Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-10-15
BIG BANQUET
President Loubet's Big Dinner
TO Mayors Of France.
At GARDEN or 1UILER|ES
Five Miles Of Tables Spread
Under the Trees.


that number closely assembled, as was
the case at the feast given by Presi-
dent Loubet in the garden of the TUT
lcries to the mayors of the municipall
ton, says the special correspondent Of
the New York World.
The exact number Of guests served,
counting all officials and newspaper
men, was 23,44G.
There were about 1000 head walters,
each commanding some IS men. In
Guiding the walters, the wine servers,
the dishwashers and the ice cream
men, the total number of employees
on the caterers pay roll, including the
wagon drivers, the cooks, the silver
caretakers and the detectives, amount
ed to exactly 24,0S0.
The fact that there was more than
one man to each guest will be easily
understood when it is explained that
everything had to be taken to the
Tuileries garden for just one meal.
Nothing was cooked on the spot.
Everything arrived in its dish ready to
be placed upon the table. Even the
ice cream came portioned out in dainty
paper molds. In these it was frozen
on the grounds by y refriserating ma
chimes that started operations when
lunch began.
The service was admirably organized
by the experts Potel 4 Chabot, the lar
gest catering firm in France.
Although everybody felt nervous lest
the banquet should be married by con-
fusion and disorder, everything soon
went without hitch.
The system adopted was ingenious,
but simple. Under long, lofty and
tastefully decorated tents supported by
light iron structures about five miles
Of tables had been arranged in six par
allel rows. Between the ends OF the
tables were passages for service.
Alongside each dining tent, and of
exactly the same length, there was an
other simpler tent. which constituted
the pantry. Running through the mid
die of these pantres stood shelf work
six shelves high. Upon each shelf one
course was arranged ready in dishes,
with plates knives, forks and the re-
naming essentials necessary for serv-
ing it.
The top shelf. for instance, showed
an uninterrupted line of salad dishes
as far as the eye could see. On the
lower shelf roast fowls, garlanded with
colorcd jelles, stood side by side, ex-
tending for nearly mile in length.
AS this shelf arrangement was parti-
toned off by squads of men, when the
electric signals came to change the
head waiter dispatched three Of his IS
men to each of the six tables directly
opposite his shelf section with dishes
and the accompanying wines. The soil
ed plates were handed to the helpers,
who piled them up on the counters, no
attempt being made at diShwashing.
The coffee making in one great brass
urn by sections and the cream freezing
and the wine opening were the only op-
erations that were performed upon the
grounds.
Besides serving what had been
brought prepared, the strictest precau-
tons had been taken against any part
of the service being slurrcd or any
single guest being neglected. The wait
ers had been hired upon the distinct
understanding that they could be dis
charged on the spot without appeal
and without pay upon the least sign of
misbehavior or incapacity.
There was a reserve of 800 strong,
chosen from among the most capable
walters of Paris that stood in small
squads ready to replace the employees
thus summarily dismissed or to assist
wherever needed.
Perhaps the most wonderful feature
about the undertaking is that the sue
cess of the most colossal banquet ever
given is solely due to one young wom-
an Nine Potel, the daughter of the
principal partner in the catering firm.
She is 2G years old, tall, very pretty
and extremely stylish. She is very
wealthy, has been we'll educated and
moves in the most refined circles.
Nine. Potel, an energetic business
active part in the management of her
fathers large concern ever since she
left school. The unanimous verdict of
the eight partners is that she is II pre-
cious superintendent.
Counting the mounted troops, in
fantry, police and employees there
were nearly 10000 people gathered
within the Tuicrics garden. Tie
crowd of spectators cheering the presi-
dent, ministers and mayors which was
masscd on the Place de Ia Concordc
and adjoining streets was estimated
vt 10000
The meal lasted one hour and half,
and in addition to being most won
dcrful performance was also an eN-
trcmcly picturesque spectacle. Mayors
Of all kinds of every class and from
every, corner of France were present.
from the honest country "jay" Breton,
the bronzed Norman peasant, to the
Trovencal and colonial mayors, each in
his distinctive local costume.
The work of cooking began over II
week ago, and the viands were kept in
refrigerators until the day of the ban
quct. There were 1000 pheasants,
$500 ducks, $500 chickens, o,ot"
pounds of salmon, 5000 pounds of
beef, 10000 loaves of bread, 33.0Oo
bottles of red and white w'tne and 1000
hottlcs Of chamnarn