An examination of the methods used at Memorial and Randall Halls together with the amount and kind of food consumed, brings out some interesting facts.
At Randall Hall, the average price for board is from $2.85 to $3.00 per week, and at Memorial Hall, which is conducted on the American plan, the board is about $4.00.
The following list will give some idea of the scale on which Memorial Hall is conducted: 1000 pounds of beef is used at a breakfast, 300 pounds of fish, 1700 pounds of chops, and one-quarter of a barrel of rolled oats or one-eighth of a barrel of rolled wheat. Seven bushels of potatoes and 25 pounds of coffee are also used.
At lunch, 80 gallons of soup are served, 1500 pounds of beef or lamb, or 1800 pounds of chicken; besides 10 bushels of potatoes, one bushel of rice and 300 pies, of 30 gallons of pudding.
The principle articles of food used at dinner are 80 gallons of soup, 350 pounds of fish, 1500 pounds of meat, 10 bushels of potatoes and one of rice, two barrels of fresh vegetables, from 10 to 20 cans of vegetables, 70 gallons of ice cream and 150 pounds of cake or 40 gallons of pudding. Each day $275 is paid for meat, $50 for vegetables, $60 for deserts and $50 for milk. The total cost of food per day is about $470, with $125 for service. The extra orders amount to about $30 each day.
At Randall Hall provisions are used daily in the following quantities: 360 pounds of beef, 250 pounds of veal or lamb, 225 pounds of chicken, 75 pounds of duck, 65 pounds of chops, 50 pounds of butter, 100 gallons of milk, seven bushels of potatoes, 90 pounds of ham, 80 pounds of sausages, 370 pounds of fish, two barrels of flour, 50 pounds of cereals, four barrels of general vegetables, 13 gallons of ice cream, 85 dozen eggs, and 35 gallons of pudding. Two tons of coal are used each day for cooking. The total cost of providing food for one day is $185, with $86 for service.
The appointments for preparing food at Randall Hall are complete and more compact than they are at Memorial, and are equal to those of the best hotels. The principal difference lies in the cold storage process, which is used in the former, while at Memorial ice-chests are the only means for reducing the temperature. A disadvantage of the ammonia process in use at Randall lies in the immense quantity of water needed in the condensers, which makes the cost of water over $10 per day. To do away with this expense an artesian well was bored to a depth of 57 feet, but work has now been given up as no water was found. The cooking at both halls is done by means of steam from the boilers of the engine rooms. The washing, drying and ironing is also done by steam, and steam power is used for freezing the ice-cream. The lighting at Randall Hall is furnished by an isolated electric plant. Among other improvements are a steam ventilating fan and a heated table which keeps the food hot from the time it leaves the kitchen until the moment it is served. The waste at Memorial is collected in baskets every morning and about fifty poor families are supplied with it at a nominal cost.
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