The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-15
ABOUT WATERS AND TIPS.
The Fees Raise % Per Week Wages -
$50 and SS5 In Good Reatnurnnts-


TINT the waiter earns n very small amount Of
money in comparison with the wages Of the
skilled mechanic or the ordinary clerk This
is truO in relation to the mon employed In the
cheap restaurants and in the coffee and cake
saloons. but IL really has no foundation In
fact far as the walters employed In the
second and third class hotels and restaurants
are concerned. little observation will con-
vince any ono who is In tho habit OF freluent-
ing restaurants that the walters earn consider.
ably more money than the average dry goods
clerk, that his place is far moro agreeable than
that filed by many mon who hold themselves
OF vast Importance. and That ho has frequently
more money ut his command than the cuss
toner who bosses him about with high and
lordly air and then pays him for tho privilege
by generously feeling him.
walter In tho restaurant OF an uptown
hotol on Sunday night had five tables under
his eye. lle was exceedingly attentive and
liberal In his 'yessrs" At ono table sat q
gentleman and his wife. at another wore three
young mon, and the other three were taken up
with three gentlemen with young ladies'. The
waiter know his business. and was suave and
apologize when ANYTHING went wrong or he
suspected that no WAS not on hand NJ the mos
mont he was wanted. He had the prosperous
faculty Of convincing zach ono OF those whom
he was waiting uuon that he was tho object OF
five tables he reaped just an even dollar in
tips. This money was earned by him in less
than an hour. As fast rs those customers left
the tables other customers took their places.
The waiter was asked how much he earned in
u week, and he replied that his wages were So
and meals.
Then he was asked how much he earned
each week. counting in tips. He politely in-
timated that ho couldn't figure very close on
,lnN
cevo on tho present occasion.
He received % cents on tho present occa.
sion" which not only aided him in his figuring
but loosened his tongue.
We'll, you sec, sir. It's like this. he said II
have good MANY steady customers who seem
to like the way l serve them and who always
sit at my tables. II nothing interferes with
their coming here punctually earn more than
when | have to depend upon strangers. My
regular customers have q regular system Of
paying Ii one OF them comes in alone my tip
is 10 cents If ne brings gentleman with him
1t Is ID cents; II he is accompanied by u lady is
is 20 or - cents 1t always happens that when
there is n lady with the gentleman the tip is
larger have tried to figure this out, and all
l can make of 1t is that the gentle
man always appreciates attention more
when he mas n girl with him than when he Ia
alone. Good walters understand this, and are
consequently very fond OF the ladies. 1t Is al
ways Il sort oil Il speculation 10 serve n CnHnC6
customer. 1t it happens that he is stranger
IN town and comes from some place up the
river whore tips are unknown he Is pretty sure
You can't tell anything about the character OF
man from his appearance. providing his ap-
pearance is at all ordinary, hut all old waiter
gan tell pretty nearly whether n tip is likely
from, the order he gets; Il u man comes in
Journey and WIS very hungry and who, asks
for cup of coffee and u plate of bread, you
the other hand, he roads the bill Of fare In a
tumis shed anu thirsty manner and orders q
good square meal. and shows desire to feel
at home. there is pretty certain to be some
thinG store for the wa" VEL sir s to ses
sGgn hat to yGaT aHSaS1 h'n can
Isn't that rather low estimator"
urna he Wer onsls
nearly Al tho liberal people are in town"
The time Of service varies. but on an aver.
pected rush. usually work as long as my ser-
vices are required"
per cent. Of tie total amount OF their checks.
Is literally supplied with walters. who show
an unusual interest In the comfort Of the GUS
paned by sa1 I'm 20 or 9 nn vsds pr rs
m"ny man is induced By their b andishmen i
to to- for Of h%q ne
1ayorlte waiter. An Old Gust mer Is never
Permitted 10 reach his fqvoriio, seat
without having chair banged out
over it bowling obsequiously. ono OF the old.
favorte walters said that his net sales average
about 90 more. This Is good pay. but the hours
IN this restaurant are long and the work hard.
and The dumb waiter IL never used except for
salads. and occasionally Tor dessert.
Time WAS whom the Frenchnan was the
waiter excellence blt tho OgSiDilifV of
earning a good living by waiting IS RAPIDLY
ehanginG this a, and there are now in many good
are certainly as good aS need DO. They are. in
i many RESPECTS; better adaptod for service In
more familiar with tho tastes and habits OF
Many. an American has been driven away
from French restaurant because the French
waiter on duty there finds 1t difficult to under
Serv vol and i eoy Se dinner mc in bSCr
without wine than win H. French waiter is
wine list in the face OF customers. and il it is
once rejected he has no hesitancy in present.
ing it a second or even third time,
party Of young persons were made very
W ~ ~. wn Gnsh G sG.
desTn wns He nSstsd upon k t9 n t ts
wins listin an RwkwaIdly consl icuous position.
few sharp words that tho party NODDED no s1g-
gcstions from, him CONCERNING, the extent OF
ti"ns. When at III" close Of Inc neal
ono OF the party requested to be-
served with nuts, he raisoi his eyebrows
haugGty and said "Nuts" in IN extremely
offensive ton" Even this waiter got tn. not
because he deserved 1t, but In Difference TO tho
prevailing custom. A waiter OF any other ma
tlouallty would probably not have been so per-
sistont for no would have understood that
horu and there n Ierson may DO found who OBJ
Jects 10 vino on temperance or physical prin-
clplos but who Is nevertheless partial to u good
dinner. and perfectly willing 10 pay freely for
good service.
waiter Of II cd-headed man in u restaurant O
few days ago.
No WAS the reply.
"Tryad drop Of clhret, sir" insisted the waiter
, The rcd headed gentleman was alone and
he 1uicGly corked tho waiter up tighter than
any wine was ever corked by n burst Of Lam
KunRe Int was "a ilcry a. the gcntleman's
hair There is one restaurant in town where
a dinner withont wine costs more than a din
ner %lth It, The apparent reason OF this 10
that the proprietor desires only wine-drinkinR
customers, and adopts this method OF keeping
the other kind away.