The Washington times., 1906-12-17

often judging by the answers of those
whom / questioned. at the Government
canteens or hotels where the meal costs
80 cents To each emplOye. This 3O-cent
meal struck me as being as good
meal as We get in the United states AT
the ordinary hotel in which a 50-Cent
meal is provided. Three-fOurths Of the
men whom questioned stated that the
meals furnished at these Government
hotels were good, the remaining one
fourth that they were not good / my
self took dinner at the la BOca Govern
ment hotel. no warning whatever hay
ing been given OF my coming There
were TWO rooms, as generally in these
hotels. In one the employees We're al
lowed to dine without their coats while
In the other they had 10 put them on.
The 30-cent meal included soup, ma
tive beef (Which was good, mashed pO-
tatOes, peas, beets, chilli con carne plum
pudding. tea, coffee-each man having
as much of each dish as he desired on
the table there was bottle or Hquld
quiuine tonic, which two-thiTds of the
guests, as ] was informed, used every
day There We're neat JabieclOths and
napkins. The men. who We're taking the
meal at or about the same time. includ-
ed railroad men, machinist5. ship
wrights. and members OF the office
force. The rooms were clean. comfort
atEe, and airy, with mosquito screens
around the outer piazza. I was IN
formed by some Of those present that
this hotel, and also the other similar
notels, were every Saturday night turned
into clubhOuses where the American Of
hCials. the school teachers. and various
employees, appeared, bringing their
wives. there being dancing and singing.
There was a piano IN the room. which 7
was informed was used for the music
on these occasions.
My meal was excellent. and two
newspaper correspondents who had
been on the isthmus several days In
formed me that IL was precisely like the
meals they had been getting elsewhere
at other Government hotels, One of the
employees was a cousin of one Of the
Secret Service men who was lth me,
and he stated that the meals had al
ways been good, but that after n time
he grew tired of them because they
seemed so much alike.
Complaint About Food Groundless.
Il came 10 the conclusion that. speak
ing generally, there was no warrant for
complaint about the food. Doubtless it
grows mouotonous after awhile ANY
man accustomed 10 handling large
masses OF men knows that some of them.
even though otherwise very good man.
are sure 10 grumble about something
and usually about their food. school
boys, college boys, and boarders I'm
boarding houses make similar COM
plants; so do soldiers and sailors On
this very trip, on one of the Warships
a seaman came 20 complain to the sec
end watch officer about the quality Of
the cocoa al the seamen's mess saying
that IL was not sweet enough. 10 was
Pointed out to him that there was sugar
on the table end he could always pu- II
in, TO which he responded that that was
the cooks business ard not his I think
that the complaint as TO the food IN
the isthmus has but little more founda-
ton than that of the sailor in question.
Moreover, I was given TO understand
that one real cause of complaint was
that at the Government hotels no liquor
is served, and some Of the drinking men,
therefore, refused 70 go TO them The
number of men using the Government
hotels is steadily increasing.