Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-17
SILENCE Restaurant.

Ihe othef day man slipped into q
Monroe street lunch room. says the Chi
cage Tribune. ordered medium boiled eggs,
and when he had done so he duckel in
stinctively 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 circle and the
other three fingers in the air Then he
turned to an urn to draw the coffee quiet
~ and in good order.
Amt you going to order my eggs?" he
asked fearfully.
Eggs is ordered. sah-got EN- on the
fire now said the waiter.
How is. that?' asked the customer,
suspciously.
Il ordered EN- as soon as you gave me
the order" said the waiter IAN | got to
do is just that" and again he made the
cabalistic sign with his thumb and fore
finger above his head
The little man was almost overcome by
surprise. At last he had found the place
he so long had sought. where he could
sat in quietness:. When he had finished
manager of the house and said
II want to buy ticket to eat here the
rest of my life. And | want to find out
some som, things about this system Of yours"
The manager took him aside and told him
the secrets of the queer messages which
passed from waiter to head waiter and
back TO the kitchen. The distance is too
great for Il waiter to walk back and trans
init every order to the cooks. and then re
turn to his customer. Years ago two
walters who should go down to fame for
their service to dySpeptic and unhappy
mankind devised a system of signals for
all the articles on 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 $50 articles
of food which can be ordered by waves
and motions of the hand. No other res
taurant in the country has a system like
A head waiter or his assistant stands in
the center of the floor during the rush
hours and keeps an eye on the walters
behind the long counters, surrounded by
stool CLIMBERS If customer orders
roast beef medium. the waiter snaps his
head waiter. Then he makes q cut across
his left hand with his right and sticks up
his right thumb. Instantly the head
waiter repeats the signal to a man in the
back room, who transmits it to the cook,
and the roast beef is being prepared be-
fore the waiter who took the order could
have gone 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
palm out, fingers joined If it is to be
medium, he clenches his hand quickly and
lets his thumb project. If the customer
wants it wen done the open hand sign is
f0llOWed by TWO quick blows of the right
fist on the left palm.
The eye of the Interpreter must be
quick to catch the changes in the signs
for a certain move of the hand following
another means something entirely differ
ent from what certain move means if
originally displayed. If an oyster stew is
called for, instead of shouting stew one"
in strident tones.a 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 dozen fried oysters, the right hand
is thrust out with the fingers spread far
apart. For ham and eggs the waiter
places ms 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 mo-
tons indicative of some process through
which the food must pass. Thus. an or
der for corned beef hash is transmitted by
shaking motion of both hands backward
and forward. indicating how we'll shaken
the ingredients of the hash are before be-
ing served. For baked beans the waiter
holdsup his right hand and beckons rapid
~ with his four closed fingers For liver
index finger with the forefnger of his left
hand, showing how the bacon is sliced
and then places forefinger over his side.
| about where he thinks his liver is To-
| Gated. Pork sausage, too, is a signal cas-
| lily discernible. The waiter link. his two
little fingers together, indicating the links
of sausage,