no 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



women, on the same principle as the public- 

 house — free admission to all, a cordial wel- 

 come, and no more restraint than is required 

 for the orderly conducting of the house. 



"2. It is desirable to have the ground- 

 floor open on the street level, not up several 

 steps ; and in the front shop space for a bar, 

 conveniently placed for customers, within 

 which the manager and attendants are to be 

 found. On the counter will stand the large 

 tins, holding from six to ten gallons, and 

 kept hot by gas ring- burners underneath. 

 Behind the bar there should be a sideboard 

 with shelves for the cups, mugs, and other 

 utensils, and also for the rolls, cakes, etc. 

 Here also will be found convenient hot-wa- 

 ter troughs for washing the crockery imme- 

 diately after being used. 



" 3. The other parts of the room should 

 be furnished with benches and tables, ac- 

 cording to the available space ; the benches 

 are found most convenient 7 feet in length 

 with backs, the tables, when of strong plain 

 deal, 6 feet long by 15 inches wide ; when 

 marble top, 4 feet by 22 inches. 



" 4. If there are other rooms to be fur- 

 nished, tables of the same kind are recom- 

 mended, but in some cases strong "Windsor 

 chairs are found more convenient than 

 benches. 



" The premises ought, as far as possible, 

 to be taken in a locality convenient to the 

 largest number of workpeople. Attention 

 should be paid to the thoroughfare, and the 

 facility of access. Back streets or quiet 

 neighborhoods, even where rents may be 

 cheaper, will not answer the purpose. 



" 6. The houses should be as nice as pos- 

 sible — cheerful in appearance, clean, airy, 

 and with suflBcient space for customers to 

 approach the bar, and to sit down to eat and 

 drink at the narrow tables. 



" 7. The manager should be one who has 

 the work at heart — to throw some spirit into 

 it, and aim at success. He should be will- 

 ing to take any trouble, and do what he can 

 to please his customers. He should be 

 bright, pleasant, friendly, not easily pro- 

 voked, but able to take cbafF from rough 

 customers without offense. Withal he must 

 be reliable for integrity, and must try to 

 make his influence felt by force of example 

 rather than by law. 



" 8. The other attendants are embryo 

 managers, and should be trained to the same 

 qualities. If female attendants are em- 

 ployed, they must be especially discreet, as 

 no familiarity should be allowed ; they 

 should also be clean and tidy in their per- 

 son. Proper attention should be paid to 



the hours of service, so that no undue strain 

 be put upon willing workers. The plan of 

 relays of servants meets the case of early 

 and late hours. 



" 9. As the cocoa-room movement is an 

 effort to counteract the evil of drunkenness 

 and the baneful influence of the public- 

 house, it is essential that those in the em- 

 ploy be bona fide 'abstainers.' No spirits 

 or alcoholic drinks of any kind are allowed 

 to be sold or consumed on the jpremises. 



It may be added that the rooms are 

 open to all at five in the morning, so 

 that men may call on their way to 

 work, as the early morning cup of hot 

 cocoa, coffee, or tea, is found to be of 

 immense advantage. It is said that 

 many by this means have been saved 

 entirely from the use of other stimu- 

 lants. The cocoa, coffee, and tea ai'e 

 of good quality, and are furnished hot 

 at the following prices : two cents per 

 large mug and one cent per small mug 

 of cocoa and coffee ; tea, two cents per 

 cup. The large mug contains a pint, 

 the small mug and the cup contain each 

 a gill. Newspapers are provided for 

 reading, smoking is allowed for those 

 who wish to indulge in it, and separate 

 rooms for women are said to have been 

 much appreciated. All the arrange- 

 ments have been placed on a business 

 footing, and with an eye to profit. 



There is an association in London 

 for the promotion of a similar object, 

 and in their circular, entitled " The 

 Coffee Public-house: how to establish 

 and manage it," they say: 



" Give the workingman a public-house, 

 where he may meet his friends, and talk and 

 smoke, and play games with all the freedom 

 to which he has been accustomed, and where 

 good coffee and tea — with stimulus and nour- 

 ishment in them — take the place of beer and 

 gin, and you set before him for the first time, 

 plainly, the choice between sobriety and 

 comfort on the one hand, and dissipation 

 and wretchedness on the other. If it is pro- 

 posed to carry on mission-work, it is better 

 that this should be done in adjoining prem- 

 ises, rather than in the coffee public-house 

 itself. 



" The rooms should be airy and pleasant, 

 full of light and color. It is better to avoid 



