Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-11
WATERS AND THEIR WAYS.

COlOred and White, Masculine and Fem.
ationalifies-Tips-Old Mon.
A poor negro waiter is the poorest on
earth. a good one is about the best. He
isnot troubled about impressing hungry
man who wants victuals and not dignity,
with sense of his own Importance. Ere
quently the average white waiter in the
popular hotels and restaurants exhibits
an anxiety to impress the customer with
the fact that this waiting business is only
temporary let down, and that his proper
position is at the head of some bank, OF
that he is a railroad president momentar-
ily under financial cloud, and that in
few days he expects to resume the posi-
ton in the world and society which he Is
calculated by nature to adorn. The de-
sire to establish his superiority over the
plain, ordinary hash-consumer frequently
takes the form of scarcely suppressed in
science which nothing but tip will dis
pei
white men make by all odds the best
walters" said prominent restauranter in
little chat on the caterers side Of tine
question. Il wouldn't have a negro waiter
in the house. They are unreliable, and
have weakness for under checking
their friends. A little tip once in a while
to colored waiter will make him solid
with the Upper, and he shows his affection
by knocking OFF 10 or Is cents on a check.
White walters may do this, but not as q
rule. Occasionally some customer suggests
under -checking, and advises the waiter to
pocket the difference. Only recently a
young man came and told us of such a
suggestion from q well-known customer.
The class OF young men we hire are bright
and smart, and most of them leave the
business for something better. Frequently
people who have professions, but who
have been unfortunate or not able to get a
toothold, adopt this business temporarily.
Most of them are continually looking out
for something better, and most of them
find il.
"Girls:" The gentleman smiled as he
continued: "No, don't hire girls. They
are unreliable, and are kickers. If a man
reproves them, they go off and cry and
want 10 quit. They will fiirt with some
customers and neglect Others. They get
stuck on some regular patron, and pretty
soon they lean against his shoulder when
taking his order. They are all right for
country hotels, but are out Of place in a
restaurant like this"
The Germans make about the best
walters Of any. They are not apt to get
Hurried in taking large number of orders
at once. They are humber, also, and tbs
public like that. A Frenchman is good
where he can take his time or finishes up
one order before he commences a second,
rs he is excitable and more liable to get
ratified than his German brother. A good
waiter gets 5 or - per week and his board
Negroes will work for IS, and girls for
even less We start new man in by let
ting him fill water pitchers and help
around the dining room. He keeps his
eyes open, and when he thinks he has
picked up the points he is permitted TO
take an order or two from people who DO
not look as if they were over fastidious. IL
he has any aptitude he readily catches on,
although there are a hundred little things
to be remembered which the patrons of
the house would never notice until they
were omitted. There is proper and recog
nized way of doing everything.
Tipping, Yes, there is n good deal Of
il. As long as we are sure the men do not
under-check the tippers we have no objec
ton. Some make SIS or $50 a week extra,
but they are not many. We consider tip
ping as n reward for specially good service
and as such can have no particular objec-
ton To it as long as customers who do not
tip are not neglected.
NO. you see no old men here The fact
is they do not get around fast enough. A
water working on n floor like this gets
crippled in few years. His feet give out
like an old car horse. and he is compelled
TO go TO something else or take less pay ut
an inferior restaurant. Inter Ocean.