The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-06
TIPPING THE WATERS
IF you OMIT THE CEREMONY YOU
ARE USUALLY. NEGLECTED..
How a Rich Woman Who Always
Extra Money for Hotel Bell Boys.
WASHINGTON letter in PhiladeIrhia Times

| IL 1t WISH Tor the coulun nldhe
| living" says head waiter at prom
1nent hotel Besides, the head walters get
less extra money than the regular walters.
Of course, my salary is larger than the
salary of one of the men on a table, but
it is not enough to live on There are only
two head walters in all this town who get
| decent salaries. The rest of US all look
out for tips, just as common sleeping-car
porters do.
fright? OF course, it isn't right but
what can we do about it? White men can
stand together, but my race is treacherous
as Indians. I guess there must be five or
six good men who would make competent
head walters standing around and trying to
get into the places held by us tip-getters.
Moreover, they will offer to work for nearly
nothing, and in these hard times some of
the hotel proprietors are willing to take
cheap men, because they are al losing
money just now. tsb .s4
How do know they are losing money?
Why, by keeping my eyes open. Since Con,
gress adjourned there have not been more
than two guests a day registered here and
at other hotels, and they are going away as
fast they are coming. This is an awful
hotel town, except when Congress is in
session. Very few of the Congressman give
tips to the boys, but the presence Of Con-
gress brings lots of good men here, and
they give tips to help the boys out.
There was Coils P. Huntington at the
Normandie last winter. He spent over So
900 while he was there. He gave his bell
boy $50 and his walters received from IS
to $40 each week. Head walters usually
get their tips from the ladies. You know
women are all cranky. They must have
breakfasts, lunches and late snacks served
in their rooms. They know that all orders
come to the head waiter, and that the SER
vice is prompt or otherwise according to
the disposition of the head waiter. Unless
have some inducement | am not likely to
take a waiter from table where people
are waiting for their order and send him
to the kitchen and then up stairs. 1t stands
to reason that a lady with a little bit of
sense will see that without any lesson but
when a woman needs lesson about tip
particular pains to wait on a wealthy lady
several times last winter, and took one
of my best walters to send to her room,
but she never showed UP a nickel. One
morning she sent down an urgent order
for, cup. of tea right away because she
with that headache for more than half an
hour before she got her tea. When she
came down to dinner she slipped a So bill
into my hand and asked me to always
look after her special orders for her, and
j promised to do so. She gave me s. every
week after that.
WATERS SCHEMES.
docs the proprietor know of such trans
actions? Well. 1 should say not. for there
makes no demand and makes no bargains
am not expected by the proprietor or by
the manager to take any of my walters
from THAR regular duties. If | do So it is
because l am bribed to do it, and the lady
who does the bribing has nothing to & N
plain of. If she voluntarily hands me tip
that is her business, and | not required
to reject it. OF course. the lady feels that
she is compelled to do it, but she cannot
prove it. If she wants special favors, she
must pay for them, and she finds it out
by experience.
Yes, there are some men who give tips
to the head walters. and they are wise
to do SO. The regular walters soon know
which Of the guests are special favorites of
the head waiter, and they can act accord
ingiy. You the head waiter can dis
charge a man at any time, and he has no
redress The walters cannot complain. but
must sometimes keep their own tippers
waiting until the favorite OF the head wait
er is cared for promptly AS matter of
fact there is compulsion in it, but there is
nothing on the service 20 show it. L have
seen some nontipping guests kicking hard
to the manager, but the manager under
stands the real reason why the kickers
have not been waited on more promptly
He also knows that he cannot help it, and
SO he sraooths down his irate guests with
all sorts of promises.
II would rather be a. table waiter than a
head waiter, says a grizzly gray woolly-
more than generation. Il can make more
money than the head waiter, and run no
risks of trouble with the proprietor man
ager. You see, my regular salary is SIS per
month. My wife does sewing and washing
and makes about $50 per month. But that
is not enough to raise a family on and ed
ucate the children. L pick out the guests in
the busy season. / look them over and Sc
lect the finest looking gentlemen, and L
find out what their business is and what
their incomes amount to, and / pick out the
cream of the lot: scheme to get the good
people to my table If find one of them
waiting for a fork or spoon or some little
thing when their own waiter is out of the
room [ run over to their table and serve
chances of that kind Pretty soon they in
sist on coming to my table Most walters
can do while the dining room is open.
A PROFITABLE GUEST.
81 have had a guest now for three years
who always hands me a silver dollar on
Saturday night. That makes $50 per year
BY being polite and attentive to that guest
I have gathered in $156 in addition to my
regular income Moreover, he has told
others who sit at my tables that he OBJ
jects to daily tipping, and that he simply
hands me a dollar a week, and others take
to the notion. ] figure that from the tips
Of that one guest and his suggestions to
others I have gathered in nearly $500 in
tips. 1 have also made considerable from
others who are transient.
Il played a good trick on rich man
iSt bad sag tba one OF the oec ooys
that he gave money away in little dribs
to all of the boys. / wanted to be his
bright particular star bell boy. So, for
three days, whenever he rang his bell, if
it was my turn, I went very slowly to
his room. He was impatient and wanted
quick service. / told the other boys that
it useless to hurry for him, because
he was never satisfied, SO they all went
slow on him. too. Well, on the third day,
as soon as his bell rang, rushed to re-
spond to it, and was at his door almost as
soon as he took his hand off the button.
He was gratifed and said: You are the
first bell boy in the house to show any
activity. Tell the manager want you to
look after my bell all the time. sent
the manager to him, and was designated
to look after his bell all the time and it
was so ordered. Whenever he was in the
house. just waited on him as carefully
and quickly as / could, and he was de-
lighted with me- He gave men $40 each
week, and when he went away he handed
me a $50 gold piece. Have you heard about
Tommy Smith? WE'LL I'll tell you.
Tommy Smith is a very young mulatto
and quite intelligent in appearance. He
was particularly nice to Coils p Hunting
ton when he was at the Normandie last
winter and Mr.. Huntington asked him
questions about himself. When Mr.. Hunt
ington left Washington he sent Tommy
Smith to the school for colored people at
Hampton, Va, and is paying for his edu-
cation. 1t paid Tommy Smith to be polite.
It don't always pay bell boy that well,
because there are few men VINO can az