Arizona weekly citizen., 1890-07-26
The Waiter.

Whether he draws his pay from Tue
 sons leading hotels, or works for his
 board in a China restaurant, he is the
 same unfortunant being. From early
 morn to the late dinner, he is the victim
 of the most unto ward fate and circum-
 stances. The merry round of the holi-
 days, the joyous whang of the San
 Augustine Feast drum, the joyous we'd
 ding festivities, carry one and the same
 meaning for him-added care. increased
 responsibility, more urgent need for
 effort and service. For him there is no
 indulgence in the sensibillties or more
 refined feelings of life. Resentment of
 insult and wrong is loss of occupation;
 and poverty is the very usual attendant
 of the occupation, and poverty is some
 times cruel. Then again, there are the
 obtuse facts that walters are proverbial-
 ly dumb, and when they get an oppor-
 tunity the are as insolent as walters:
 these unfortunate and discouraging features bring the lot of the whole class
 around again to the unbelievable low
 average of hard. There is only one comfort for this class, and that is, that
 the profession is a necessity ot life.
 Men may live without love or wives, or
 homes, or happiness or a change of heart and linen, but they must have food, and
 in this restaurant living world they can't very we'll get food without walters.
 And from this occupation affording con-
 stant employment, it becomes a means of amassing money, and, in time, step
 ping up and into more and congenial
 position. Even in an ulobservant ex-
 perlence, We have known few instances
 of such an advancement. We have
 known walters who, by strict economy,
 and a partial recognition of some of
 the less important rights of guests, have stayed sufficiently long in one place to
 be able, in the end, to buy out the restaurant proprietor himself, and after running the esta blishment and enjoying the subtitle delight of ruling the destI- nies of other walters, for few months, have been very glad to assign for the
 benefit of creditors. While such giddy heights are not often reached, there are lower levels which may be considered quite within the attainment of average ability and industry. We have known of just moderately smart walters, who have been able to supply couple of outside families with food. Others We have known, just shade lower in ability, who, having en,ered into an arrangement with a neighboring res taurant, for a percentage, have driven away one half of the boarders at their own restaurant before the game was found out. Walters, still lower in capa- city, have come to our Knowledge, who have joined hands with a neighboring physician, and have served boarders with two pieces of mince pie at one sit ting. Farther down, We have been cog nIZant of walters who would eke out a scanty salary by supplying pet boarders, for consideration, with delicacies which the other boarders would never see. In lower rounds, walters have fallen within our observation who have been under some triting pay to some private luna,Ic asylum, and have driven boarders there by bringing plates to the table under their arms, knives, forks. and spoons in their pockets, napkins be- tween their teeth, so many dishes in their hands that they rest m the con- tents of other dishes, or bringing boarder tea OF coffee. and making him wait for the usual condiments therefor. until he went raving mad, or sitting down opTosite the boarder and rehears- ing to him ali his ithe wditer's) private grievances and defects of hIs fellows. There are other and lower grades of ability and 'quirements in walters, but We have instanced sufficient to show samples of the many ways in which an ambitious waiter may iGIprove his hard lot. We wish them all joy and happi- ness, and many ducats in the thorny path to the tomb. Our statements in regard to the vIclssItudes of a walters life can be veuched for by our esteemed fellow-citiZen Pan, who claims to have devoted years of his blessed life at the Hotel Monterey, in the capa. ity of head waiter, but Is still far from being a rich man. Pan claims there is money in it at times; but If aspirants to the dish cloth and napkin brigade could only know, as he knows, the everlasting height and depth, and consummate meaness If tie restaurant boarder, they would seek another profession.