The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-01
MORE KINDS OF WATERS.
characteristics or Italians. Americans, and
Women In the Iestaurnnta.

characteristics or Italians, Americans, and
Women In the Restaurants.
Tho discussion OF the comparative merits
of walters of different nationalities in last Sun
days SUM-" said q restaurant keeper, omitted
one class Of walters who are very we'll repre-
sented in New York. This is the Italian. The
italian waiter Is not seen In the better class of
places. The smaller French and Italian res
taurants are the places In which his services
are most in demand. italian walters are by no
means confined to the places kept by men of
their own nationality. They are almost as
common in the French restaurants as the
Frenchmen are. They can be had for lower
wages and they art generally capable enough.
There Is, indeed, but one objection to them,
class OF restaurants in which they are employed.
They are likely to be Tightly and TO lose their
But in the general hurry and confus,on:of these
smaller restaurants this is not regarded as a
particularly serious objection, for nobody cx-
poets to find ~quietude and deliberation to any
great extent In one OF these places. So the
fightiness Of the Italian there does not make
Some OF the Swiss Italians and Austrian Ital-
ians become walters in the best restaurants
and receive high pay. But the majority Of
abodes Of the taGie d hote.
much in New York and IL differs in many inn
portant particulars from any OF those spoken Of.
1t is composed Of the American walters, or per-
maps, III lbc lluJollNg VI iSLuHNCo liVlL thlLtl
ality can be better described as rish-A
can. When 1t comes to a question Of their ef.
think the majority Of their customers would dc.
eide that their good hnmor Is their most strik-
ing reGommendatioh. Their chief sIiSieneE seems
give a customer just what he wants. This Is
not at all like the solicitude Of the well-trained
foreigner, and seems rather the result OF a feel
nice fellow and treat him well The WATERS man
ner seems to say plainly he will do what he can
to SEQ that YOU get what YOU want, lust as he
would for any other agreeable man he met. Tho
9 WHICH, he on ncv tes k ;SrSan a th be ahhnaF'Hhiii s o Sts 40
ton is usually Of rather a temporary, nature.
although some OF these men do stick TO the
can waiter is simply putting in his time rs a
waiter until something better turns UP and ho
any longer than he can help. They go through
no apprenticeship. they begin at tho top and
they practice ON inc Mn hIy ,hHm Ihf,T nxn
cnce during the first six months OF their occu-
patton as walters. Not only do they not learn
ably be found TO have II disdaln for tho accom-
pllishments OF the French, and the Germans.
can have what he wants and they are perfectly
willing to give 1t to him cheerfully and even so.
like their better.trained colleagues, they arc not
to be relied on. These men arc TO be found
chiefly in the chop houses ana o oyster Sn houses as
'"The employment OF women.1n restaurants
ItD ulhlt EohO " hhihbN f'h'i isN'h Solrs
The waitress used TO be identified with the
temperance restaurant. The places In which
women wait do not promise particular attention
to their customers. They give them what they
ask for. and after, the waitress has punched u
hole in n mans check her responsibility Is at
an end; but II Is surprising TO see the facility
with which they learn. TO do the work. They
become skilled enough 10 bring orders with
great rapidly, they never forget any one n
tho table, they remember, the dcai OF what
the customer has said 10 them WITH astonishing
distinctness. and while what they do Is very
elementary work, Judged by other standards,
and thoroughly, Another feature Is the noat.
ness of their dress. Most OF the places which
employ these girls have recently made rules
/ forbidding them TO wear any but black clothes
Remarkably clean. and attractive their gar.
ments are. and their hands arc clean also. ns II
rule. Their pay Is usually small for the mum
ber of hours they are occupied and the fH-
s. to IS a week. They are always comfortably
dressed, apparently, smiling and happy and con
tented in, IA lot which requires long hours and
hard work. In one or two of the French rcstau-
rants uptown OF the cheaper class wornCn
workers, too, and seem able to wait on "a creator
number with less effort and in less time than "A
man. Thoy are all strong, heavily built wo.
men, and are superior to the average malc
waiter employed In these places-just as much
superior, IN fact, as the attendance given in Il
private house by n well-trained waitress Is SUI
pcrior TO that given by the ordinary butler. In
that case the woman will serve a dinner very
much better than the man could. II seems 20
me that u great many OF the restaurants that
cannot afford to engage tho services OF the best
walters would do well TO get women in the
PLACE Of the sec9nd-class, men that arc gem
and, in addition to being more capable, they
usually have a good deal better humor and are
anxious to do their Hork we'll"