The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-07-09
LIFE In A HOTEL.
The Losses Not so Great as Might
be SuppOsed---FactS About
Walters.

| VI q uOISl may DO largely uIHlllSU0U
or frittered away entirely through
lack of judgment on the paIt Of the
heads of departments and through
the various leakages that are apt
to occur in every large establish
ment. In speaking of the losses of
hotels, hotel man said recently:
"In well-managed hOtel, however
large, the losses are not so great as is
! often supposed. Take the provis-
ions. With careful buying and ade-
quite ice houses and cooling rooms,
there should be very little wasted.
Things that are not used as origin
ally intended can be utilized in some
other way, as, for example, fruit
which is not available for dessert
can be turned into tarts and pies.
But the greatest loss in food is
caused by the guests themselves
when meals are served table o. hOte.
Of course first-class house presents
a bill Of fare for any meal which con-
tains more than five men can eat.
There are some people, however,
who are not accustomed to the best
fare, and are unable to make selec-
tons, and they simply go in on the
principle of getting their moneys
worth. So they order every
thing, and if at dinner go
straight through from soup to coffee,
calling for every dish that the menu
contains. Of course they can't eat
one-quarter Of the amount, and so
they leave a great deal to be wasted.
There is a chance, also, for the
waters to cause a loss, by bringing
guests more things than they want,
in the hope that this undue atten-
ton will increase their fees. But
the head waiter and the controller,
who stand at the doors Of tie
kitchen, always keep sharp look
out for this, and when a waiter is
found bringing a guest half dozen
things instead OF two that are really |
wanted he. is Immediately dis
charged.
"When the meats are served q Ia |
carte, a great deal of money is often
lost to the guest by the double
check racket which is a fayerite
game with dishonest walters. The
guest writes his orders on a check, /
which the waiter takes to the CASH
ier's desk. where the prices are put
on and the check stamped. But
while the guest is eating his meal,
the waiter secretly makes out an
other check with the same orders,
out with the prices increased from
10 to so per cent. Then he hands
his raised check to the guest for
payment, but gives to the cashier
he first check with the proper
prices, and pockets the difference.
f the guest pays his check without {
lose examination, as he is likely to
10 if he has ladies with I
i'm, Of course he is swim I
led, and we can't prevent it.
have heard people say they :
wouldn't go to Manhattan. Brighton !
r Long Beach hotels again because ,
he prices were so outrageous, and l ,
new at once that the walters had '
aised their checks. The only rem
dy is for the guest carefully to COM l
are the prices On his check with |
hose On the bill of fare. First
lass walters, as a rule, are very I
mart men. They are usually
'rench, German or Italian, gener- t
lily speak two, three or four Ian '
uages, and often have some educa- i
ion. The best waiter l ever knew 8
vas something of a linguist, some t
hug Of musician, and no mean g
rtist. Then he was an admirable C
'aiter, and had the knack Of salts +
serving a great many peo- h
lie at the same time. His fees a
'ere very large. He received the :
Sual salary of $50 or S95 a :
lOnth and board. We of =
cred him the position of head 7
alter at a salary of 500 a month :
nd board, and he refused it. He .
I'D me afterWaTd that he could not "
ford to lose money by taking the q
lace; so you see what his fees I
mounted to. At a great seaside
Otel, in the height Of the season, a
pod waiter will make from So to
15 a day in fees. It is net an un-
thing for a waiter to receive
as a single fee, and if he is sery- "
e g large party he sometimes gets d
but returning to their losses in -
)tels, / come to the bar, which is n
ally the most important feature =
the house. No hotel Can be suc- -
ssfully run without a bar, The 81
I0dS are not perishable, and the re- "
ipts are so largely profit that the al
anager often expects the bar SO
one to pay the expenses of running "
q hotel. No system of checks that II
know of is effectual in keen 7
G the barkeepers from knocking 8
WI, still l don't think there is al
UGH of it done at the best houses. Of
lie reason is that the best men at NJ
Unable are selected for the places sh
d they are paid good salaries. I eff
!oW man who goes next week to m
Saratoga hotel to be head bar nv
eper. For the season of three =
onths he receives $500 and all his -
penses, which is not bad pay. And ~;
% bartenders employed the year " mi
md often receive $1,2e9 and "a
500. az
The linen department of hotel. IN
tensive as it is, is under one head. iol
% hOusekeeper daily allOts to each In
who has fixed num- III
Of rooms under her charge. cri
certain number of towels 0O