Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-12-24
LUNCHEON A FACTOR.
Importance of the Food That Is Hurried
ly Consumed


How many of the hundreds of clerks
and ofticemen that pour out of the sky
scrapers along Dearborn and Clark and
other down town streets of Chicago at
noon really eat food that Is stimulating
and nutFitioust And Of that number
are there any who spend sufficient time
before the counter or table to admit OF
proper digestion! 1t can safely be said
that they are mighty few.
Immediately ut the stroke of II the
restaurants and lunch counters in the
loop begin To fill up. and by l2:3o not
only are all the available places filled. but
men in waiting are standing back of
hlled chairs and stools in readiness TO
pounce upon the first vacancy that pre-
sents itself. The impatient one nags the
eater. and the latter unconSciously hur-
ries, bolts his food, and rusheS away
with a congested mass of food in his
digestive apparatus.
Some interesting data along this line
was made last winter by an interested
party, and practically all the men who
came out of a large office building near
the postoffice consumed by twelve mln-
utes in eating their lunch Further re-
search revealed the fact that light bak-
er. food was generally selected. or when
wholesome stuff was ordered its value
was rendered void by washing il down
with hot coffee.
The eating places down town do, as a
rule, serve good food. well cooked and
served to ones taste; but the office man
is quick to seize hold of bargain even
if il be in yictuals. and where he can OBJ
tain cOrnheef hash with two slices OF
bread on the side, q cup of coffee, and
cut of pie for 20 cents he will seize
the bargain Twice that food value
may be had for - cents. but the nickel
is saved.
Where nine men take sweet rolls and
coffee one man takes mashed potatoes
and beef, and where nine of them order
coffee but one will drink milk.
Now, the average noon hour of the
Office boy clerk, hOokkeeper. or account
ant is sixty minutes, but instead of spend
ing the time judiciously he throws it
away in the club on the streets, or
loafing on a corner. leaving but paltry
few minutes in which to gulp down
ham sandwich or some hash.
The immediate effect of this haste is
seen in the working efficiency of the
man, for when Il meal is quickly eaten
and the eater is back again at his ledger
or counter three-quarterS of an hour aft
er he has left it. he will note that a GER
tain kind of drowsiness has come upon
him which requires all his attention and
energy to shake off. This not only stops
his work but consumes the employers
time. Errors creep into the cash book.
and the clerk becoming cross and irri-
table, drives away instead of attracts
customers.
The reason for all this is apparent;
the blood that otherwise stays in the
head to nourish it now goes to the Stom-
ach, there to give vitality and power to
that organ in its difficult and painful
task of digestion. The quicker the food
is eaten the longer the time VIII be re-
quired to aSsimilate it,
To further prove this statement, an
accountant of local repute stated that
he made most of his errors ON Monday
morning and Immediately after lunch.
To the one he attributed the break in his
business routine; to the other rapid eat
ing.
In this period of strenuous business
activity, when the adding machine sets
the pace, it is absolutely necessary TO
have as perfect health as possible. If
you weaken you must drop out of the
race. A healthy mind is the offspring of
a healthy body.
True it is that the pace, set in business
has been set so fast that time can scarce
ly be spared to eXpend upon such paltry
things as monday lunches at 10 and 20
cents, and that some of our most power
full captains of industry were made to
halt after making forced marches in eat
ing. The pace, however. is not too fast to
admit of some safe and sane manner of
feeding the fires that furnish brain pow
er and business acumen.
1t is not necessary to go from one OK
treme to the other by Fletcherizing the
food and to make a hobby out of din
ner table or lunch counter. IF you do
you viii have no time to keep up the
business pace and the race will be lost.
The next time you drop into a loop
lunch counter for your noon lunch order
wholesome food instead of whole pastry.
and consume as many minutes in eating
same as it takes pennies to pay for it,
If this be followed you can reduce your
drOwsiness to a minimum, secure the
maximum amount of work out of your
self at the smallest outlay of energy,
and climb higher in business achieve
ment than your dyspeptic rival.