New-York tribune., 1909-12-19
ART AS MEALS ADJUNCT.
America's Best Cafes Erceed IN
Beauty Those of Other Lands.

In the great cities OF America a slender purse
b bar to luxury. In public places the poor
man is abe-for a time-tO enjoy the same
splendor that surrounds his wealthy neighbor
perpetually. The young who earns fifteen
dollars week and the one born to that much
q minute may sit down to a similar repast in
the same palatial room, and of the two the poor
may derive the greater enjoyment for the
very reason that magnificence does not surround
him every hour of his life until it becomes a
bore. 1t is within his reach for trifiing sum,
but it is not thrust upon him.
When such a young New Yorker undertakes
to treat a fair friend to an evening of pleasure
he rarely takes her to imposing art gallery
or to grand opera. He knows that even the
most angelic human creatures possess both mum
dane and aesthetic tastes and he is likely to
escort the girl he delights to honor to the dining
room of some great hotel, where both kinds of
tastes may be entirely satisfied --
No stage offers more interesting pantomime
than may be seen sometimes at public dinner
tables no theatre stage possesses the beauty
of effect possible in a well decorated and luxuri-
ously appointed restaurant unadulterated music
lacks the charm, at least for many people, that
is embodied in harmones which float from
flower girt hooks to mingle with undertones of
laughter and vivaciOus conversation. Pervading
all is sense of luxury and atmosphere of
artistic magnificence hat one associates with
palaces of kings rather than with the public
restaurants of q republic. For the price of a
dinner one may enjoy sumptuously served a
feast amid splendid environments as formerly
belonged only to high title and enormous wealth.
AS one enters the main foyer of great cafe
on Broadway, just opened for business he is
carried away from modern commercialism, with
Its attending hustle and bustle to the peaceful
ancient city of Fersepolis by exact reproduc-
ton of its magnificent gateway From this he
passes to the main court, modelled after the
court of the hundred columns of the palace of
Alexander the Great.
on pedestal in this marble temple of music,
reclines an Assyrian lion, suggestive of power
In repose. Sphnx-like Assyrian figures orna-
ment one side of the wall on the grand stair
case leading TO the opera floor. patterned after
the great staircase of Persepolis one pauses be-
fore the celebrated painting, The Fall of Baby
lon,' by George RochegrOSse, which won a medal
OF honor IN the Paris Salon and cost $50 il
Is said. 1t is 10 feet wide and 65 feet high
Around the balcony front of the opera floor
are hung rich rugs from the looms Of Persia
where they take time to weave beautiful en-
during things. One of them cost $4,000 on
the second floor japanese works of art
bronzes sculptures and screens. 1t is said that
1t required eighteen years to complete one hand
embroidered peacock screen, which is estimated
% he worth $1,000.
While it is kept in the background, the mechan-
ism to run this immense restaurant is most intri-
cate. Two hundred thousand pieces of silverware
costing 100000; G000O glasses 100000 pieces of
china and crockery, and 100000 pieces of linen
have been provided for the table service. Eight
floors of 1000 square feet each are used for the
PREPARATION serving and consumption of food.
About S4,0O0,O00 has been invested in the
ground and building, and the interior decora-
tons have cost over $15OOOOO The manager
receives salary of $4,000 year. Think of the
JOY the ffteen-dOllar- week man could get ont