The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-02
DISH WASHERS IN DEMAND.
$4,000 Worth of Glass and Chin'
Broken Annually.
From the Nelc York Press.


Cup smashing, dish breakipg! Add to
this g. little knowledge of the art of dish
washing, and you can procure a situation
almost any day as IAN experienced dish
washer"
"Experiencedn dish washer does not
mean a person who never breaks a plate.
Bless you, no: it means one who averages
only about two pieces of broken crockery a
day, while without experience you would
be expected to make away with twice that
number.
| speak with authority, for, having seen
the advertisement. Experienced Dish
Washers Wanted" applied, not for the
situation, but for information, which the
proprietor Of one of the principal hotels in
the city kindly gave me in regard to this
subject.
1t struck me as odd that experience was
a necessary qualification, and perhaps the
reader has often thought that almost any
one could wash dishes, and that if the worst
came to the worst situation as washer
could easily be found. Said he: "When
you apply for position take with you not
only your references vouching for good
character and conduct but state that you
have had experience, if only in washing
few servers, coffee cups and silver teaspoons.
For unless girls know something about the
WOTk Ju0y Will III et1h llOlO OlouOo bA1h VIC
can earn money enough to pay for As it
is our losses from broken china and glass
alone average about S., 900 year"
"About 500 week. think the girls
should be held responsible for such a reck-
less waste of good china"
"Oh, no, that would never do They
would soon be in debt over and over again
to the hotel, and if we did not use the
thick ware which people find so much fault
with, our losses would reach up into 10000
or 81, 600 year,
"If that is the case, one ought not to
complain if hotel coffee is served in cups
that would tax a Samson'S strength, or
beefsteak on plates large and heavy enough
for cart wheels"
Eyes, it is nothing" continued the gem
tleman who was kindly giving me points on
dish washing, "for girl to break 20-cent
plate every morning and 50-cent platter
every evening, not to speak of half dozen
cups and saucers Clipped and nicked during
the day. One nick on plate we overlook;
for two there is nothing but oblivion in the
ash barrel 1t is much more satisfactory
to have plate broken outright, for in that
case there is no question whether 1t shall
go on the dinner table or in the ash bar
rel The matter has decided itself without
any mental effort on the part of the
person in charge. 1t is the stewards
province to engage and discharge the dish
washers. Each hotel has from ten to
fifteen employed, with three or four who
attend to the dishes used in the servants
kitchen. The wages range from SIS to $40
month. Girls are employed for this work,
although the glassware is given to men,
who usually are more careful, but they
break enough, in all conscience, as our bills
for wineglasses would show" was the
further bit of information given on this
subject.
At the Astor house there are three large
rooms devoted exclusively to this work,
and that the rattle of china and glass going
on there most of the day somewhat
resembles pandemonium let loose is not
surprising. Walters are. coming. in
constantly with their trays of dishes from
the table-and some of the breakage is due
to their carelesspess. The girls have to
prepare the dishes, and while two or three
do the washing an equal number attend to
the driving.
THE clever inventor who gets out prac-
teal machine for washing dishes has his
fortune assured from the start; our loss
from breakage would then be reduced to
minimum"
Here is a hint for the man or woman
possessed of inventive genius, and every
housewife who does her own work aud
hates dish washing-every woman does
will gladly welcome any device which
saves labor in this direction. Possibly there
are dish washing machines already on the
MARKET believe there aTe-but not any
are large enough or complete enough to
solve the problem of dish washing in hotels
and restaurants.
II commenced as a dish washer in the
- hotel when / was about Is years DID,"
said an Irish girl to me the other day, in
fine, rich brogue, which | will not try to
reproduce, land faith, I've broken dishes
enough to pave Fifth avenue or to buy
hotel Of me own This confession of one
professional could probably be echoed by
all the other members of the craft.
A dish washer once does not mean a dish
washer always; it is the lofty ambition of
the girl who is engaged in this work to ex-
change it as quickly as possible for some
thing she considers more agreeable or less
plebean. She aspires to the position of
dining-room girl, or chambermaid, for in
stance. Anything, anything, but dish
washing.
This work commences at o'clock in the
morning and lasts until near midnight,
with an occasional let up. The girls, of
course, change off. each one averaging
about ten hours work every day. On Sun
days an outing is arranged for all of them
in turns. In hotels kept on the American
plan the work is considered much easier, as
the hours are better regulated than where
the European plan OF serving meals is
adopted.
In country towns during that annual
holiday making which comes every fall,
and is called fair time,n dish washers are
in great demand for the time at the leading
hotels where they receive 81 a day. VERY
good wagesm the girl who works in New
York hotel for $40 month might exclaim,
but this golden opportunity for dish wash
ing comes only once year, and the worker
lives at home, boards herself. but every
night she carries away from the hotel
enough broken bits to keep her family in
luxury for many days TO come. The en-
ployment is lucrative but heeting one,
as flair time, }" at the most, lasts only week
or ten days.
II one did but know it, there is no more
healthful occupation in the world than dish
washing. / know a case where a young
girl was troubled with rheumatism in one
Of her arms. Her mother took her from
school for the time being and sent her TO
the kitchen 10 wash dishes. At the end Of
six weeks she graduated from the kitchen
with practical knowledge Of dish washing
and no rheumatism TO speak of.
Let US have fewer invalid women and
more experienced dish washers"
Oak Pine and LiRhtwood.
Have removed my wood yard to corner