River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-09-24

Nobody seem, to know said the
head waiter of a fashionable uptown
restaurant, 'howmuch more difficult
it is to keep waters under control and
in proper training here than in Europe.
have been over here two years,
was imported especially to take charge
of the walters in this restaurant, and ]
have had sixty of them under my
control ever since | came here. Dur
ING the first SIX months of my stay
here changed men constantly. | did
not realize whist | have since found
out. that American diners are the best
natured men on earth. This refers to
swells of the highest rank as well as
the ordinary guests who drop in from
time to time Americans are satisfied
with attendance that would drive
Frenchmen intohysterics, and they take
everything with an easygoing air that
nothing can rufle. The result is the
walters become lax and familiar. If |
don't watch them very closely they
lose their manners and become care
less. 1t takes remarkably short
time, you know, to spoil good waiter
| have often watched them run down.
If chance to get good man from
Paris he is conspicuous here rs soon
as he puts on his apron. He assumes
attitudes of humbleness and respect,
is polite to fault. quick, deXterous,
and shows a desire to please in every
movement. He gets out of these
habits in Just about month. Not
only do the other walters spoil him by
their example and their talk, but the
guests themselves, by their lenicncy
and good nature, soon teach him lazy
habits. A very good illustration of
how some of our guests treat our walters
occurred here to-day. Two well-known
club men make it point to breakfast
here every morning at II O'Clock.
They have a table by one of the
windows, and are waited on by care
full and conscientious man OF German
extraction. One of the gentleman got
here this morning a little ahead of the
other, and following out the present
custom of Americans. he growled out
a few agreeable remarks to the waiter.
Thereupon the waiter ioyfully unfolded
his heart to him, and told him that
his only ambition was to leave the oc-
cupation of waiter and start little
lager-bcer saloon of his own somewhere
up on the road. The young swell
pretended to take great interestin the
walters ambition. and when his friend
came in they went TO work very earnest
ly to assure the man that a very rich
friend of theirs. leading banker in
the Union club, had set up four or five
men in lager beer saloons, and 50 they
each wrote out long letters of introduce
ton on the spot and signed them with
the names of some other club men, on
whom they occasionally play jokes.
Probably neither one of them knows
the banker to whom they introduced
the waiter They have told this poor
Dutchman to insist upon seeing the
banker at Z 0 clock next Sunday morn
ing The chances are that he will be
thrown out of the house when he calls.
This may be very good practical joke,
and probably the young men will
ease the waiter feelings by presenting
him with "a s. note when the exposure
comes. | know all about it. but |
won't tell the waiter, because ! want
him to learn by experience. You can
readily understand what an effect this
has on the best kind of walters. This
is the sort of thing that goes on,
though, half the time under my very
nose and am powerless toprevent it. "
-Ne2O York Sun.
. 60