The sun., 1901-08-11
NORVAY'S STEAM KITCHEN.
THE GREAT SUCCESS or AN IN.
TERESTING EXPERIMENT.
Thousands Fed Daily At . Cost Of Nine
Cents Mcal--Good Food IN Generous
Portions In Ceanly Surroundings.


From the Chicago Record -Hsra ID
CHRIsrIANIA. July a unique insti-
tuition In Norway h the Steam Kitchen
which was established In 1853 by benevolent
people TO provide wholesome food for the
poor at low prices. There are similar
restaurants in some Of the manufacturing
cities Of France. but none has been sue
cessful.
The charter granted to the company
limited its profits to per cent. Of the capital
invested. with provision that the balance.
II any, should DO paid into the poor fund Of
the city. There was a hard struggle at
first to make both ends meet, and al annual
deficit for many years, which was made up
by the stockholders, but at last the kitchen
became so popular that II began 10 pay
dividends, and the stock has since been
watered four times until now 1t pays what
is equivalent to "a per cent. annually upon
the original investment with a surplus
larger than the capital on which 1t was
started. 1t is one Of the most profitable
enterprises In Europe 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, cannot
be questioned Hundreds Of bachelors
and single women take their meals their
regularly, and hundreds OF families obtain
their entire supply Of food, wholesome and
well-cooked, al nominal cost.
1t Is called the Steam Kitchen" because
It was the first institution In Norway In
which steam was ever used for cooking
purposes. There Is a long official title to
the company, but nobody ever mentions it,
1t occupies two-story building covering
nearly half an ordinary block. The loca-
ton is convenient to the business portion
OF the city, the docks and the market place
There are two large halls. one above the
other, ntaining Ave long tables, seating
thirty persons each thus accommodating
800 customers at sitting. In the upstairs
room it costs II cents In our money for a
good dinner; in the lower room 1t costs 0
cents There are no tablecloths and no
napkins, but tho tops OF the tables have been
scrubbed until they shine and everything
Is spotless The whole institution Is a
model Of neatness II seems remarkable
how II can be kept 30 clean with so many
unwashed customers and so much business
The windows are large and let in plenty OF
light The walls are covered with bright
tints. and the Mattresses wear white caps,
aprons and oversleeves. At each chair is
knife. fork spoon. drinking glass, cup
and saucer. and IA hunk Of bread about
three inches square. Dinner is served
from 10 o'clock in the morning until 7 in the
IA. - D
daily. Some Of them come twice. They
take cup of coffee and eat piece of cheese
and bread al their homes early In the morn
ing. Then at 10 or II, and again at 4 or S
O'Clock they come to the Kitchen for Q
square mea which costs them not more
than rs cents a day all told for their food
The superintendent told me that during
the last ten years they have never served
less than 500 persons a day, and that on
market days and holidays they usually
feed about 5000.
The bill Of fare varies from day to day.
When | was there the iI-cent dinner con-
sisted of large plate Of barley soup, whole
some and nourishing, a ball of hashed meat
about IA large as your fist, with potatoes
and rice. or boiled salmon. potatoes and
turnips Beer, milk or coffee IL served
| for cents extra.
The e-cent dinner was pretty much the
same, WITH tne exception OF tfle soup, DOlleu
beef, potatoes and rice, or boiled salmon.
potatoes and turnips A plate of soup alone,
which in itself would be- more than meal
for most people, being filed with chunks
Of meat and vegetables. was served for
three cents
The same dinners arc furnished to he
public 10 be eaten at their homes for Q 4
cents respectively, and usually contain
enough food for two or three women. al
though the Norwegians have stalwart
appetites. The outdoor service is con-
| Quoted in another part of the building,
upon another street. The patrons procure
tickets at an Office and then form In line
men, women and children. each with a
bucket or a basket. or both in hand Many
tickets are given gratuitously. but II is i'm
possible 10 distinguish the paying from
the charity customers. Benevolent people
throughout the city purchase punches OF
tickets, which they give 10 the poor and
sometimes in lieu of wages. IL you hire
man to clean up the yard. you can give
him so much cash and so many meal tickets,
or IL a person appeals TO you for relief II Is
always better 10 give ticket TO the steam
Kitchen" rather than money Many GUS
toners buy two portions, which they take
home and warm up at meal time for the
whole family.
In the centre Of a large room ara rows
immense cadrons with coils and steam
pipes embracing thom. The atr Is lille
with plp9nut odurS from the bubbling soup
and clouds Of steam arise from the other
cookpots On a long table are pyramids
of bread cut into cubes three or four inches
square, usually rye or black bread, such as
the natives Of Norway prefer, Along the
walls are deep cupboards containing the
linens, the culinary supplies ana utensils
In ah adjoining but detached building
l. furnace and boiler room which furnishes
the steam, and. beside II, laundry and
n dish washing establishment larger Than
an ordinary house II requires good
many dishes to serve 2 .OOO persons, even in
a simple way. In an annex the finer quail
ties of beef, mutton and other meat are
cut N and sold TO the public from an or
| dinary butcher shop, which in Norway is
called a -ba2aar." Here, also, all kinds OF
sausage and force meat are made ana soli
TO the general public, thus utilizing all the
supplies, which are bought in large quaint
ties, the beef by the carcass and the Vege-
tables by the carload, The sausage OF the
"Steam Kitchen" il said to'be the best To be
| found ia Christiania During the irut
season the company runs canning iac-
! tory upstairs, preserving all kinds oi fruits,
je,lies, pickles. and that sort OF th!ng'
! At the baking department broad Is sold TO
the general public az wholesale and retail,
and small retail establishments are sup
plipd with all sorts of groceries, A. we'll as
meats an,lother edibles. Thus the reetau-
IA MT l. only part Of large business from
which the company derives its pronts'
| There is naturally good deal OF Jealousy
| among the competing small dealers against
the Steam Kitchen, but II serves OeneNo-