essays-1-第8章

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ed　of　their　dinner；　which　otherwise　they　received　every　day　gratis。

At　the　hour　of　dinner；　a　large　bell　was　rung　in　the　court；　when　those　at　work　in　the　different　parts　of　the　building　repaired　to　the　dining…hall；　where　they　found　a　wholesome　and　nourishing　repast；　consisting　of　about　A　POUND　AND　A　QUARTER；　Avoirdupois　weight；　of　a　very　rich　soup　of　peas　and　barley；　mixed　with　cuttings　of　fine　white　bread；　and　a　piece　of　excellent　rye　bread；　weighing　SEVERN　OUNCES；　which　last　they　commonly　put　in　their　pockets；　and　carried　home　for　their　supper。　　Children　were　allowed　the　same　portion　as　grown　persons；　and　a　mother；　who　had　one　or　more　young　children；　was　allowed　a　portion　for　each　of　them。

Those　who；　from　sickness；　or　other　bodily　infirmities；　were　not　able　to　come　to　the　work…house；as　also　those　who；　on　account　of　young　children　they　had　to　nurse；　or　sick　persons　to　take　care　of；　found　it　more　convenient　to　work　at　their　own　lodgings；　（and　of　these　there　were　many；）　were　not　on　that　account　deprived　of　their　dinners。　　Upon　representing　their　cases　to　the　committee；　tickets　were　granted　them；　upon　which　they　were　authorized　to　receive　from　the　public　kitchen；　daily；　the　number　of　portions　specified　in　the　ticket；　and　these　they　might　send　for　by　a　child；　or　by　any　other　person　they　thought　proper　to　employ；　it　was　necessary；　however　that　the　ticket　should　always　be　produced；　otherwise　the　portions　were　not　delivered。　　This　precaution　was　necessary；　to　prevent　abuses　on　the　part　of　the　poor。

Many　other　precautions　were　taken　to　prevent　frauds　on　the　part　of　those　employed　in　the　kitchen；　and　in　the　various　other　offices　and　departments　concerned　in　feeding　the　poor。

The　bread…corn；　peas；　barley；　etc。　　were　purchased　in　the　public　market　in　large　quantities；　and　at　times　when　those　articles　were　to　be　had　at　reasonable　prices；　and　were　laid　up　in　store…rooms　provided　for　that　purpose；　under　the　care　of　the　store…keeper　of　the　Military　Work…house。

The　baker　received　his　flour　by　weight　from　the　store…keeper；　and　in　return　delivered　a　certain　fixed　quantity　of　bread。　Each　loaf；　when　well　baked；　and　afterwards　dried；　during　four　days；　in　a　bread…room　through　which　the　air　had　a　free　passage；　weighed　two　pounds　ten　ounces　Avoirdupois。　Such　a　loaf　was　divided　into　six　portions；　and　large　baskets　filled　with　these　pieces　being　placed　in　the　passage　leading　to　the　dining…hall；　the　portions　were　delivered　out　to　the　poor　as　they　passed　to　go　into　the　hall；　each　person　who　passed　giving　a　medal　of　tin　to　the　person　who　gave　him　the　bread；　in　return　for　each　portion　received。　These　medals；　which　were　given　out　to　the　poor　each　day　in　the　halls　where　they　worked；　by　the　steward；　or　by　the　inspectors　of　the　hall；　served　to　prevent　frauds　in　the　distribution　of　the　bread；　the　person　who　distributed　it　being　obliged　to　produce　them　as　vouchers　of　the　quantity　given　out　each　day。

Those　who　had　received　these　portions　of　bread；　held　them　up　in　their　hands　upon　their　coming　into　the　dining…hall；　as　a　sign　that　they　had　a　right　to　seat　themselves　at　the　tables；　and　as　many　portions　of　bread　as　they　produced；　so　many　portions　of　soup　they　were　entitled　to　receive；　and　those　portions　which　they　did　not　eat　they　were　allowed　to　carry　away；　so　that　the　delivery　of　bread　was　a　check　upon　the　delivery　of　soup；　and　VICE　VERSA。

The　kitchen　was　fitted　up　with　all　possible　attention；　as　well　to　conveniences；　as　to　the　economy　of　fuel。　　This　will　readily　be　believed　by　those　who　are　informed；　that　the　whole　work　of　the　kitchen　is　performed；　with　great　ease；　by　three　cook…maids；　and　that　the　daily　expence　for　fire…wood　amounts　to　no　more　than　twelve　creutzers；　or　FOUR…PENCE　HALFPENNY　sterling；　when　dinner　is　provided　for　1000　people。　　The　number　of　persons　who　are　fed　DAILY　from　this　kitchen　is；　at　a　medium；　in　summer；　about　ONE　THOUSAND；　（rather　more　than　less；）　and　in　winter；　about　1200。　Frequently；　however；　there　have　been　more　than　1500　at　table。　As　a　particular　account　of　this　kitchen；　with　drawings；　together　with　an　account　of　a　number　of　new　and　very　interesting　experiments　relative　to　the　economy　of　fuel；　will　be　annexed　to　this　work；　I　shall　add　nothing　more　now　upon　the　subject；　except　it　be　the　certificate；　which　may　be　seen　in　the　Appendix；　No。　IV；　which　I　have　thought　prudent　to　publish；　in　order　to　prevent　my　being　suspected　of　exaggeration　in　displaying　the　advantages　of　my　economical　arrangements。

The　assertion；　that　a　warm　dinner　may　be　cooked　for　1000　persons；　at　the　trifling　expence　of　four…pence　halfpenny　for　fuel；　and　that；　too；　where　the　cord；　five　feet　eight　inches　and　nine…tenths　long；　five　feet　eight　inches　and　nine…tenths　high；　and　five　feet　three　inches　and　two…tenths　wide；　English　measure；　of　pine…wood；　of　the　most　indifferent　quality；　costs　above　seven　shillings；　and　where　the　cord　of　hard　wood；　such　as　beech　and　oak；　of　equal　dimensions；　costs　more　than　twice　that　sum；　may　appear　incredible；　yet　I　will　venture　to　assert；　and　I　hereby　pledge　myself　with　the　public　to　prove；　that　in　the　kitchen　of　the　Military　Academy　at　Munich；　and　especially　in　a　kitchen　lately　built　under　my　direction　at　Verona；　in　the　Hospital　of　la　Pieta；　I　have　carried　the　economy　of　fuel　still　further。

To　prevent　frauds　in　the　kitchen　of　the　institution　for　the　poor　at　Munich；　the　ingredients　are　delivered　each　day　by　the　store…keeper；　to　the　chief　cook；　and　a　person　of　confidence；　not　belonging　to　the　kitchen；　attends　at　the　proper　hour　to　see　that　they　are　actually　used。　　Some　one　of　the　inspectors；　or　other　chief　officer　of　the　establishment；　also　attends　at　the　hour　of　dinner；　to　see　that　the　victuals　furnished　to　the　poor　are　good；　well　dressed；　and　properly　served　up。

As　the　dining…hall　is　not　large　enough　to　accommodate　all　the　poor　at　once；　they　dine　in　companies　of　as　many　as　can　be　seated　together；　（about　150）；　those　who　work　in　the　house　being　served　first；　and　then　those　who　come　from　the　town。

Though　most　of　those　who　work　in　their　own　lodgings　send　for　their　dinners；　yet　there　are　many　others；　and　particularly　such　as　from　great　age　or　other　bodily　infirmities　are　not　able　to　work；　who　come　from　the　town　every　day　to　the　public　hall　to　dine；　and　as　these　are　frequently　obliged　to　wait　some　time　at　the　door；　before　they　can　be　admitted　into　the　dining…hall；that　is　to　say；　till　all　the　poor　who　work　in　the　house　have　finished　their　dinners；for　their　more　comfortable　accommodation；　a　large　room；　provided　with　a　stove　for　heating　it　in　winter；　has　been　constructed；　adjoining　to　the　building　of　the　institution；　but　not　within　the　court；　where　these　poor　people　assemble；　and　are　sheltered　from　the　inclemency　of　the　weather　while　they　wait　for　admittance　into　the　dining…hall。

To　preserve　order　and　decorum　at　these　public　dinners；　and　to　prevent　crowding　and　jostling　at　the　door　of　the　dining…hall；　the　steward；　or　some　other　officer　of　the　house　of　some　authority；　is　always　present　in　the　hall　during　dinner；　and　two　privates　of　the　police　guards；　who　know　most　of　the　poor　personally；　take　post　at　the　door　of　the　hall；　one　on　each　side　of　it；　and　between　them　the　poor　are　obliged　to　pass　singly　into　the　hall。

As　soon　as　a　company　have　taken　places　at　the　table；　（the　soup　being　always　served　out　and　placed　upon　the　tables　before　they　are　admitted；）　upon　a　signal　given　by　the　officer　who　presides　at　the　dinner；　they　all　repeat　a　short　prayer。　Perhaps　I　ought　to　ask　pardon　for　mentioning　so　old…fashioned　a　custom；　but　I　own　I　am　old…fashioned　enough　myself　to　like　such　things。

As　an　account　in　detail　will　be　given　in　another　place；　of　the　expence　of　feeding　these　poor　people；　I　shall　only　observe　here；　that　this　expense　was　considerably　lessened　by　the　voluntary　donations　of　bread；　and　offal　meat；　which　were　made　by　the　bakers　and　butchers　of　the　town　and　suburbs。　The　beggars；　not　satisfied　with　the　money　which　they　extorted　from　all　ranks　of　people　by　their　unceasing　importunity；　had　contrived　to　lay　certain　classes　of　the　inhabitants　under　regular　periodical　contributions　of　certain　commodities；　and　especially　eatables；　which　they　collected　in　kind。　　Of　this　nature　were　the　contributions　which　were　levied　by　them　upon　the　bakers；　butchers；　keepers　of　eating…houses；　ale…house　keepers；　brewers；　etc。　all　of　whom　were　obliged；　at　stated　periods；once　a…week　at　least；or　oftener；　to　deliver　to　such　of　the　beggars　as　presented　themselves　at　the　hour　appointed；　very　considerable　quantities　of　bread；　meat；　soup；　and　other　eatables；　and　to　such　a　length　were　these　shameful　impositions　carried；　that　a　considerable　traffic　was　actually　carried　on　with　the　articles　so　collected；　between　the　beggars；　and　a　number　of　petty　shop…keepers；　or　hucksters；　who　purchased　them　of　the　beggars；　and　made　a　business　of　selling　them　by　retail　to　the　indigent　and　industrious　inhabitants。　And　though　these　abuses　were　well　known　to　the　public；　yet　this　custom　had　so　long　existed；　and　so　formidable　were　the　beggars　became　to　the　inhabitants；　that　it　was　no　means　safe；　or　advisable；　to　refuse　their　demands。

Upon　the　town　being　cleared　of　beggars；　these　impositions　ceased　of　course；　and　the　worthy　citizens；　who　were　relieved　from　this　burthen；　felt　so　sensibly　the　service　that　was　rendered　them；　that；　to　show　their　gratitude；　and　their　desire　to　assist　in　supporting　so　useful　an　establishment；　they　voluntarily　offered；　in　addition　to　their　monthly　subscriptions　in　money；　to　contribute　every　day　a　certain　quantity　of　bread；　meat；　soup；　etc。　towards　feeding　the　poor　in　the　Military　Work…house。　　And　these　articles　were　collected　every　day　by　the　servants　of　the　establishment；　who　went　round　the　town　with　small　carts；　neatly　fitted　up；　and　elegantly　painted；　and　drawn　by　single　small　horses；　neatly　harnessed。

As　in　these；　as　well　as　in　all　other　collections　of　public　charity；　it　was　necessary　to　arrange　matters　so　that　the　public　might　safely　place　the　most　perfect　confidence　in　those　who　were　charged　with　these　details；　the　collections　were　made　in　a　manner　in　which　it　was　EVIDENTLY　IMPOSSIBLE　for　those　employed　in　making　them　to　defraud　the　poor　of　any　part　of　that　which　their　charitable　and　more　opulent　fellow…citizens　designed　for　their　relief。And　to　this　circumstance　principally　it　may；　I　believe；　be　attributed；　that　these　donations　have　for　such　a　length　of　time　（more　than　five　years；）　continued　to　be　so　considerable。

In　the　collection　of　the　soup；　and　the　offal　meat　at　the　butchers'　shops；　as　those　articles　were　not　very　valuable　and　not　easily　concealed　or　disposed　of；　no　particular　precautions　were　necessary；　other　than　sending　round　PUBLICLY　and　at　a　CERTAIN　HOUR　the　carts　destined　for　those　purposes。　　Upon　that　for　collecting　the　soup；　which　was　upon　four　wheels；　was　a　large　cask　neatly　painted　with　an　inscription　on　each　side　in　large　letters；　〃for　the　〃Poor。〃　That　for　the　meat　held　a　large　tub　with　a　cover；　painted　with　the　same　colours；　and　marked　on　both　sides　with　the　same　inscription。

Beside　this　tub；　other　smaller　tubs；　painted　in　like　manner；　and　bearing　the　same　inscription；　〃for　the　Poor；〃　were　provided　and　hung　up　in　conspicuous　situations　in　all　the　butchers'　shops　in　the　town。　　In　doing　this；　two　objects　were　had　in　view；　first　the　c