Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1893-03-26

tho Amount Expected Il Five Ter
Cent. OF tho Price OF the Meal
Tipping, which has hardened into o
system In most Of the Atlantic SEQ
board cities md perhaps in oil largo
towns OF this country, Is born Of tho
presence in the United States of profess
sional forcign-born walters, says tho
Philadelphia Press. The race of pro-
fcssional walters in Europe Is largely
native to three or four small countries
bordering the great nations md speak.
ing several tongues. Switzerland and
the duchy of Luxembourg contribute
most to tho corps of professional walters.
The men speak several tongueS, usual
ly French and German, Dutch or Ital-
ian, and sometimes all four. A few Md
to the language which they have learned
Mt homo in childhood q smattering Of
English, and thus equipped these men
60 from one end of Europe to the other.
You find great numbers Of them in
Paris, somo in London, many in Vienna,
thousands in St. Petersburg, and n few
in oil tho cities, big or little, frcqucnted
by tourists. Some of them turn trans
lators md you may see their signs all
over Paris. They undertake to trans
late almost anything from my of hnlfa
dozen European languages In this
capacity they arc wrctchcdly paid, and
only a very proud man or q very poor
waitcr would consent to change tho
lattcr's employment for that of a trans
lutor.
Many OF these polyglot walters have
come 70 the Unitod States, and they havo
brought with them their notion as to
their natural right TO receive tips. a
nnturalIzed American, unschooled In
the ways Of fashionable restaurants at
home and abroad, cannot easily under
stand the attitude Of the professional
waiter toward the tip. Upper and
tipped in Europe view the tip i'll q diff
fcrcnt fashion from hat Of the un-Eu-
ropeanized American.
Somebody has said thnt It is cafe to
tip any Briton below tho dignity of q
bishop, but an American travelling in
England found that it was we'll to draw
the line as low rs n dean. Installing
one OF tho latter dignitarics for some
thing less han lie was. tho American
fumbled for n shilling after having re
ccivcd some courtesics at his hands,
but paused when he saw his guides
ldCC uuSh III ScoA luC luoLllS-pTOk-
fered advice 70 put his coin In the poor
box.
Tho colored waiter unspoiled by con-
tact with great cities or summer resorts
accepts n tip with n gratitude that
makes tho donor feel that 1t Is more
pleased to give than to receive. Tho
European writer's attitude toward tho
tip is rs much beyond that OF tho un-
spoiled colorcd man US the lowering
tenderness, tho respectful yet SYM
pathetic and half-familiar interest OF
the latter toward tho person lie serves
Is beyond the compass OF tho profession
oil European waiter. The ons receives
a tip ms his simple duo, the other n O
ccpts 1t rs n gracious act of generosity.
The Partisan waiter especially re-
CARDS the tips as n right lie not only
knows exactly what to expect but he
docs not hesitate to remind q guest who
scunts the fec that something is yet due
Tho iron rule of Paris is one sou to tho
franc, OF five per cent. Of tho price
charged for tho meal. In 5omc fashion,
able restaurants there Is q minimum OF
one franc, but in ordinary restaurants
the waiter who Ecrvcs n two-franc din
ner expects 1--we sous and no moro.
in some English inns the custom hos
Como beyond this. The guest finds upon
his bill n charge OF five per cent. for
~''scrvicc," and In still expected to tip
the waiter.
These details arc slowly taking form
In Philadelphia, Now York, Boston.
Chicago and n few other cities. limo
was when n malignant waiter went UNI
feed, but now the fec has become 40
much n hard md fast rule that my neg
lect not serious enough 10 justify an mp
peal to tho head waiter 10 entirely
overlooked. The minimum foe Is higher
In American cities than abroad, perhaps
In part because oil labor Is better pnid
hero thnn In Europe, and ngGiu bccaueo
tho tipping system is still something
lceo than matter OF course horc, md
como persons omit tho fee. Tho hard
II fast rule Of percentage Is gradually
fixing itself upon the restaurants OF
large cities and ostcntatiously largo tipa
hnro disappeared or nro disappearing.
1t has long beer literally true that hood
walters demand n shnro In tho tips OF
their su%bordinatcs md that all wnitcrs
nrc paid low wages Mt fashionable rec
tauran:a because they arc expected TO
live on tips.
Women walters find that they no
ccivc comparatively few tips from mon.
just rs male walters dread tho D
nncc Of IN uncscorted woman In q rcs-
taurant. Gailontry makes nm American
hesitate TO tip n woman, nc he hcsitates
70 yield his travelling bag 10 be carried on
the shoulders OF II slender girl up the
slcep, rocky stairs Of Capri. eomo
mon who visit restaurants whero tho
walters urc women have hit on tho.
acacmc OF tipping in q lump OF Christ
mas, ond doing It very quietly.
Ono feature of tho tipping custom has
thus far made small progress In tho
United Statcs-tiiut Of leaving q rratut-
" under onc's final plato after dinner
ut the house Of o friend. A young nan
ut n reception ut IN interior city con-
tossed, however, that in order TO DO
served by professional walters hired for
tho occasion guestS found II nooocerny
70 tin,