New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-31
UTCW4GGING IN A RESTAOhAN1
A CHICAGO LUNCHRooM WHERE o'Dhi''
ARE GIVEN BY SIGNALS
From The Chicago Tribune.

From The Chicago Tribune ~ o.,
rho other dav a man slipped into Monroe-st 81
,unchroom ordered medium poiieu eses, ,;,,niv
when he had done so ne dubseu nass over his
that the walters voice h'e"' f
head: but it didn't eors yioorously
The waiter snapped his fingers aioaS his
looked across the room ana 'n 1arosnner held
ricbt hand with the thumb and foreHIieel ~ ~
-, conn n circle and the other three myers ia
the air Then he turned TO an urn " oi"" viz
coffee quietly and in good order -, ,,o man
Amt you going to order my eseS' NV
asked fearfuy ,, an tho fire
Eggs is ordered sah-eo' ''' "
now" replied the walter .o, susni-
How is that asked the CUSTOMER S'p'
ciously. nc ,,o, gave me the
ordar" said the waiter "All got to 90 Is Just
hat and again he made the caoalis't to nis
with his thumb and forehnger ADV H'I ~ cur
The man was almost overcome ny s"l
,riee A, last he had found the place ne hdu 81
long sought where he could eat IN qu. rst 80
when he had finished the eggs ana cOhee he
sought out the manager Of the mouse anu sai,
~ wapt IN buv n ticket to eat here the rest vi
my life And | want to find out some 'hlhss
about this system Of yours the manager toon
him aside and told him the secrets Vi emJ w. 80
messages which had passed from waiter ~
head waiter and back to the Kitchen me ui1
lance is too great for waiter 10 walk paon
and transmit every order 70 the COOKS anu tlIeI
return to his customer. Years ago TWO WALTERS
who should go down to fame for thelr service
TO dyspeI tic and unhappy mankind devised d
system OF signals for all the articles OF the pii
Of fare At first the system was quite sihip'e
ard tho signs were few calling only for the
principal things or the card, but II mas grown
with time until now there are over one huhdred
and fifty articles Of food which can be ordered
by waves and motions OF the mana. no other
restaurant in the country has a system like it.
head waiter his assistant stands in the
centre Of the floor during the rush hours and
keeps an eye on the walters behind the long
counters surrounded by stool climbers" If a
customer orders roast beef medium the waiter
snaps his fingers to attract the attention or 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 a man in the hack room who trans
mits it 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 noise or fuss about il. II
small steak is ordered the waiter holds his right
hand at the height of his head, palm out, fingers
joined II it is to be medium, he clinches his
hand quickly and lets his thumb project. If the
customer wants it well done the open hand sign
is followed by two quick blows Of the right fist
on the left palm.
The eye of the Interpreter must be quick 70
catch the changes in the sign, for a certain
move of the hand following another means some
thing entirely different from what a certain
move means if originally displayed. If an oyster
stew is called for, instead of shouting stew
one" in strdent 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 II
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 his
right palm against his cheek, that being the sig
nal 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 in
dicative OF some process through which the food
must pass. Thus, order for corned beef hash
is transmitted by a shaking motion of both
hands backward and forward. indicating how
g. IN kon hn inn To,
fore being served. 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 forefingcr Of his left hand, showing how the
bacon is sliced, and then places a foreffhger over
his side about where he thinks his liver is To-
Gated. PORK sausage too, is signal easily dis
cernible. The waiter links his two little fingers
together. indicating the links OF sausage