The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-27
RAFFERTY'S "CART BLANK"
A DINNER DOWN ~ TEXAS WHICH
Is Still REMEM BERED.
Il Cost % a Head. was Fourteen Courses
Long and the Regular Boarders In the
Hotel Ate Hash for Three Weeks After u
Its Histor, Told by a New York Host.

It's HiStOr, lOid ny a NeW ao'A
The owner Of a new nous, on Riverside
Drive gave n hou>e-w armlng dinner to a lew
intimate friend, the othcr n ght. After the wom-
en left and The cigars arrived. one OF the
guests spoke enthusiastically OF the beauty
OF the dining room and the perfection oi Inc
| cuisine The host blew a fat smoke ring and
looked through II at tho great silver bowl OF
Jacducminots in the centre Of the table,
Yes, he said, its al correct, ! suppose, in
III way. I've gwen better dinners
BoaSling wasn't h- forte and the all diners, save
one lean. brown man who had known the host
IT. Texas days. before the millions arrived,
looked surprised The Texan leaned forward
10 NEE, his friends eyes. across the JacQne-
minoi~.
DE RaTrriy's ? he asked.
The hos, nodded and both men INDUCED in
reminiscent Grin~
Where do We laugh?" said the miIlionare's
business partner in an abused tone
You wouldn't have laughed ~ all You'd
been shocked That other dinner wasn't in
your line. but II was a record breaker IN western
Texas It's n tradition down there 10 this day.
The people in Sockcr City don't know any thing
about my wheat deals and railroad stocks, but
I've n glorious reputation among them rs
the man that gave Rafferty, cart blank
You see it was eighteen years ago. and |
was n young fellow without much collateral OK
cepI n tremendous stock of self-confidence
and hope ! had been Town in that dear old
God-forsaEen country two years and had made
a littl" money and a few good Criends The
friends eight Of the best fellows that ever
walked, though some of them had Their PEE
culiarities had oil lived in Socker ever since
The town started. and had comfortable homes
of their own. When I turned up with a bride.
those men and their wives sized H. mp, and
decided We we're their sort. even If W. didn't
have much luggage. They had al been used
10 decent society before they left civilization
and their homes Smacked Of old New York
in n very comforting sort Of way. in spite Of the
lneasly little town and the fiat miles Of alfalfa
and the general dreariness. The women called
on my wife, and The men shared their whiskey
with me Then my little woman got sick.
and those friends certainly did come 10 tho
front When people down in Texas are good 10
YOU, they are good. That country has lis
fine points. hasn't II. Bill?"
Texas ~nris me-" drawled Bill. reaching
for the bencdicline and looking nj il with
guarded dlsapproval
"Whiskey in the fat decanter. suggested the
host. and Bll cheered up.
Nell. about that dinner. We were enter
tanned by those eight families for two solid
years, without any chance of getting even with
them, and my Niie's social principles beg an To
squirm, There wasn't n house % ront; and |
didn't build because my cuisines interests
there were temporary and didn't expect 10
stay after III" railroad struck the place. So We
lived in the hotel, If You could call II living.
rooms were clean enough, and shipped in
a bed and some other pieces Of furniture, but
oh. those meals and that service, there was a
BIZ blue ~ign over the front door, with "A mounted
painted on II, and Hotel dc Rafferty,
in red letters Rafferty, was proud of that sign.
\ tramp ar,lst had come along one day and
asked for a dinner. lie offered To pay Tor the
meal by, painting a -Isn, and the proposition
struck the proprietor.
What shall put on it?' asked the painter.
Hotel u. Rafferty,, said the hotel man,
The painter thought Rafferty, wanted TO put
on lngs, but was shy on his French accent, 50
he got mp a Franco-lrelandais effect. Rafferty, |
never saw the Joke.
'what'd yon put the de" there ror?' people
Fer Dinnl-, said Rafferty,.
The bill OF fare was a good deal like'the sign.
Murphy, the cook, MAS 4 hroken-down gam
bier Once or twice. when he had been 40
against II, he had helped cook on Mississippi
River steamers, and some Of the French names
of dishes had stuck In Ms bend 50 We had Texas
JIM llll y WV II tIllf Np' tIN ]
my. wife sat down on the arm Of my chair and
looked serious
" John said she. I Just can't stand thi.
any longer. We've been eating sunday dinners
with our friends for two years, and we've never
done a thing for them
" They don't care "A darn
Nc, but do. Now what are We going 10 do
about itY
" Give them n dinner here
"She looked hurt and said she didn't think I
loved her. |
d" 'But moan il
" Now. John, what would We do with the
crowd in that dining room and what fun would
il be for them
" We'll give a dinner in tho evening and have
the dining room all 10 ourselves; and well let
Rafferty, run til" whole thing. Itll be a reg,l-
lar circus
would have the tirle Of their lives I went on.
w" cant entertain them in swell style. II
w"ll-developed sense Of humor Well put
ourselves in RaNerty's hands and give them
the tip. and they'll have mora fun than they
would at Delmonico's.'
The little woman liked the scheme. So We
called Rafferty, and u~nfolded the idea To him,
VI" was n little, round; fat. rosy man. with u
spade heard, and hair that stood mp straight.
Rafferty, said |, i want to give a din
" invite Yer frinds, any tonne. no said
sonieliy.,
" Tell IN" the day. and I'll have Murphy in
%troiuCe SOM" eX,hra Vegetables and a pie nv
some kOlnu.
Well the fact is, I thought I'd like to give n
prlvat" dinner at : O'Clock, when thcro'd be-
no one else in the dining room, You know
" Rafferty,, eyes bulGed. and he grabbed his
beard and looked at me- doubtfully.
" It's q Regular banquet yen be naming
Nothing too good for us
His face got r"dder than its natural color,
and h" swelled with importance.
Do lpdershtand thot We give mo cart
" That's il. Rafferty,
He sized my hand solemnlv.
'Sell niver rcgrl.t, tn" day. lave II to
quet names. ltIl be the talk av Texas
He went of walking on air. We invited the
crowd aud told them what TO expect, and We
al looked forward to n hilarious time. That
round. They talked about il in tho saloons
and on the oidcM AXIS, and Rafferty, ~welled
more zach day. Tn" hotel was in an ilrroar. "
va, At, We co,'G 90 t. get anytime A. all to car;
IN corners Ike q pair of comic opera consnira
tors The afternoon Of he dinner | met Rafferty,
III" box tender in the hall. They were car
ryjng n fub full Of hottlr-.
What's that?' | asked.
: the wet sum for yer dinner.
knew the dc Rafferty, brands and risked
interfering.
" Well Won know my wife has TEMPERANCE
Idea Naid. Idon't believe she'll lot rs have
any LIQUOR
They droppcd the tub. and Rafferty, stared
AZ me IN utter cpustornatiOn.
dhrv dlnnert'
I'm afraid 50
An me- responsible for il, he gronned and
went 1T shaking his head TO break the awful
a littIn whiln horur" our quests arrived.
looked out of the window and Jaw a long line
u l"'opl" Hing into the not"l. went out 10
-" what was no and met Murphy.
" What gong on ! asked.
" THEY'RE luking NJ the table. and IT, well
Worth it