New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-19
"SERvO SUO, SIGNORE."
HOW 1T FEELS TO BE WAITER YOUR
SELF.

. tha "a Iayena,
I first met Giacomo. who in way Is the suoIec' =.
49,. ro.or, sketch That Is to cay, he represents
his class and 1t Is his class that seek 10
here He was the only one OF the "ai'e,' WV
could speak English WELL and, as was sun "e-p
less in Italian / took my coffee always III HIS t""
tierc and came TO know him WELL ana 10 iiAe .''
,or no was q most amusing little man. He had peen
almost everywhere in Europe and couio taih e"'e'
tainIngly about the things he had SEEN out iou"u
him most genuine when explaining his own particu-
lar affairs. o.. N.
asked him once whether one trained for inc
waiter business as for other trades. IL hau al
ways seemed to me a simple enough thing 10 carry
dishes and collect money.
Yes you have to begin at the bottom, lie S"u
81 began as a door.boy in a cafe In Naples; then
washed dishes then | got to be secondo In 'ase
cafe every headwaier has a secondo; ne or'hes e
orders and keeps the tables clean AFTER tha' l
was a headwaiter, too. In hotels It's different
There YOU begin as bell-boy and go on TO the dler
emf Hoor.-drst floor Is the best. Way up you ma
principally Cooks people, and they don't ZIP well
II you're lucky and like the hotel business you can
Get 10 he porter That's the best place In Dig
hotel You have to know lot OF Languages thoush
French German and English. at least. lha'
what makes the Swiss lucky; they learn all these
languages when they're young. You can't 20 any
where without finding them. either; theyV got 'he
hotel business pretty much In their hands'
"Do YOU ever expect to have hotel?" said
mo: I'm too old" he replied. Unless / marry
I'll probably be porter. You see. you can't Do
walter forever. After you pass thirty IT'S nip ana
tuck whether you get on at al. IL hadnt known
English I'd have stopped long ago. The padroni
don't like old walters they think they're too hdgety
and lazy: they want young fellows that they can
twist around to their ways. Young fellows can do
more work. too. I can't get around half so quick
as could when was a secondo'
I CHANGED 10 drop in at the cafe one evening when
business was rather slack for last look at Inc
Tins" Gacomo stood beside me Watching the
people In the piazza Several foresteri were stroing
about. and presently he pointed to man. who
looked like an Englishman and said WHO DO you
think that is?" I said that thought he was
Brtisher But I mean his business and char
acter." he explained
How should know such things?" I asked
well I know" he declared. and then with the
nicely OF n painstaking novelist told me what he
thought be the mans history II was done 80
ofhand that put him down for romancer. but
later In the evening, when friend OF mine passed
BY babe him try his powers on him HIS anaisyis
OF my friends character was not without naws out
so surprisingly correct under the circumstances that
/ asked In wonder how he was able to judge 20
quickly.
"Oh. any walter do that" he returned lightly
.you could too II you'd done nothing all your life
bat stand about In cane sizing up people to see
what tips they're WORTH you get second sisht
after awhile"
We'll can you teach me how TO do !tT' said
"Oh yes II you'll turn walter. he answered.
laughingly and the matter was dropped But did
not forge, H. and fortnight aferward. when
Giacomo was leaving Venice for Rome to take
place In a hotel there. asked him IN all seriousness
10 md me employment He laughed at my PROPOSE
ton bu, said II he found anything to suit me ne
would let me know.
Two months later I was in Rome myself. but
could get no news OF Gacomo At the hotel where
I expected to find him he was unknown. and
failed 10 meet him in any Of the cafe. had about
given I'D hope Of seeing him again. and was
planning 10 settle down 10 orthodox sightseeing,
when one afternoon ~ was crossing the Piazza
i! Spagna In a drilling rain. who should appear
but C;iacomo, He had me from afar and came
running up saying: "Oh. Mr.. Flynt! Mr.. Flynt!"
The poor fellow was nearly In rags, and he looked
as II hc had no; eaten anything for days. Ola
como" eaid. how did this happen He told
mo a story OF the pawnshop and the lottery Some
ono else hal got his position. and since leaving
Venice he had lived on the proceeds OF h'9 much
cherished clothes. Piece by piece they had gone to
the Monte al Plcta and he had played In the lottery
in the hope Of getting them back. He Was on his
way TO friend. who Ia thought would let him
hav. money enough TO redeem one OF his dress
suits position in cane. he said was waiting
for him. II he could only get his clothes back In
time.
| took him osteria. and after he had re-
.reshed himself with some macaroni and wne
asked him more In fun than anything elss-for It
hardly seemed possible that he could do anything
FOR In his forlorn cond!tion-whether he had
found me place
.Do you really want oney' he asked sharply.
said that / did. The weather had been simply
abomlnable since my arrival In the city. and my
patience out with 1t that for the last
few days had practically lived In Cane di Roma
~ determined however. 10 walt for brighter
days II seemed to me that might as we'll work
In cane as to sit the red cushions and glare
through the windows the rain. Then too. |
anxious to acquire Giacomo's ability 70 judge
character.
wei, you can with me tomorrow my
sccondo" Giacomo said. IN you'll get my dress suit
out Of pawn. I'm going to be a prmo-a headwaiter
and here IN Italy the primo finds and pays his own
secondo You won't get many tips, because they be-
long me. and you'll have lot Of hard work. but
Kits the experience you want. it's as cool chance
as you'n get.
Glacomo's suit was found. and cost me fifteen
lire: my own to a little over twelve 1t was
ar old coat and waistcoat that some other walter
had failed to redeem and got It at auction rates.
1t I'D not NJ me at all stylishly. and there
rents which Gacomo had TO up. but II served
the purpose
You Will find tho cane where worked. just of
Corso. In a tiny steet leading toward the Tber
1t IL called ALA Speranza In the day time. partic
ulnrly In the morning. IT Is not a busy place. but
early In the afternoon people begin to come In
steadily. and from o'clock there IL n continual
coming and going OF al sorts OF customers At
night II Is OF tho liveliest little cane in all
Rome The pay dominoes and brscola and
the women and children eat ices and look at the
picture papers The padrone Is portly Neapolltan.
and among his quests a most amichevoli parsonage
but in the kitchen and Mushroom he Is inclined to
be captous and rough. My first encounter with him
was typical. Giacomo introduced me to him thus:
This is my secondo. signore."
The man g.ared at me.
"Ialiano?"
mo. Americana" Gacomo returned.
"Corpo di Baccho. Mama mia! un Americana?
Non nosS,bilei'