The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-05
SCHOOLGIRLS AT LUNCHEON.
DAILY PANDEMoNIUM IN A FIFTH
Avenue INSTITUTION \.
The Little Restaurant Kept by Three Women,
and the Way They Hold Their Bolster
nnA NnAtOmern In Checlt-An EXCHANGE

teachers connected with the Dwight and
Berkeley schools for boys. in West Forty-thiid
and West Forty-fourth streets. They are the
three women who keep n restaurant at 525
Fifth avenue. nearby. where most Of the day
pupils get their luncheons. It's a wonder that
these women haven't died OF nervous ~prostra-
ton or. heart disease or conniption fits long
ago. Not many women could have survived
the strain that they undergo every dny during
the school year from II to / o'clock. They
feed from 60 to 100 roaring. rapacious school
boys, and any mother who has ever tried TO
satisfy the appetite of one able-bodied grow
, ing youugstor will have a glimmering idea OF
what that means. These women let the boys
go so far and no further.
I'VE draw the line Mt impudence.' said the
proprietor. Mrs. s. j, Wyatt. to a SUN reporter
who CHANGED In about three minutes before
noon on Monday.
Yes" put In the one known to everybody
except the schoolboys rs Miss Mary. I'VE
won't take sass. Now mischievlousness we
don't mind. but impudence we hate"
AN the same, what can we do 2" asked the
third assistant, Mrs. Blanchard, We have to
lot the boys do as they please. Here come the
darllngs now. the Berkeley boys" with a sar-
castle gesture.
"owe-e-e.e-e-e - owe-e-e-e-e-e-el Slap
Bangl Boom owe-e-e-e-e-e-e ~ shrieked
twenty shrill voices.
"Auntie. auntie. auntie! p ye%lledtwenty other
voices. even shriller.
Then they began 10 give their orders all at
once. Mrs. Wyatt. who does most OF the cook
ing. retired to the little kitchen. Miss Larder.
who says she is called Miss Mary and Auntie
so much that she almost forgets her last name.
took her stand behind the counter. and Mrs.
Blanchard began to wait on a dozen clerks.
from the Fifth Avenue Bank. who had pushed
and pulled their way through the mass OF
yelling boys and seated themselves at the
tables in the rear OF the room.
The restaurant Is a queer looking little build
Ing without and within. 1t is a low. three
stored wooden structure. and has a cage-like
little room with glass sides built out in front.
A quarter of q century ago Mrs. Wyatt and her
husband had q flower shop there. Before Mr..
Wyatt died they quit the flower business and
sold confectionery. Upon becoming n widow
Mrs. Wyatt concluded to branch out a bit. SO
she added sandwiches and cake TO her stock in
trade. and the clerks and schoolboys who were
her customers began to tease her to give them
thor luncheons every day. She thought tho
matter over carefully. and finally decided to
make the experiment. She partitioned of her
little room and started with two tables,
each seating four. Soon she had to put
an addition to her restaurant which gave her
room for four tables. Almost before she had
that finished more room was necessary and n
third addition was made. Now the restaurant
has been stretched out to a length OF forty feet,
while it is still not more than ten feet wide.
There are ten tables and. strange to say. the
most faithful customers Of the place. the school
boys. are not allowed to take their meals at
them. But to get back to the boys themselves.
"Auntie. I want a Napoleon. and l don't care
who knows It" shouted a boy with big brown
eyes. on the counter near the cigar stand.
Gimme a ham sandwich. made with a roll.
and a glass O. milk p yelled another. No a
cheap glass-a big one"
Il want two cheese sandwiches and a cup o
coffee" ordered a red-haired little fellow. kick
ing at the shins of every boy in sight.
Gimme a glass of milk. a roll. a penny bun
and a doughnut.'' cried Il lame boy. and when
he came In everybody made way for him.
wTPie's good ,noueh for me-" said a fat boy.
What ant aevS Sed s sS5; an mS mill I want more,
yelled the boy UP on the counter.
To add t9 the eonipYsiqn Ave BIZ boys began
"Auntie. when is the parade coming ?" asked
you "Y Triyh h g. asts yqa nn sSf eP your colors' Amt
bl rSo;; b b,m a RSsi" returned H%d A nra en Eh 70 was ,n,t be;
pale Soyi my solsors are At risht,# al
rAunt!e;h said a small AL boy not a day over
the ga,;lt-unt SiXty-ninth. don e they. Auntie p
stumbling badly over the word.
boys derisively.
one" said Auntie No. /. Emerging from the
kttelhen fer a minute
sixty boys who were in the place they began
to do all sorts OF stunts up and down the floor:
and next they began to make remarks about
'Auntie. how long have you had these sand
wlcheS = asked one:
- A hpIt tun a re " aha nneuparaH
so short a time as that2 Is II possible ?"
"HatehIsss milk, =" commented another. look
i5deSsfbt H. td6 d099't know where that shad" of blue
marked one. of the older boys. 1T seems quite
free from microbes"
know" retorted one OF the women. I'VE spend
Sundays picking the microbes out of it"
.s nWh I nm Is the HoI Pr92GGesfion cGmipEi Auntisw
and cribbing a doughnut.
-Auntie, auntie. %auntiei give me a egg sand
being fixed III be fllin' up on a chocolate
81 want two cents worth of sweets" said n
small boy. and in exchange for his cents he re-
DO You split a box Of cigarettes here 2"
asked a reporter as Mrs. Blanchard passed with
NY Ye sun %e sell 'G thre sa for f tw6 cents. We have
to SPIT Inca nearly eS93FEy nIn and anything when
thheyo are 99ys d %Gfs sPei Ba af% Psaiiy they oh; are ten my yeR
better behaved than they used'to be-" and she
"'Apntle. DO you remember what 1 had 2"
asked a freckled- faced lad.
Yes; you know I always remember what
yon all have. Twas a Napoleon and a glass OF
Encore. encorel Repeat that again." and
in a minute he was getting OF, the outside OF
another big square OF pastry filed with cream.
Every inch Of standing room in the shop not
occupied by a schPolboy was taken by messen-
ger boys; for the three women stand In Just ms
close relationship to these young breadwin-
ners as they do TO the schoolboys. Miss Iarder
waits on all OF their boy customers without as
sistance. except when one orders something
Mrs. Blanchard serves him. She IL the most
ambidexterous auntie OF them all. and that is
saying a great deal.
Times up!" yelled aIbig boy. looking at his
"Owe-e-e-e-e-e-ei Owe-e-e-e-e-el" shrieked
tbs, crowd. again making q dash for the door,
and in less time than 1t takes to tell IL papde-
monium was followed by a silence so absolute
that one had the feeling OF being able to reach
out and touch IL.
THANK the Lord I said Miss Ladder. throw
ing herself. into a chair at a table opposite tho
rpDOrtpr. 'Tley DlVa me "A nnrynuR hanIupha