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TheMostFamousHoteliersofAllTimeVol.2
19
wereclamorous,withsmoky,stuffyandfilthyinteriorsfullofverminandmice.Meals
werenotservedaboardyet,sotravelershadtoensuresomeprovisionsforthemselves,
whichwasrarelyenoughfortheentirejourney;theonlywayinwhichonecouldsatisfy
hishungerwastouseacateringoutletinthevicinityofatrainstationwhenthetrain
wasstoppingthere.However,theconditionsatthesefacilities,especiallyinsmall
towns,werestomach-turning.Rancidmeat,coldbeansandsourcoffeebrewedonce
aweekwereservedthereatahighprice.Thestaffwouldoftenintentionallyextend
thetimeofservice,sothatcustomersdidnothavethetimetoeattheirmealsbefore
thedepartureoftheirtrain.Uneatenfoodwouldendupbackincontainers,awaiting
fromlong-distancerailwaytravel.Harveysawinthisagreatopportunityforsettingup
cleanrestaurantsalongrailwaytracks,offeringdeliciouscuisineatareasonableprice;
railroadcompanieswerenotparticularlyinterestedinsuchinvestments,though.
WheninDecember1873thefamilygotbiggerbecauseofnewborndaughterMarie
“May”,Freddecidedtoenterintothecateringindustryonhisownmerits.However,
ashedidnotwanttoriskthelucrativejobhehadatthattime,hepersuadedColonel
Jasper“Jepp”Rice,aproprietorofthePlanter’sHousefromLeavenworth,tojointhis
endeavor.TheHarvey&RicecompanyshortlistedthreelocationsalongtheKansas
PacificRailroad,namely,Lawrence,WallaceandHugo,Colorado,allthreeinfamous
forexceptionallydisgustingfood;havingtakenoverthelocaldiningoutlets,they
startedreorganizingthem.Harveyprovidedthemwithsuitableequipmentandfurnish-
ings,sethisownstandards,hirednewemployeesandtrainedthem.Theresultsofthese
changesweresoontobeseen.Therestaurantsbecamepopular.
Soonafter,HarveyandRicerealizedtheycouldnotgoonasbusinesspartners.
Theyblamedeachotherfornotgivingdueconsiderationtotheirjointbusiness.
Moreover,cooperatingwithKansasPacificproveddifficult,andsoHarveydecided
tosharehisideawithsomeotherrailroadcompany.First,heheadedtothebossesof
theChicago,Burlington&Quincy,buttheydidnotwanttoengageinanundertaking
ofthissort.Nonetheless,theydidsuggestthatheshouldturntoanewly-established,
smallercompanycalledtheAtchison,Topeka&SantaFe.ItspresidentCharlieMoore
hadnothingtoloseandagreedtoparticipateinthejointventure.Initially,theAT&SF
providedFredwithatwenty-seatdiningcarsituatedonthesecondfloorofthetrain
stationinTopeka.Althoughthespacewasmuchsmallerthananyrestauranthehadrun
forKansasPacific,Harveymanagedtonegotiateexcellentterms.Hegotitwithnorent
topayand,whatismore,heconvincedthecompanytocoverthecostsforalltheutil-
ities(gas,coal,iceandalike),ensurefreetransportationoffoodandworkers,andfit
backupfacilitieswithstoves,heaters,sinksandrefrigerators.Harveywasexpectedto
payforfoodproducts,thesalaryofthepersonnelandthefurnishingofthedininghall
(furniture,tablecloths,cutlery,glassandporcelaintableware).Inreturnfortheprofits
fromtherestaurantthathewasallowedtokeep,hehadtoamazethepassengersand
