The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-15
As MAN TO MAN.

TIA newspaper man went down to
the Harvey house the other day at
noon to get a little lunch. He asked
for a chicken sandwich Gnd they had
none there. Beef. tongue. cheese. pork.
har4 all these were made up In sand
iellv roll and seven other kinds OF fruit
and vegetables in between slices OF
cake. but no chicken. The Newspaper
man inquired az to the whyness and
the whatfor Of tho absence Of the
chicken in this popular form Of hasty
lunch consumption.
Jack butcher. the head man at the
house, is one Of the most polite and
obliginE gents one could md in q
weeks journey in a thickly populated
district, and he undertook to explain
Jack has supervised the service OF
many establishments He has fed 'em
ON the great lakes and on the gulf and
in the towns where 1t was q thousand
miles to water. He has fed 'em French.
German, Zulu and Great Western
styles of cooking and has served the
sunlight. So the Newspaper man paid
close attention to the explanation of
this phenomenon.
You see,'' said Jack. people who
travel always pine for certain things
to eat Man rushes off train and
dining room and he wants a ham
sandwich and a cup Of coffee. Or he
wants a doughnut and two cups OF
coffee. Don't make any difference II
he wears overalls or q plug hat, fat
or lean, young or gray, he generally
is a lady she wants a banana, or a
tongue sandwich. II 1t IL child It
wants doughnut.
There are exceptions. but the above
is the general rule that applies to the
hungry traveller who makes break
for the railroad dining or lunch room.
They call for chicken occasionally, but
1t is in the fried form, cold. that they
want 1t. and they take a piece in their
fingers and MUNICH 1t with satisfaction.
Now the man who comes from the
street into a hotel or restaurant often
calls for a chicken sandwich. 1t IL a
call at these places. almost
speciality Is made OF
sandwiches. At many places
they are called club sandwiches and
they are SOLD by the hundred.
But at the railroad eating houses of
high and low degree where the traveller
comes to get his food while the train
waits. never a call is heard for the
sandwich. It is ham, ham, and
more ham. Occasionally tongue, some
times cheese, once in awhile beef. but
never!
II do not know why, but it Is so.
Maybe it's psychological. Who knows?
But 1t il fact that the traveller knows
not the uses or joys Of a chicken sand
wich, but when he is stationary, that is
to say. when he walks the streets Of his
native town. the longing comes for a
sandwich and he don't mind the
price.
your call here today for a chicken
sandwich il the first that has sounded
In these halls since Marmion and Doug
las had their famous dispute in 164O."
The newspaper man listened closely
to all the words of wisdom that fell
from the lips of this wise old scout OF
greatly about the whims and
fancies and shifting appetites Of the
sons and daughters of men.
A few days after the day above re-
ferred to the newspaper man went
with a friend down to the Harvey
mother-o'-pearl lunches
that blossom nowhere else on earth
30 fine. The waiter took the news
paper mans order for pie and then
went away. She came back with a
chicken sandwich. Surprise and de-
light chased each other like April
weather over the newspaper mans
classic mug.
The girl stopped the questions and
the comment by saying:
1T is Mr.. butchers orders. He has
had a chicken sandwich fresh made
every day for you for q week. He
saw you come in and when I went to
fill your order he had 1t switched to
this. Do you want it?"
The newspaper man did. He said
a grace over that chicken sandwich
and then sang the doxolOgy at the
end of the repast.
About that time a train came in
and forty people thronged into the
dining and lunch rooms. The news
paper man walked along behind the
line and observed their orders.
Thirty-five were for ham sandwiches,
two were cheese and three were
tongue. OF these, ten had doughnuts
on the side. and all took coffee.
That night the newspaper man ate
at a Topeka restaurant. He looked
at forty orders and thirty of -!lcse.
my brethren, were for chicken sand
witches.
So it must be a fact that men who
travel eat ham in the sandwich ana
men who stay at home eat chicken
between slices Of bread. Thus IL
history made and published for men
to know. This tale is more important
and exciting than the Mexican war
news, anyway; and at that, the news
paper man admits there are no
thrills in this story, no humor, no
pathos. BUT had YOU noticed about
n fey oh frIx \ -