Evening star., 1898-08-06
"IGWAGGING IN A RESTAURANT.
A Chicago Lunch Room Where Orders
Are Given by Signals.


Are Given by Signals.
From the Chicago Tribune
The other day a man slipped into Mon
roe street lunch room, ordered medium
boiled eggs, and when he had done so he
ducked instinctively that the walters voice
might pass over his head but it didn't
The waiter snapped his fingers vigorously
looked across the room and then raised his
right hand with the thumb and forefinger
held to form &. circle and the other three
fingers in the air. Then he turned to an
urn to draw the coffee quietly and in good
order.
Amt you going to order my eggs?" the
man asked fearfully.
Eggs is ordered, sah-got EN- on the fire
now,' replied the waiter.
How is that?" asked the customer sus-
piciously.
Il ordered 'em as soon as you gave me
the ORDER said the waiter ''All got to
do is just that and again he made the
cabaistic sign with his thumb and fore
finger above his head.
The man was almost overcome " sur
prise. AT last he had found the place he
had SO long sought, where he could eat in
quietness. When he had finished the eggs
and coffee he sought out the manager of
the house and said:
Il want to buy ticket to eat here the
rest of my life. And 1 want to find out
some things about this system of yours.
The manager took him aside and told him
the secrets of the queer messages which
had passed from waiter to head waiter and
back to the kitchen. The distance is too
great for waiter to walk back and trans
nit every order to the cooks, and then re-
turn to his customer. Years ago two wait
erS who should go down to fame Tor their
service to dyspeptic and unhappy mankind
devised q system of signals for all the
articles of the bill of fare. At first the
system was quite simple and the signs
We're few, calling only for the principal
things on the card, but it has grown with
time until now there are over 100 articles
of food which can be ordered by waves and
motions of the hand. No other restaurant
in the country has system like it.
a head waiter or his assistant stands IN
the center of the floor during the rush
hours and keeps an eye on the walters be
stool climbers Ii a customer orders
roast beef medium. the waiter snaps his
fingers 20 attract the attention of the head
waiter. Then he makes d cut across his
left hand with his right and sticks up his
right thumb. Instantly the head waiter re-
peats the signal to a man in the back room,
who transmits 1t to the cook, and the roast
beef is being prepared before the waiter
who took the order could have gone five
feet toward the kitchen, and there is no
noise fuss about it. If a small steak is
ordered the waiter holds his right hand at
the height of his head, palm out, fingers
Joined. If it is to be medium, he clinches
his hand quickly and let's his thumb pro-
ject. If the customer wants it wei done
blows of the right fist on the left palm.
The eye of the interpreter must be quick
to catch the changes in the sign, for GER
tain move of the hand folio wing another
means something entirely different from
what a certain move means ii originally
displayed. If an oyster stew is called for,
instead of shouting stew one in strident
tones as is the custom in many restaurants
of the lower price variety, the waiter snaps
his fingers, and when he has caught the
eye of the Interpreter he extends his left
arm with the fist closed and the thumb in
the air. If the order is half a dozen fried
oysters, the right hand is thrust OUT with
the fingers spread far apart. For ham and
eggs the waiter places his right palm
against his cheek, that being the signal foI
fried ham, and then extends his arm with
the palm of the hand up and the fingers
closed, which means fried eggs.
Some of the signals are continuous mo-
tions, indicative of some process through
which the food must pass. Thus, an order
for corned beef hash is transmitted by a
shaking motion of both hands backward
and forward indicating how wen shaken
the ingredients of the hash are before be-
ing served. For baked beans the waiter
holds up his right hand and beckons rapid
ly with his four closed fingers. For liver
and bacon the waiter scrapes his right in
dex finger with the forefinger of his left
hand, showing how the bacon is sliced, and
then places a forefinger over his side
about where he thinks his liver is located
Pork sausage, too, Is signal easily dis
cernible. The waiter links his two little
fingers together, indicating the links of
sausage.