The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-08-19
.NORWAY'S STEAM KITCHEN
THE GREAT SUCCESS OF AN IN-
 TER ESTING TXPERIMENT
Thousands Fed Daily at u Cost of Nine x Cents n Meal-Good Food im Gener-
 ings.

A unique institution in Norway is
 the "Steam Kitchen" which was es-
 tablished in 1858 by benevolent people
 to provide wholesome food for the
 poor at low prices. There are similar restaurants in some of the manufactur-
 ing cities of France, but none has been
 successful.
 x sThe charter granted to the company E limited its profits to per cent of the t capital invested, with provision that the balance, if any, should be paid into the poor fund of the city There was hard struggle at first to make both ends
 meet and an annual deficit for many years, which was made up by the stock
 holders, but at last the kitchen be-
 came so popular that it began to pay dividends, and the stock has since been watered four times until now it pays what is equivalent to "A per cent. Annually upon the original investment with a surplus larger than the capital son which it was started. It is one of the most profitable enterprises in Flu rope for the amount of money involved
 but that fact does not diminish the benefits conferred upon the public and the generosity of the company to the poor, particularly in times of labor < troubles and financial depression, can- not be questioned. Hundreds of bach elors and single women take their meals there regularly and hundreds of s families obtain their entire supply of flood, wholesome and well cooked, at normal cost.
 It is called the Steam Kitchen" be- cause 1t was the first institution in oNr- way in which steam was ever used for cooking purposes. There is long of fcial title to the company, but nobody < ever mention it. It occupies two- story building covering nearly half an ordinary block. The location is con- venient to the business portion of the city, the docks and the market place. There are two large halls, one above the other, containing five long tables, seat ing thirty persons each, thus accom- mpdating 300 customers at a sitting In the upstairs room it costs il cents in our money for a good dinner; in the lower room 1t costs cents. There are no tablecloths and no napkins, but the tops of the tables have been scrubbed until they shine and everything is spot less. The whole institution is model lEof neatness It seems remarkable how it can be kept so clean with so many unWashed customers and so much busi- s ness. The windows are large and let in plenty of light. The walls are cov- cred with bright tints, and the wait- resses wear white caps, aprons and Soversleeves. At each chair is knife, fork, spoon drinking glass, cup and saucer, and a hunk of bread about three inches square. Dinner is served from 10 o'clock in the morning until in the afternoon to an average of 2,500 persons sdatlY. Some of them come twice. They ta1eA cup of coffee and eat a piece of rheese Ssdw bread at their homes early Ain the morning. Then at 10 or il, and again at or o'clock they come tb the "kitchen'' for square meal, which costs them not more than 25 cents a day all told for their food. The super sintendent told me that during the last ten years they have never served less than 1,500 persons day. and that on market days and holidays they usually feed about 5000.
 ( The bill of fare varies from day to day When I was there the 11-eent dinner consisted of a large plate of barley soup. wholesome and nourishing,