Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-06-11
MEALS AUTO SERVED.
The Latest Novelty Proposed in
the Scheme of Cooperative
Housekeeping
UPTON SINCLAIR. SIT DOWN!

New Jersey Man Would Have Food
Cooked at a Central Kitchen and De-
livered to Homes Piping Hot In Bub-
bic Wagons Built For the Business.
The Helicon Hall colony Of Upton
Sinclair, which came to an untimely
end through fire that destroyed the
hall, was practically cooperative
boarding house. Samuel NJ. Robinson
OF Montclair, N. j.. has evolved an i'm
provement on the Sinclair idea. Mr..
Sinclair, It is well known, started his
experiment chiefly because of the diff
ficulty In getting satisfactory house
servants. Mr.. Robinson proposes to
do away with dining room and kitchen
servants by having the meals cooked
at central place and served piping
hot In an automobile built for the pur-
pose. Thus each family may live in its
own house and enjoy the cooperative
food
Mr.. Robinson sketched to New
York Times reporter the main features
Of the plan which he and his friends
are perfecting.
The great point in which our plan
differs from others proposed from time
to time is this" said he. "Other plans
have tried to reduce the cost Of living.
with the result that. coming in contact
with that factor In human nature
which makes one tolerate thing in
his own household that he wouldn't
anywhere else. they failed. They did
not give good service since the sole
object was cheapness. Now. we do not
contemplate at the start that we will
reduce the cost Of living. We aim to
extend to the home the best hotel serv-
ice that we can arrange. But by means
of an economy of mechanical forces,
such as the use Of the boilers to run q
laundry In connection with the hotel
service and the manufacture Of ice, the
providing Of all sorts Of cold storage
and the management Of farms, all COM
bined under the direction of company
which shall be composed Of the sub
scribers to the service, to which the
profits will go, we believe that ulti-
mately we shall reduce the cost Of
living.
.But to begin at the beginning: All
of the cooking will be done at the head
quarters, the plant. At breakfast the
subscribers will have complete hotel
bill Of fare for the next days break
fast, and they will be asked to order
their next morning meal from that. So
with dinner and luncheon. In this way
we shall know twenty-four hours in ad-
vance just what we have to provide,
and the closest economy in the prep
aration Of supplies will be possible.
Each individual meal as 1t Is cooked
will be put in sheet iron box with
two walls and a space between. This
space will be filled with hot water.
Outside the box is a covering Of hair
felt, to help retain the heat. The cover
of the box closes down on rubber
sheet. In this way meal can be kept
at a proper temperature until 1t is
served. Some experiments were made
from Stamford, Conn. A meal was
cooked there, put in one Of these boxes
md then shipped to New York, where
1t was eaten. Those who partook Of
1t said that they had never had a finer
meal.
''My idea of this box is that 1t should
consist of three sections one, as have
described, for hot dishes, a second sec
ton containing the, dishes needed In the
service of the meal and a third de-
signed like the first, but for cold things.
Ice or cold water would take the place
Of the hot water in the interwall space.
CATER certain number of the meals
had been prepared and boxed in this
way they would be taken to an automo-
bile especially designed for this work.
It would have covered body fitted
with shelves for the reception Of the
boxes. Some twenty deliveries could
be made by one automobile before it
for more. Each automobile
could make about three or four trips Of
some twenty deliveries each, the routes
being arranged to suit the varying
meal hours.
Coffee and tea would be served in
lrns, under each of which an alcohol
lamp could be lighted by the house
wife. The breakfast and the other
meals of the day would come to each
household much as its daily newspa-
pers do, and in our receptacles there
would be no harm done If the family
weren't entirely ready when the auto,
mobile called. Another trip Of the
would receive the orders
For the following day and take away
the dishes.
II believe that the whole enterprise
should, be under the direction OF
board, which should employ one Of the
best hotel managers that could be at
forded. A high class chef should have
general charge of the cooking.
"Another direction in hich we could
make ourselves a handsome profit
would be in the raising OF poultry.
Preparing our members food at one
central plant, we would have consider
able quantities Of scraps, which could
he sent out to our poultry farm and
there be converted into poultry. Also
we could employ experienced farm
and raise our own vegeta-
bles and furnish our own butter and
milk"