essays-1-第12部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


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