The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-22
COsr or MON LTvYN0.


ia 0kyscPaoAg 1lDe 111ustseseo ~
nessauraat Experienoe.
To THE Eprroa or THs suN--Str: While
the high cost Of living has been frequently
discussed In THE Sun one point In re-
gard " the cost Of high living has es-
capped attention.
have been registered by the hotel ana
restaurant men OF this city. who are
racking their gastronornic IL not COM
merciai brains to ascertain why they nave
lost patronage and ut the same time why
the patrons they have managed TO retain
are spending an average Of 20 per cent
less than heretofore.
Tho first and natural reason Ii that the
period OF financial depression we have
been passing through has discouraged the
average individual with money from trav-
cling through the culinary highway on
the high gear. This argument Is very
proper and explanatory. but In q degree
only. My candid opinion Is that Mine
Host" himself Is at least 80 per cent.
10 blame for the reverse English" In his
profit and loss account.
When We are GLOWING ourselves on
Fifth avenue or broadway, In the res
taurants. we are first Jesse Jamesed by
the hat boy. who. under instructions from
the man higher up, grabs our hat and
coat at the entrance In return for his
pawn ticket II there are two In the
party he insists upon giving separate
tickets, thereby exacting separate tips at
the time Of redemption. He then pro-
seeds to roll our newly pressed overcoat
into a hard knot and to convert our new
IS silk hat into one Of the now passe
opera variety In his EFFORT to pigeonhole
the collateral. From the hat boy we are
passed along to the head walter, behind
the rope" who condescends to look US
over in his effort to sise up our bank roll
preparatory to telling US whether or not
all the tables arc engaged or there Is Just
one left the we may have. II his esti-
mate Of U. IL satisfactory we arc sold
a table with the privilege Of being held UP
by the ::ext bandit, disguised as a cap
tain, who Is picturesque In his extreme
polteness and solicitations as TO our
choice OF viands. suggestion OF
scrambled eggs and bacon will back MIN
| of the map, but II we start our order
with a cold bottle II will Insure us the
most careful attention possible through
| out the dinner and at the same time
guarantee that he will have the price OF
our stem winder In our EFFORT to escape
| in the finals
Our dinner 10 served by a plain clothes
man Of the captains stan whose inexpe-
rience about tho table often results In his
depositing the soup In some lady's lap or
| on the back OF our dress coat. Our dinner
finished, We start to add up the bill and
md a piece OF petty larceny In the charge
for convert tbread, butter and laundry
bilD 10 cents a person, a recent grating
OF European graft on our American
checking system our fish, meat. salad
&C, a person. as we'll. and wine at &4.5(
or IS a bottle OF the same quality and
brand, that our grocer supplies us will
by the single bottle or broken case a
50 per
Then and there We decide 20 ceas,
practising law and engage in the business
OF investing our capital on the basis o
three and selling the same for five. Some
profit there, with no amount OF none,
tied UP for any length Of time!
Our dinner for four. with two bottles
OF mineral water we did not order, ha
cost US $40 without tribute to the waiter
head waiter. captain, hat boy or car
riage starter.
II was not more than SIS or $40 in tn
old days. but what are We going to d.
about IL? A DINER OUT.
NEW York, February 20.