The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-13
| cuisine ON Dining CARS
Domestic Science That Makes
Travelling a Luxury.
Some Points on the Housewifery OF
cicnEings Every Dny-Nh"n and
where the Cook Gets Dinner for
Passengers on Long Journey.

at takes nice calculation to- run the
| domestic gearing Of dining and sleeping
| cars that make several days journey
/ through the country beyond the manager S
! reach" said a railroad superintendent TO
| Times reporter the other day. What
good housekeeper does every six months
! We do every few days, that is, clean our
premises from kitchen end through TO Lar-
lor compartment, outside and in. This is
/ impossible with the special trains that are
/ leased for long trips, but, at the home sta
/ ton. each ear, as it gets in, is switched
off on siding and treated to as thorough
scrubbing, polishing. and airing as any
New England household gets in the spring
5 Pillows, mattresses, blankets, rugs, aud
I curtains are hung to the winds; Windows
and brasses cleaned; kitchen apparatus and
tableware rubbed up; furniture brushed
and polished. And the outgoing car, wait
ing, ready for orders, looks another thln5
from the jaded, tousled roadster that ar
rived some hours before. a whole brigade
OF brushes, brooms, cloths, tubs, fluids,
( soaps, disinfectants have been in requi-
sition, and the head cleaner must give
! strict account of all. Otherwise much
! waste would ensue.
I Every berry every pound of meat and
butter, every loaf of bread, item of milk,
! cream, sugar, and other provisioning for
| the dining car is carefully inventoried
when the train comes in and the list COM
/ pared with the list of supplies sent out
! and the number of meals served. Only by
discipline and rigid vigilance is any do
| mestic economy maintained in these NOV
! ing houses. Special and private cars and
| special trains are coming moro commonly
| into use, and careful discriminating ca
| terers and attendants are additionally
valuable to road owners. Ali commissary
supplies furnished for special cars or
trains are charged for according to the
actual consumption, and 90 per cent add
ed to cover cost of handling. These cars
are usually paid for by the day
"On the regular train service II is not
always that "A dining ear and kitchen go
through to the trains destination. The
dining cars are the heaviest Of the lot
Say dining car goes out for certain
point this afternoon with through train;
it serves dinner and is switched of at
some convenient place, to be hitched later
TO the train which starts out at midnight
without such provisioning but whose pas
sergers will want breakfast. This plan
permits the passengers TO taste the crea-
tons of several cooks on their journey
across continent
Other trains carry their dining cars
right through. particularly if the route
If short and direct one. When a road
operates rival dining cars under different
conductors, it is easy to ascertain which
caterer is generally the most economical
and satisfactory. Although one car may
serve set of passengers who order pro-
fusely and waste much-three kinds OF
meat and two kinds Of soup for one per-
son, things they cannot consume.-the
other caterer may fall in with considerable
patrons.
THE increased knowledge of chemistry
and preserving inventions has somewhat
simplified dining car housekeeping. Ad-
mirable canned soups and bOuillons can be
kept handiy and served hot and appetite
ingly in few minutes Evaporated cream.
proof against all jostlilg. overheating. or
long congealing, is a modern convenience.
Fine puddings. minces, preserves, pickles,
sauces. relishes. are all two-fold better
because put up under better conditions for
keeping than formerly. First rate canned
vegetables now very nearly counterfeit the
garden growth. berries, grapes, fruits.
even the most delicate, are now practical
bic because OF the marvellous Improvement
in refrigerators The best-b built refrigera-
tors, perfectly insulated and guarded
against all corrosive conditions, prevent
even the daintiest shellhsh from losing
favor.
Then. instead Of alcohol rs fuel for
the lamps and great boiling urns, a SUI
perior mineral sperm oil is used-uil so
safe that il will actually put out a fire
if thrown on the flames II takes a GOOD
force OF heat to start such oil to burning
but once started boiling hot water is YER
ennially at hand. Space is the great con-
sideration With dining-car housekeeping
The snug way in which the fruits salads
fNT4l CT afr RI. tFs4h In fhaf
spective lockers would astonisb the hotel
cook or waiter used to plenty OF room
And the dishes plates silver and glass
ware all must be kept in individual racks
to avoid damage when the train makes
sharp curves. Within twenty inches of
the steaming kitchen range are the Ie-
frigerators. holding all needfuIs and which
must be opened and shut every few sec
onds 10 take out and replace things. for
nothing can be left out in that intense
I heat. Five walters, the cook and the con
ductor form the dining cars crew.
The main portions OF a dinner are be-
gun when the cook comes on board an
| hour or so before starting time. forty
five-pound roast is put on. the soups set
simmering. AS soon as the majority of
tickets are sold the conductor is informed
of the number. and he causes the guam
tity Of other food 10 be prepared according
10 his judgment. In all standard provi-
sions there is no waste, but in meats and
perishable articles no calculation can be
made close enough to avoid loss. Much
bread is thrown away or given the clean
ers and helpers about the station. And
there are waste fowls left over or dishes
requiring long preparation that are left
untouched because the number OF passen-
gers were less than expected. The buffet
car loses extensively in such matters, the
patronage being uncertain and already
cooked food bound to be provided in case
of call The efficiency of the service"
said the superintendent "is tested by spe-
cial agents. These board the cars simply
as passengers, note any imperfections, and
report to us by letter. When there are
many lines extending over 4 large terri
tory such an agent is not recognized by
the train people
HE buys a meal like any passenger and
looks out for flaws and defects. printed
list of ques lions that will help him to ell
MS what We want TO know is furnished and
he answers them candidly. If the parti-
tions between statercoms and compart-
ments cTeak when the door is opened or
closed he tells us, and the fault is rene
died. If the carpet is worn anywhere, or
the vestbule lamps don't burn clear, we
are informed Also whether the attend
ants are solicitous Or Indifferent to pas
sengers' comfort. II the porters are ack
in assisting people to take the train in
placing steps for their convenience. etc,
we learn the fact, though the place where
the misdemeanor happened be a thousand
miles away. If porter hands a passen-
ger a check without using a salyer We
know it, There are only few ladies
maids on the extra smart drawing room
cars and on some special trains that go
out ia Mexico and I'D through Canada