The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1886-12-02
WAYS OF WATERS.
THE SORT OF SERVANTS WHO SEEM
TO SERVE THE PUBLIC BEST.


TO SERVE THE PUBLIC BEST.
why One Proprietor Employs Young
Women as waiters-Another Man Pre-
fcrs Cclored Folks-The Virtues of
Irish waiters-The French. .-.
Groups of dapper clerks sat around lit
tie tables in Broadway restaurant down
town the other day, while they uncovered
their heads to the breeze that blew down
from o row of swiftly moving fans that
swung from the ceiling. Trim young
women in cool dresses tripped about from
table to table, took the orders of the
hungry young men, and returned at in
tervals with plates heaped with summer
viands. Every once in the while q portly
baldhended man would come in, and q
trim girl would trip up to him, too, and
sInilingly take his order.
Behind the cashiers desk sat gray
haired man with glasses who Eaked in phi
the money that the dapper young clerks
and the baldheaded men paid for their
meals. He was the man who first
started a restaurant in town with young
women for walters.
'Why do you employ girlss'' re-
porter asked
t:Bccause have found from the start
that tho hungry public like their service
best" the gray haired man instantly re-
Piled. 'Thcy are neat and clean, and
they arc much more polite and attentive
than any male walters that ever came
across"
What WAGES DC they eaEnsa
HWIth hHardf included, from "a TO 90 9
week, according to their ability to serve
quickly and satisfactorily. They work
for this firm from = in the morning until
at night, with recess Tor dinner and
supper"
COLoRED FOLKS.
The next day after listening to tha
grayhaired restaurateNE's ene0minpl Of
his fair maiter's the reporter dropped in
for luncheon at q we'll known Park row
dining saloon. A genial old eoloped
man, whose face was wreathed In smiles,
and who wore long, snow-white apron,
spread napkin on the table at which he
sat down, handed a bill of fare to him,
and with q polite eyes, sir, all right"
hurried off to the kitcheA 70 hEing the
dishes before the reporter when he came
pa snsan q 9sss aa .tabe a sMe 2
and behind the feporter and patiently
waited until the meal was finished Then
he asked If anything else was wanted,
and receiving negative reply, handed
the customer a check, bowed and retired.
Behind the desk at which tha reporter
paid the check sat a man who had been
over Q quarter Of d century in the bust
ness of catering to the whims and wants
of hungry business men Whe are always
In q hurry,
"Why do keep colored waiterss'' he
said. why, because I wouldn't have
any others. My customers like them,
and want them. 1 have walters here
who came to work for me before the
walters wal are ~ lat ths bess + Id the market.
They are more amenable to discipline
than white men, and they certainly are
more civil and attentive. They don't
make life burden to q guest If he
Doesn't choose TO fee them. WHO ever
heard Of strike where colored walters
were employed and treated as they ought
to hef Their pay varies according to
their ability, hut as o rule it averages -
week and board. Here the walters
treat us well and we treat them likewise.
When they are sick they draw half pay
regularly until they are well again"
NEAT IIIsHMEN.
The reporter sanntered later on over
to the famous rotunda of another down
town inn. Business men sat in shoals
around the lunch counter prepped upon
high stools. Neat Irishmen with white
aprons scurried back and forth between
hn irr htfnhon fha
bringing all sorts of hot and cold dain-
ties. Fer three hours the procession
back and forth was kept up; afid for
three hours the shoals of business men
shot the food down their threats with
that hepaie Indifference to dyspepsia and
that wild and awful haste that are the
peculiar characteristics of the down town
business man. The jingle of coin on
the lunch counter frequently mingled
with the clatter of dishes, and bespoke
the Weieome fee to the MaiteI. bpstaffs
in the managers pfnee the manager
paused o long time, as il wrestling with
a problem, when he was asked why he
ppefeEEsd white walters.
WELL" he replied at length, ''they
have been in the house ever since the
days when Charles Dickens was a guest
here. AS far as am able to judge, the
white walters are the most sxpeditious
in sefyice, and therefore the most salts
factory to the guests and ourselves. We
have q large custom daily, and it is an
object to get the customers served and
let them depart quickly, Delay would
mean q loss Of 33E per cent. of in
come, which is big item when the noon
trade climbs mp into the thousands. The
Irish walters handle the rush of orders so
that we have ne loss at all. We haxe COL
bred help Tor hall boys and find that as
such they are without an equal. In the
dining room proper, where things go mare
ieisureiy than in the sotunda, we have
French walters, and they probably are
the best for that sort of service. The
Irish walters get from IS to 50 a week
and board, and the French about the
same with the perauisites Of fees, WHICH
are sometimes something handsSme:N--
EewYork SUN.