Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-08

Slowing Away the Supplies.
He can do this because every available
inch for storage purposes has been seized
on and utilized to the full by the cars
builder. Over the chefs head are placed
the racks for snugly holding the crockery
so that a sudden Iurch of the train will not
throw 1t to the floor. Overhead. too. are
compartments made to hold boxes, In turn
made to hold just so much of -four, oat-
meal, salt or this. that or the other spice
Under foot, and in view from the outside
of the car are several ice boxes for stor-'
ing meats and vegetables and In the cor
ners of the diminutive kitchen are cubby-
hole refrigerators that hold an amazing
quantity of edibles when expertly placed
The soft coal range, the charcoal broilef
the warming table and the sinks are liter
ally hemmed in by the refrlgerators ana
box-like compartments Inc walls every
where are decorated with pots. pans
knives, forks and spoons. The only space
not occupied by kitchen apparatus is the
narrow aisles dividing the kitchen In twain,
lengthwise. Here the chef. the second
cook, the third cook and the fourth COOK
work without confusion, compromising pies
and other delicacies, while the car Is whiri-
ed along at the rate of fifty miles OF so an
hour.
The winter force of walters usually num-
bers four with an increase of one in sum
mer when the chefs force Is also aug
mented by one. On diner leaving at 10
s.
port for duty at 100 in order to be on
hand when the fresh stock Is brought 10
the car from the commssary stores, Dutch-
er shop and linen room by the rest OF the
crew half an hour later. 1t takes the
combined cooking force about an hour and
a. quarter to get everything put snugly
away and the same length of time for the
walters to polish up the silver and set the
tables two to a waiter. The car 1tSeH Is
cleaned thoroughly al the end of each trip
by the regular car cleaners in the yards,
the kitchen undergoing laborious SCRUB
bling.
the menus got up by one of the executive
officers, the assistant superintendent, usu-
ally The luncheon, or dinner. menu Is
changed once a week; the breakfast and
supper menus every fortnight. This Is true
of both a la carte and table d note. The
former service seems to be gaining steadiiy
in favor over the latter. One or the most
famous roads In the country has recently
adopted it for all it's flyers and is preparing
to put it on all Its trains carrying dining
cars. The claim is that the table note
makes many a passenger who is not overly
hungry feel that he Is being robbed or his
money. whereas he entertains kindly feel
ing for the road which offers him a service
that will match his appetite.
Most Services Run at Loss
A dining car cook on any road that aims
TO give its patrons good service is paid SO
n month a waiter usually gets $25. But
when his tips are figured in he makes more
money than the conductor. 1t is poor trip
that does not turn in from 81 to So in tips
TO a waiter, whose total income is frequently
as much as SlT5 a month. Authorities hold
that the dining car waiter should receive
tip equivalent to one-eighth the sum total
of the order.
on the car supplies for which cost $500
month the cost OF labor was $3.50. The
amount of money taken in for meals, cigars
and drinks was s., 30 This left an apparent
profit of $500. From this, however, should
be deducted the cost of renewal, wear and
tear the car, the interest on the money
invested in 1t, the cost of maintaining the
dining car service headquarters, rental for
same. etc.
When this was done the car showed a
loss. This particular road however, does
not let this deficit on every car worry 1t. 1t
is too proud of the fact that each of it's cars
take in more money than its supplies and
labor cost. This Is true of but very few
roads in the country-''about one In ten, is
the opinion of a raflroader who has q wide
knowledge of the dining car phase of rail-
reading. Thus, the average railroad is con-
tent to look upon the dining car as public
convenience, which If managed properly,
will gain the road good will and indirectly
lead to business. Only in this way does any
railroad look upon the dining car as a pay
ing proposition.
The expense of maintaining a dining car
service is materially kept down by clever
manipulation of the cars. Here is a car
that came into Hoboken from Stroudsburg,
Pa, at 1875 this mornihg, having served
breakfast between the two points. AT
p M. sharp 1t will leave train scheduled
for Buffalo. 1t will serve dinner en- route.
and then be cut off at Binghamton. To-
morrow morning 1t will hook on to a train
bound for New York, serve breakfast and
luncheon and reach the terminal at 3:lo
pm. 1t will lay over till 6:30 pm, then
serve dinner while on the way to Strouds-
burg, where it will lay over all night, and
the next morning serve breakfast to New
York-bound passengers. arriving in Ho-
boken at 1875, as usual Thus, every two
days this car takes care of four trains.
saving Of three cars and three crews by
clever railroading.
Attention to Small Things.
Many things, seemingly small in them
selves are done by the dning-car service
to gain and hold the good viii OF travellers.
That one diner may not become disgrun-
tied over seeing another at the same table
served with larger half of broiled chicken
no broiIer under one and one-third pounds
, or over two pounds is accepted from the
poultry dealer Each steak Is cut uni
form thickness by the services butcher.
and all fruits are selected for uniformity
as well quality. Several roads now fur
nish little antseptic packages of tooth
picks while on one road, II you call for
your favorite brand of whisky, miniature
bottle OF it. holding good-szed drink,
ana put up al the uEStiliefyi VIII De set De-
fore you. It is sealed, bears the railroads
trademark, and the instructions on the
bottle read: This package must be OPEN
ed in the presence of the passenger" 1t
is an innovation that has won the road
numerous friends. since II assures every
whisky drirker that he will get just what
he orders.
II you are a drinking man you have
doubtless noted that the conductor himself
served you what wet goods" you ordered.
There's a reason. The conductor is charged
personally with his stock of wines and
liquors. and any shortage In the stock that
cannot be accounted for in the record OF
sales Is deducted from his salary. There
fore he keeps the stuff under lock and key
and permits none OF his help to go near the
buffet That dning-car conductor serves
liquor pretty often is made clear by the
circumstance that one railroads income
from empty wine and liquor bottles is be-
tween eighty and ninety dollars a month.
Before this economy was jnaugurated the
bottles were thrown out the car windows.
When q car has finished a trip-that is.
got back 10 the place where 1t stocks up
the conductor presents a report, showing
what remained in the way of stock from
the former trip, what he took on prior TO
he ff.r, hat