Morning journal and courier., 1882-08-30
sgew 8aren Slaig S0lun1ing gonrnal aud Conrer

it. I have heard people say that they wouldn't go to the Manhattan, Brighton or Long Branch hotels again because the prices were so outrageous, and I knew at once that the walters had raised their checks. The only remedy is for the guest carefully to compare the prices on his check with those on the bill of fare. First-class walters as rule are very smart men. They are usually French, German or Italian, generally speak two, three or four languages, and often have some education. The best waiter l knew was something of linguist, something of & musician and no mean artist Then he was an admirable waiter, and had the knack of satisfactorily serving a great many people at the same time. Ills fees were very large. He received the usual salary of $3O or $35 8 month and board. We offered him the posi- tion of head waiter nt salary of $1OO a month and board and he refused it. He told me afterwards he couldn't afford to lose money by taking the place, so you see what his fees must have amounted to. At great seaside hotel, in the height of the season, a good waiter will make from $5 to $l5 day in fees. It is not an uncommon thing for a waiter to receive dollar single fee, and if he is serving large party he sometimes gets $5.
 ''But returning to the losses in hotels, l como to the bar, which is really the most i'm portant feature of the house. No hotel can be successfully run without @ bar. The
 
 | so largely profitable that the manager often expects the bar alone to pay the expenses of l running tho hotel. No system of checks | that I know of is effectual in keeping the ! barkeepers from knocking down., still ] don't think there is much of it done at the l best houses- The is that the best l men attainable are selected for the places, and they are paid good salaries. I know q 1 man who next week goes to 8 Saratoga hote
 to be head barkeeper. For the season oi 1 three months he receives SS4OO and all his ex l penses. which is not bad pay. And gooo
 bartenders employed the year around ofter l receive 51 200 to $1 5OO. The linen depart l ment of 9 hotel, expensive as it is, is under l one head. The housekeeper daily allots te l each chembermaid, who has fixed number
 of rooms under her charge. @ certain mum 1 Der of towels and sheets. These are checked against the chambermaid's name, and, 0 l course, she has to return the same number ! A like plan is followed with the table linen
 Then the laundry is charged with the mum l Der of pieces sent to it, and credit is gl vel I when they are returned. Everything abou I the honse is thus divided into departments
 the heads of which are responsible to tn
 manager or proprietor
 ! ''In the past there has been conslderabl ] money lost through hotel beats and b.
 cashing checks. But shrewd, experience
 clerk can usually measure his man pretty ex 1 actly, and if he has any we'll founded doubts
 it is a very simple matter to say that the GUS l tom of the house is for strangers to pay i
 advance. I don't think there is so muc
 money lost in this way as there used to be
 although hotel keepers are still occasional
 taken in. Most hotels fatly refuse t
 cash checks or draf 8 for anyone. Tha
 game has been played too often. Of course
 with the large number of employees in 8 grea
 seaside house, the expenses are enormous
 but the profits of 8 successful house are COT
 respondingly great. At the Long Branc
 hotel, which is probably the largest seasid
 house now open, there are between thre
 hundred and four hundred employees, an
 the expenses of running the house amour
 to $1, ,O0O day"