Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-22
BARONS AS WATERS,
Not an Unusual Thing if Philadelphia Res
taurateurs Tell the Truth

Dukes, counts, marquises. lsrds and
barons ara not sought after by Philadel-
phia hotel proprletors and managers, SAYS
the Times of that city. Baron Lindeman
may have worked at the Layfayetre Hotel,
as his deserted wife in Pittsburg says, but
he would rot have been retained there long
if Proprietor Maltby or Colonel Baker, his
manager, had known it.
Have we had many barons here as
waiters?" asked Colonel Baker, recently.
"Well, yes, and it is no unusual thing for
some impecunious aristocrat from the
other side to drop in and call on the head
water and secure a position as a waiter.
son is they have not been trained, and
then, you know. the system we have here
is entirely different from what it is in
Europe.
The titled foreigner who has lost all
his money is In most cases German or a
Frenchman In Germany men with titles
are as thick as bees around hive, and it
is absolutely impossible for their relatives
to support them. They drift to this coun-
try. They have no trade, or if they have,
they will not work at it, and as the posi-
ton of waiter is comparatively easy one
it possesses for them many attractions
First, on working in a hotel Or club they
usually obtain about the same food as the
persons they serve. Then they are, in a
great many instances, enabled to sleep
where they work. In most frst-class
hotels they come in contact with congenial
people. When man dies he is usually in
good humor, and when he finds his waiter
an intelligent man he generally condo
sends to talk to him.
''These titled garoons rarely disclose
their identity, however, but it does not
take long to find them out. Their fas-
tidiousness in dress and in eating is APP,
apparent from the first. As | said before,
they are usually incompetent. When they
attend a particular, exacting or cranky
guest they invariably undertake to display
their alleged superiority over ordinary
human clay. The guest won't have this
He complains at the office, and that is an
moving always. He never associates with
his brother walters, and that causes
trouble among them; so you see we, don t
want any of them about here
"Wouldn t have a baron about any OF
my places" said Mr.. Boldt last night
"Have l had any? Well, | should say
have; and l will tell you another thing
AS soon as [ discover one about here dis
charge him on the spot.
Some of the representative families OF
Europe have connections who hold posi-
tions as walters in. this country. I have
had a number of them, and | do not recol-
lect single instance where one has been
competent And the air they assume
why, it is simply over-awing. They are
not here long before they plainly show
by their manners that they think that you
are an ordinary, while they are not only
of superior mold, but of pure gold dust
They are frightfully incompetent too, not
knowing the first thing about serving
guests. If any of them work for me now
they do it under an assumed name.
Il have a man on my payroll at the
Bellevue whose name is Battenberg
don't know whether he belongs to the
Princes family or not, but it is lot likely,
as they have to do something to make a
living, and waiting on a table is about
the only thing they care to do.
There is one thing about this. Most OF
those who come here for such work al
ways do so under another and assumed
names, but their desire that you should
know them to be of blue blood is so great
that they soon disclose their identity, and
then they 90"