The sun., 1908-05-03

TWO meals, 90 cents Tor ODD ulnners, ana %
cents for breakfast or luncheon.
The fame Of their table spread. The
first month they barely made eEpensas.
At the end OF six months they had fitted
up rear bedroom for an overflow dining
room and we're clearing $50 a month, be-
sides g,tting their own board out Of the
experiment.
In this case, needless 10 say, both young
women knew how TO manage a kitche
and what good cooking was, and they had
sense enough 10 find out how and where
to market at the lowest figure,
A man who deals in real estate, apr opos
Of this point said that unless a won an
had good culinary ideas and the brains
to carry them out II was simply financial
suicide 10 60 into the restaurant or the
boarding house business or TO risk any
capital in fitting up such place.
-Iet her keep her money in the bank
until she has tried running some place
which is already started he advised.
There is young woman now in business
near Fifth avenue who two years ago on
the sudden death Of her father found her
self almost penniless. She had had some
experience since her mothers death at
keeping house for her father and sister.
The latter had married only few months
before her fathers death, and the thought
Of being dependent on this sister and her
husband was distasteful to the older girl.
The thought Of being a nursery goveness
or a housekeeper was equally distasteful.
And yet for what else was she fitted, she
pondered, Her sole capital was $1,000,
and how long would that last unless che
got 10 work at once?
Start a tea room" said friend jokingly
one day as they sat at luncheon in a res
taurant.
There is no money in that, was the dis
couraging remark Of another friend -but
there is money in providing women with
good things 10 eat in the neighborkood Of
Fifth avenue. And you know how TO make
such delicious salads
in telling Of her experience the novice
said
Il never slept wink that night. was
diseased with the new idea. The next
udy L hppllbu W u ICoNdul dlil uldH "llOHl
my father had known for advice.
There Is not a case on record, said
he, of place which furnished appetizing
lunch dishes daintily and quickly served
failing or losing money. Feed your public
we'll and the public will stick by you.
But, my dear young lady, it takes
good deal more than knowing how TO make
salads and cake and whipped cream TO run
successfully any kind Of business.
What he said encouraged me. Rents
near Fifth avenue we're awful found,
but when ! discovered too that men and
women alike will, pay IS cents a cut for pie
served near Fifth avenue in central To-
cality and only 10 cents for pie equally
good served a block further east or west
| was not long in figuring out that TO start
in a first class locality would certainly be
cheaper in the end
IL was in rooms originally the base
ment Of a private dwelling and fitted up
with an imitation beamed ceiling, tinted
walls, colonial fireplace and window seats
and chairs and tables to match that this
particular novice started a lunch and tea
room at an outlay for rent, furniture, table
linen, fuel, kitchen and dining room china
Of $500. At first she herself made all the
salads and the loaf cake and brewed all the
tea sold in the place.
She toasted mufhns and bread during
the rush time dill the skin Of her face nearly
cracked On occasion she turned 10 and
helped wait on customers. She travelled
miles to save on her marketing.
She worked harder than any one else on
the premises for the first three months and
she made a success ahead Of anything
dreamed Of by her or her friends. Her
menu included simple hot diShes, all sorts
of salads, pastries and cakes, both at the !
luncheon and the tea hour, and the doors
closed at o o'clock.
The place was opened October and was |
closed from July TO September is, when |
Il was reopened for the season-in that |
locality there was not patronage enough |
10 warrant running the business during the |
hottest weather. When the proud pro-
prietor cast up accounts and took stock at |
tho end Of her first year she was able to |
announce that besides making her own |
living and enjoying a two and one.half |
months vacation che had made nearly |
enough to pay for all her outlay in fitting up |
the rooms,
Fer profits in the next six months we're as
much as they had been during the first year,
md there is no telling where they would |
have stopped had the enterprislng young
proprietor not decided 10 get married and |
,ell out.
But that every woman with only few |
hundred dollars capital does not possess a
high order Of executive ability and high |
Of culinary work among her
alents is proved by the fact that the new
proprietor did not make money and closed |
he place in less than one year.
Let the woman lacking executive ability
aid an experienced hotel man. avoid |
inking money in a restaurant, hoping to
make money, as she would avoid playing
he races in the hope Of making a living.
IN fact let her for her own sake keep out Of |
outiness Of any sort.
In cases OF this sort the advice Of real
state man is worth considering. In his |
opinion a second mortgage at s per cent. |
s a good investment for a small sum.
first mortgages are better still, but then
larger loan is generally demanded.
Another thing recommended by this
iealer is 10 purchase a small house in a
suburban district, where houses rent for
bout SIS a month and arc enough in do.
nand to keep rented the year around, by
,ayins down 5000 and letting the owner
AXE a I per cent. mortgage on the rest.
The income from the house viii be $40 a