Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-11-19
New York SUM-

He was the man who hrSt started
a restaurant in town with young
women for walters.
"Why do you employ girls 2" ask
reporter.
"Because / have found from the
start that the hungry public Ike
their service best" the gray.halred
man instantly replied. "They are
neat and clean, and they are much
more polite and attentive than any
male walters that ] ever came
across
"What wages do they earn"
"With board included, FROM -
to Sc a week, according to their
ability to serve quickly and salts
factorily. They work for this from
eight in the morning until seven at
night. with recess for dinner and
supper"
The next day after listening TO
the cray.haired rcstaurateurs Ell
comium of his fair walters, the re-
porter dropped in for luncheon at
a well.Known Park Row dining
saloon. a genial old colOred man,
whose face was wrcathed IN smiles,
and who wore a long snow-whlte
apron, spread napkin on the Ia
BILE at which he sat down, handed
a bill of fare to him, and with "A po'
lite eyes, sir, all right" hurried of
to the kitchen to bring the eatables
ordered. He spread the iull dishes
before the reporter when he came
back ten minutes later, and then
stood at n vacant table some dis
tance away and behind the report
er, and patiently waited until the
meal was finished. Then he asFed
if anything else was wanted, and,
receiving negative reply, handed
the customer a check, bowed and
retired. Behind the desk at which
the reporter paid the check sat a
man who had been over a quarter
of a century in a business of cater
ing to the whims and wants OF hnn-
cry business men who are always
in a hurry.
"Why do ] keep cOlored wait
ers ~ he said. "Why, because |
wouldn't have any other. My Gus
toners like them, and want them.
| have walters here who came to
work for me before the war. My
experience is that cOlOred walters
are by far the best in the market.
They are more amenable to dlscl-
pline than white men, and they GER
tainly are more civil and attentive.
They don't make life a burden to "A
guest if he doesn't choose to Zee
them. Who ever heard Of a strike
where colorcd walters were employ
ed and treated as they ought to be
Their pay varies according to Their
ability, but, as rule, it averages
So a 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"
The reporter sauntered later on
over to the famous rotunda OF an
other downtown inn. business
men sat in shoals around the lunch
counter propped up on Ugh tools.
Neat Irishmen with white aprons
scurried back and forth between
the invisible kitchen and the coun-
ters, bringing all sorts Of hot and
cold dainties. For three hours the
procession back and forth was kept
up, and for three hours the shoa's
of business men shot the food down
their throats with that heroic IN
difference 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.cOuuter frequent
ly mingled with the clatter OF
dishes, and bespoke the welcome
fee of the waiter. Upstairs in the
managers Office the manager paus-
ed a long time, as if wrestling with
problem, when he was asked why
he preferred white walters.
"Well," he replied at length,
"they have been in the house ever
since the days when Charles Dick
ems was a guest here. AS far as |
am able to Judge, the white walters
are the most expeditions IN service,
and therefore the most satisfactory
to the guests and ourselves. We
have large custom daily, and it
| is an object to get the customers
served and let them depart quick
ly. Delay would mean loss Of 339
per cent. of income, which is a big
item when the noon trade climbs
up into the thousands. The Irish
walters handle the rush of orders
so that We have no loss at all. We
have cOlored help for hall boys, and
find that as such they are without
an equal. In the dining.rOom prop