In the center of a large room are rows of immense caldrons with coils
of steam pipe embracing them. The air is filled with pungent odors
from the bubbling soup, and clouds of steam rise from the other
cook-pots. On a long table are pyramids of bread, cut into cubes three
or four inches square, usually rye or black bread, such as the natives
of Norway prefer. Along the walls are deep cupboards containing the
linens, the culinary supplies and utensils. In an adjoining but
detached building is a furnace and boiler-room which furnishes the
steam, and beside it a laundry and dish-washing establishment. It
requires a good many dishes to serve three thousand people even in a
simple way. In an annex the finer qualities of beef, mutton, and other
meats are cut off and sold to the public, thus utilizing all the
supplies which are bought in large quantities, the beef by the carcass
and the vegetables by the carload. The sausage of the "Steam Kitchen"
is said to be the best to be found in Christiania. All kinds of
prepared meats are also sold in this annex butcher shop. During
the fruit season the company runs a canning department upstairs,
preserving all kinds of fruits, jellies, pickles, and that sort of
thing. At the baking department bread is sold to the general public at
wholesale or retail, and small retail establishments are supplied with
all kinds of groceries as well as meats and other edibles. Thus the
restaurant is only part of this large business from which the company
derives its profits. There is naturally a good deal of jealousy among
the competing small dealers against the "Steam Kitchen," but it serves
a benevolent purpose, and there is no disposition among its customers
to question its business methods or reduce its profits. It has
succeeded in abolishing the cheap restaurants such as are found in all
large cities, at which wretched food, generally the scrapings from
high-class hotels and eating-houses, is worked over and sold to the