Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-07
CHAMPAGNE-wAITERs.
How They Make Fortunes Out of Too
ConfidiDg Public.

NohHulDE PUBLIC.
''DO you see that fellow over there p,
said well known restaurant keeper to a
New York Tribune reporter, pointing
across Washington street, the other after
noon. The speaker pointed to a young
man attired in checked suit, kersey hat
and light kid gloves. How should you
imagine be made liying?'
"Well, possibly that he had a compe-
tency in MS own right, or that his parents
were wealthy"
"H'ml That man is a waiter. and a
mighty sharp one, too. l hired him once,
but he was too sharp to suit me. and let
him go. do not believe he works more
than half the time, and the rest of the time
he lives high and cuts a SWELL"
"HoW does he manage itP' anxiously
inquired the reporter.
well, he's what you may call a pro-
fesslOnal champagne waiter. He makes
a speciality of fancy balls, wine houses
and heightened summer resorts-in fact,
places where large quantities of wine are
sold. Why, Pve known Of his getting as
high as 81 % each for corks."
what do you mean?"
"Why, don'tyOu know Some wine firms
pay walters in that way for pushing their
wines. The foreign manufacturers and
bottlers of champagne have adopted a
system of branding the corks with their
names and the quality of the wine in the
bottle, and. if they are not bought for
pushing the wine, they bring a good price
from manufacturers of domestic cham
pagnes, who use them to palm off misera-
Die stun on the unsuspecting public. Pm
told that Mumm's agent has recently in
dicted no less than fourteen manufac-
turers of domestic champagnes for this
otfense. But that isn't the only way
that fellow makes money. He has other
lodges"
"For example?'
"Well, when he is waiting he invari-
ably carries a Jules Mumm cork in his
pocket. A guest calls for a bottle of
'Mumm's dry He runs to the wine cell
lar, gets a bottle OF foreign or domestic
wine which should not cost more than 81,
opens it in the presence of the guest and
places it, together with the extra Mumm
cork, on the table, easily cOncealing the
cork that he has just drawn. A glance at
the cork satisfies the guest that it is all
right-there is good deal Of imagination
about those things, you knOw-and he
pays So 90 or 81 for it. The waiter turns
over 81 to the house and pockets the diff
ference. But he reaps his richest harvest
at fancy balls, such as the Arion in New
FORK. Champagne flows there like water
literally by thousands of bottles. Par
ties get into box and order wine-none
but the best, of course. They get it at
first, but how much attention do you sup
pose they pay to the brand they are drink
ing after they have had a few glasses?
None whatever. The waiter supplies
them with bottle after bottle at So each
miserable domestic stuff, which had cost
hlm at the bar perhaps quarter of that
sum. He makes in another way, too.
Few people realize how the curly-haired,
wine-drinking 'darlings Of society are
bambOozled. 'Two-thirds over' they pay
as little attention to the number OF bottles
they have ordered as they do to the
brands, and it is the easiest thing in the
world for waiter to collect pay for a
dozen or fifteen bottles when only ten
have been ordered. That fellow l pointed
out is a worker when he's at it, and
bold one. | have not a doubt that he
could clear at Liederkranz or an AriOn
ball over 500. Do you wonder that he
dres ses wellp'