The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-08-05
w1GwAGG1Na IN A RESTAURANT.
A Chicago Lunohroom Where Order

Are Given by Signals.
 The other day man slipped into Monroe street lunchroom, ordered me dlum 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 vigor- ously, looked across the room and then raised his right hand with the thumb and forefinger held to form a cirle and the other three fingers in the air. Then ne 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 'em on the fire now" replied the waiter.
 How is that?' asked the customer suspiciously.
 T ordered 'em as soon as you gave me the order," said the waiter. "All I got to do is just that" and again he made the cabalistic sign With his thumb and foretinger above his head.
 The man was almost overcome by surprise. 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 to him:
 T want to buy a ticket to eat here the rest of my life. And 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 a waiter to walk back and transmit every order to the cooks, and then return to his cus- toner. Years ago two walters who should go down to fame for their ser vice to dyspeptic and unhappy mankind devised a system of signals for all the articles of the bill of fare. At first the system was quite simple and the signs were few, calling only for the principal things on the card, but it has grown with time until now there are over one hundred and fifty articles of food which can be ordered by waves and motions of the hand. No other restaurant in the country has a system like it.
 A head waiter or his assistant stands III lIlS CGlltGI Ol lIlG llOOI uuTlUS Lllt rush hours and keeps an eye on the walters behind the long counters, sur- rounded by "stool climbers If cus- toner orders roast beef medium the waiter snaps his fingers to attract the attention of the head waiter. Then he makes cut across his left hand with his right and sticks up his right thumb. Instantly the head waiter repeats the signal to man in the back room who 1 transmits 1t to the cook, and the roast beef is being prepared before the wait CT who took the order could have gone 1 five feet toward the kitchen, and there is no noise or fuss about it. If small steak is ordered the waiter holds his right hand at the height of his head i palm out, fingers joined. If it is to be medium he clinches his hand quickly and lets his thumb project. If the cus- toner wants it well done the open hand l sign is followed by two quick blows of 1 the right fist on the left palm. The eye of the interpreter must be quick to catch the changes in the sign, for a certain move of the hand follow 1 ing another means something entirely | different from what a certain move means if originally displayed. If an l oyster stew is called for, instead of shouting stew one" in strident tones, 1 as is the custom in many restaurants l of the lower price variety, the waiter l snaps his fingers and when he has l caught the eye of the interpreter he ex- 1 tends his left arm with the fist closed and the thumb in the air. If the order ! is half dozen fried oysters the right 1 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 for 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 motions indicative of some process through which the food must pass, Thus, an order for corned beef hash is
 transmitted by shaking motion of both hands bacgward and forward, ip-
 dicating how well shaken the ingredi- ents of the hash are before being serv-
 ed. For baked beans the waiter holds
 up his right hand and beckons rapidly with his four closed fingers. For liver
 and bacon the waiter scrapes his right index finger with the forefinger of his
 left hand, showing how the bacon is
 sliced, and then places forefnger over
 his side about where he thinks his liver
 is located Pork sausage, too, is a sig
 nal easily discernible. The waiter links
 his two little fingers together, indicat-
 ing the links of sausage.-Chicago Tri- | bune.