The Dickinson press., 1889-02-23
THE WHITE APPROVED.
A CHAT WITH A RESrAURATEUR ON
THE SUBJECT OF WALTERS.

What is Required of Them White Ser.
r;tors Are Paid the Best Wa-cs-The
E;irrrNce Between America and Eu-
r"i" Tipping Is ii Coed Thing.
waiting is much harder worh than NEST
People think it is" said Il popular rcs,arrl-
l"tr tna news reporter Some men never
become Nr"!irient in it, they never can and
hc!ic" tho inarEct is never ovcvcruwlcd witt.
&"pl! waters. Barring the summer hotel
st*isapA. walters of IL certain stamp are always
/" be Tad. but this supply is never such us TO
prevent an able man from getting Il place
II ~.~"is easy. | suppose, to the public for a
l!an 10 tahe an order and bring in the Wet
uals. hut there arc many difficulties and It
Gfiirclncnts incident To waiting that arc com
molily overlooked. There are few places in
which more crochcts and foiblcs are exhibited
Than in an eating room, and q waiter has to
learn much of human nature and school him.
SCI! accordingly to give satisfaction.
"iilc patron of Il restaurant is the Great |
Am. He is the one to please. and if he kicks
against anybody, save the cook, it is tic
waiter. A pleasant address, Il good memory,
prnnhptncSs and d~eftness, therefore, are prime
requisites for the waiter Nobody wants an
Ill n'tturcd waiter, yet Il large ratio of the
guests are more or less inconSidera.e in their
demands. LIN case OF dispute or dissatisfaction
We al%ays have to side with the guest, though
We may know that the waiter was in no wise
to l,!anc.
Ca complaint of patrons OF my establish
meat ! have actually had ut times TO change
waters to other parts of the room, and even
lay them of for q few days-waiters, too,
whom ] knew to be among the best in my
employ A little clunlsincss, forgetfulncss
or confusion in distributing the food to the
gusts often bring slightly deserved rcbuics,
and voc hctido tho waiter who incurs the i'll
Will OF the employees behind the screen, for
tile iro:i!otness of his service is sadly inn
pared and mischief is sure to follow. In a
certain sense tho walters are the butts of an
establishment. Many of the proprietors'
faults arc saddled Oh their shoulders, and
many Il middleton is hurled at tho cooks
Over their heads"
lilo" 10 tho merits of white and colorcl
walters compares'
81 do not think that colored walters equal
white writcrs, though this may be q mere
fancy OF mine. Ono thing is certain-colorcd
walters arc the more easily managed. They
arc satisfied with less, and will stand more.
AS rule, n good white waiter can command.
49, 49, 'N'h bSi tlst.t ~ oIbIA iiitsii VIZ
tn" same ability and experience. Seven dol
lais or ga week and board will satisfy Il col.
orTi' waiter better than $40 will a white
l:lln, and the colorcl man will ask fcyer
privileges. Negroes are less ambitious than
white men, more subsarvient, and hence
more easily imposed upon. They arc satisfied
with poorer fare, and will glu,nblo less at
long hours and extra duty. That, | t.link.
and not the fact that they have any spccia.
qualifications for tho work, is tho reason why
SO many colorctl walters are c:nploye1."
a WAITER WORTH I&.0,GO0.
"Do walters usually stay in tho busincss!'
Yves, till about middle life. You will
rarely lind a waiter moro than 40 years o.
ace. AT about that ago they drift into other
lines of occupation. Many become bartcn-
Gefs, others porters OF j%anitors, and the like.
l have been surprised at the number of col
olel walters who find their way TO tho va
rie'v stage. You know they are Il he'll iel-
io; well met class and full OF fun. Few Of
ts!cln save anything; they rather ". given
10 !%:nlrorilcncc. Still, / have Known wattol5
To V,'l,i themselves up till iiiey have hacoa!c
h!ot2i or restaurant proprietors. | know one
man, John Bremen, who served mo as waiter |
for years, and who is today worth @20,0JO.
But, as Il rule, the waiter who lays by enough
for Il full dress waiting suit is doing well.
Tho coveted place most walters aspire TO
siil1tiC.l il IL club house. There the uv.
ciaSSa pay is aLont $40 Il month. Tho dress
suits are either furnished free or paid for by
TIE waiter by small deductions from his
monthly pay. The people tho waiter series
arc not Il miscellaneous public. but Il select
company, each member of which lc sa3a
throws personally; and when Individual pecll-
l:;"itics, likes and di.liEus, are Known, lc
runs less risk OF giving oleasc OF 6!ssatisiae-
ton. lie is sure, further, Of good fare a1d
good usage. The club house is the walters
goal"
"-Amcriaan walters have to content with
certain difficulties TIA: European v~.aii,..s
lino@ nothing about" sai.i a~:lo,.igr ~l!l
hotel proprietor ~"Ei:ropeans are tit-
fcrcmt from Americans. They l.a:o te2oa.,
leiSarcly in habit. They have furtaeriesincl
an art comparatively rare in .A~laerica-tho
art OF eating. They are more given to wigs
and liquor drinking at sncalsthan we. Hence,
as ono might naturally expect, the stamp OF
the people has been impressed upon the welt