner for dollar head
Who will supply it? 1t is announced
that at least three thousand persons will
attend. The feast is to be in the Grand
Central palace. which will comfortably
accommodate them. New York never at
tempted anything like this. When went
to DeImonico's to see what sort of
public dinner could be supplied to three
thousand persons at 81 plate 1 was look
ed upon pftyingly.
m seurr' exclaimed the manager, with
shrug of his shoulders that plainly said,
what sort of an idiot is this?'
At Sherry's secretary carried my mes
sage to the manager. who looked at me
solemnly for a full minute, and then sent
word that he should be busy for the re-
mainder of the afternoon
Mr. Boldt, of the Waldorf-Astoria, SIM
y,lxy hi dc nd f7od
1 went to the Hoffman house. which in
days gone by has probably fed more nota-
BILE Democrats that any other hotel in
the city, and talked with ]. p. Caddagan.
He listened attentiveIy to the proposition
and then said. emphaticaliy:
WILL LOSE MONEY ON IT.
cit can't be done unless the man who
furnishes the dinner Is prepared to lose
money ON It, and the more persons he
tries to feed at that price the more money
he'll lose In the first place. you must
allow so per cent for expenses before You
talk of food at ALL mean hall rent.
cooks, walters, hiring of silverware,
crockery and linen. and men to see that
the aforesaid walters do not carry the sill
verware, crockery and linen away with
them.
Now, mind you. the Hoffman house
would not touch this Hind Of a thing. but
l want Herald readers to understand
what 1t means to get up big dinner. You
must prepare for 1t weeks In advance, and
you must have plenty of money to pre-
pare with. Fifty ger cent of the dollar
dinner for unavoidable expenses. and you
must have 50-cent dinner. What sort Of
meal do the Bryan Democrats expect
to get at that price? To get anything at
all to eat, they must scrimp on both food
and service.
had nd rf{ cttlo RI O. ha
public dinner. puts everybody who par
ticipates in 1t In a bad humor. You have
walters enough to attend to the guests
properly-say one to every six persons.
II waiter is expected to attend fifteen
or twenty persons the dinner Is spoiled.
The diners must not have to wait for
first one thing and then another, and
have little additions brought In when the
plate to which they belong is half or en-
tirely finished. Whatever dish is placed
upon a table 1t should be preceded by
all minor adjuncts, and accompanied by
proper vegetables, quite hot, so that they
may be enjoyed entirely and at once.
with a ten dollar dinner, such as
understand the Croker Democrats are go
ing to give 1t is very different matter.
AS good dinner as a man wants to eat
can be supplied at $40 a plate, including
wines and cigars. When you go beyond
. that sum you pay for Injuries and for
fine old vintage Wines. There is practical
Iy no limit in that direction. am curious
to watch the outcome of the Bryan Dem
ocrat 81 dinner experiment.
Finally Mr.. Caddagan compressed his
expense estimate into 40, per cent. and
allowed his steward to arrange bill OF
fare of dinner that he might be able
to supply to 1900 persons at GO cents a
plate. basing his estimate on the mere
cost of the food and no profits Here 1t
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