The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-09

RAILROAD NEWS.
Great Table D'Hete War on
Among Railroads.
Kansas City-Chicago Lines Civ
ing Lavish Meals.
BIG DOLLAR DINNER.
Is a New Form of Passenger Rate
Disputes.
Other Items of Interest in
Railway Circles.
BIG DOLLAR DINNER.

The great table d'hote war is on. Once
1t was rate war-a dollar or two to
Chicago-but that has given way to the
meal for quarter it's cost, with drinks,
cigars, cigarettes, bonbons and flowers
thrown in. It's great living these days,
If you have business riding between
Kansas City and Chicago.
The one feature of modern passenger
train service that is not syndicated and
In which there is no community of in
terest is in the dining car. Competing
lines have been able to unite on good
many propositions of mutual Interest
Schedules are adopted by agreement
and special rates are made in the same
way and there are agreements regulat-
Ing speed and establishing uniform
methods for handling many classes of
traffic. But there is real actual war be-
tween the Kansas Chicago lines in
dining car service.
When the Chicago. Milwaukee & St
Paul railroad shortened it's line be-
tween Kansas City and Chicago and
put the southwest limited train in ser
vice the other lines, including the AL
ton sat up and took notice The St.
Paul was the first line to serve table
d'hote dinner for 81 on it's dining cars.
1t proved a strong drawing card and
the Burlington established similar SER
vice on it's fast Chicago train. Now the
Atom has entered the field and last
night began to serve table d'hote din
ner on the Red Hummer leaving
Kansas City at 6 o'clock for Chicago.
The price is 81 for the meal and ac-
cording to George ]. Charlton, general
passenger agent, the meal costs the
railway 1925, not counting service. The
menu card, which in itself, costs six
cents apiece, affords the choice of dry
martini or Manhattan cocktail Then
follow five courses, concluding with a
benedictine or apricot brandy. Then
there is a cigar that costs the Alton
sixteen cents apiece. There is deco
rated cigarette case specially made for
the Alton, and costing eleven and onS-
half cents. and a bonbon box furnished
by Guntner at a cost of fourteen and
one-half cents each. To load the
cigarette box with Turkish cigarettes
and the bonbon box with sweets costs
nine cents more. Thus there is an ex-
pense of seventy cents to the railway
before food and drinks are considered
Here is what the Alton, for instance,
gives you for 81 while the table d'hote
war is on:
Manhattan Dry Martini
Caviar on Toast
Oysters BourguIgonne
Olives Radishes Celery
Green Sea Turtle ConSomme
t Baked Whitefish. Stuffed.
Cucumbers Potatoes la Duchess
Boiled Sugar Cured Ham,
Baked Philadelphia SQUAD en- Carrerole
Roast Price Native Beef Au Jus
Roast Young Turkey With Dressing.
New Spinach With Egg
New Asparagus-Hollandai
Orange Ice
French E,ndve Salad-A la Alton
Strawberry Shortcake
Tutti Fruit Ice Cream. Assorted Cake
Roquefort and Camembert Cheese
Toasted Water or Plain Crackers
Coffee
Benedictine Apricot Brandy
Cigars Cigarettes Bon Bons
To the cost of the food. drinks, cigars
cigarettes, bon bons and flowers must be
added the expense of service. A din
ing car carries a steward, three cooks
and four walters. costing in wages
$3.50 a day. The car with its equip
ment of silver and linen represents
$4,000. The interest on that must be
counted. Then there is maintenance
of the car-about $1,000 a year. AL
these items considered mean that that
dollar meal costs the long suffering
railroad somewhere between SO and 81
each. When will they stop? Well, one
of the roads is now considering adding
champagne to the dollar dinner. It's
great, right now, If you have to trave
between Kansas City and Chicago.
why do you call your wife Marathon?
because she can run up bills faster than
anybody / ever knew."-Detroit Free