The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-27
GIRLS LUNCH FREE
IN A LOFTY TOWER
1t Is the STANDARD Oll's Treat
Six Days In the
Week.

NEW YORK, March 26.-Whatever
fault is found with the business methods
of the Standard Oil company. one thing is
sure: the women employees of the con-
Germ. the stenographers and typewriters,
are doing no grumbling. 1t is not given
to most women employed in offices to eat
their luncheons every day in the week
except Sundays free of cost and amid an
almost rural quiet, so far as street noises
are concerned; and the Standard Oil en-
ployes know it.
Eyes, think we are pretty lucky" re-
marked one fluffy haired young woman,
pausing with her foot on the private stair
which leads to the lunch room-or rather
to the dining room, situated in the tower
of the Standard Oil building in lower
Broadway ITO crowd into public lunch
room in this quarter of the city at noon
is anything but restful experience and
one is apt to get food spilled all over
ones clothes.
And then a good luncheon always costs
considerable money. Now here the lunch
con served to US Is really dinner.
Yes, very few believe me when tell
them this. Most people think we get
dairy lunch or just sandwiches and tea
and coffee and milk. Well. it's not bit
like that. We have quite long menu
every day and no two days is it just the
same.
For instance, there are two or three
kinds of soup, several kinds of hot meats,
a variety of cold meats, half a dozen diff
ferent vegetables. three or four desserts,
besides dairy dishes and tea and coffee.
On certain days in addition to all this
there are several kinds of fish.
Her Substantial Luncheon.
"My luncheon today? Well, 1 selected
tomato soup, fricassee of chicken, bak-
ed potato, celery, stewed peas, and for
my dessert custard pudding and coffee:
butter-everything in fact is of the best.
With such a substantial meal in the
middle OF the day mo, most OF Us, US can d get
simple tea Yes, it's great and she hur-
ried off.
This plan of giving its women en-
ployes a free lunehl has been followed by
The Standard Oil company ever since
1882" said the manager of the lunch
room. so you see there is nothing new
about it. This company in fact was the
very first in New York to provide a free
luncheon for employees on the premises.
"At that time, of course, there were
very few women employees. StenOgrapherS
and typewriters were not so fashionable
then. Now the company employs about
fifty women here and all of them get their
luncheon free of cost
mo, we don't provide luncheon for the
men employees. Heads of departments and
members of the company may have lunch
con sent to their rooms, but the dining
room is exclusively for the use of wom-
en-
No stranger who steps out of the eleva-
tor at the fifteenth floor of the building
imagineS that tucked away in one corner
quite by itself, behind a door which looks
just like any of the other doors leading
to the different offices, is tiled kitchen,
and beyond that an oblOng dining room
which will seat comfortably at one time
about thirty persons.
The meal is served from IL to 2 o'clock
and the girls come in relays to suit them
selves. Each has forty-f1ve minutes for
luncheon
One might hunt a good while to find a
more attractive or peaceful spot in which
to eat the midday meal. The reom is very
high and on one side is a row of win
dows almost as high shaded with green
holland from which may be had a splen-
did view of New York harbor, the Hud-
son, a good stretch of the city and a
sweep of sky.
The meal is served quietly and without
hurry or hustle by walters on two long
tables, around which the girls sit quite
like a family party. The appointments of
the tables are Immaculate and dainty.
Everything moves along with precision.
A Intercepted chef presides in the
tiled kitchen, and his assistants are main
ly men. The manager keeps a sharp eye
over everything but he does not appear
in the dining room unless sent for.
1.-THE girls come from all over he said
In answer to question, 1.-The Bronx,
Jersey City, Staten island, Brooklyn and
other parts of Long Island; and that's
why think most of them appreciate SO
much good meal in the middle of the
day.
TT is quite true that the lunch does not
cost them cent. The cost is not taken
the salaries paid by the Standard Oil COM
pany to women employees are quite as
big as those paid to stenographers by any
other business concern, If not bigger"