The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1898-01-29
THE WALDORF-AsTORIA.
ssBehind the Scenes" In q Great
Hotel.

sBehind the Scenes in q Great
Hotel.
It is pretty we'll known that the
new Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New
York 10 the biggest and most expen-
sive hostelry in the world. That
which can be seen from the front
of the house has been described
more or less, but little is known Of
the marvellous and stupendous or
ganization of human and mechani-
Cal forces behind the scenes"
The "help" Of the Waldorf-As:
toria numbers between / 200 and
/ 400. The pay roll averages not
far from $50, 600 month or $780,
600 year. This does not, however.
represent the total outlay for help,
since every employe is fed on the
premises three times day, food OF
first quality, especially cooked, be-
ing furnished. Terrapin, game,
champagne and the like are not in
cluded, but the beef is as prime,
the bread as light and the vegetables
as fresh as those furnished to the
guests, and there is plenty.
At the lowest estimate the man.
agement furnishes $500 hearty
meals a day, or $4,000 every
year, to employees, and the dining
rooms of the help are among the
features of the basement story
One of these rooms is reserved for
the regular walters, and that there
is corps of walters walters is
worthy of note.
In addition to the minimum Of
$500 day for the employees, the
daily capacity of the kitchen is at
least 5000 meals for guests, that
number having been served repeat
eddy. Bearing this in mind, the
statements that the yearly meat
bills of the Waldorf-Astoria will
probably amount 20 100000, that
80 pounds of coffee are used daily,
that the average daily consumption
Of tomatoes is 200 pounds and that
other items are Of proportionate
magnitude need not be thought
surprising.
The "stock" for soups-to take
one item in detail-has hitherto
been prepared in GO gallon steam
boiler, but since the opening of the
Astoria this has been found too
small, and another soup boiler OF
100 gollons capacity is now being
put in. II is expected that the
average daily consumption will
nearly equal the combined capacity
of both.
In the dullest times the force in
the kitchen numbers IS. Horse
show week 1O4 men and women
were employed. The chef who
captains this big cooking force re-
ceives IS, 500 a year, and from that
wages grade down to $25 month,
the rate paid the men who con-
stantly clean the floor and may be
termed kitchen laborers. Women
are employed only at such work as
,peeling potatoes, Smelling beans
and peas and the like-work that
men will not do.
Men wash the dishes and are able
to cleanse a hundred pieces in less
time than a Bridget in ones kitchen
could wash and dry half dozen tea
cups. First the dishes are put into
a wire basket that hangs from a
trolley running OIL elevated rails.
Then the basket is quickly i'm
mersed in a tank Of intensely hot
water mechanically kept in violent,
swirling notion All grease and
adhering food are removed by this
process almost literally as quick as
you can wink your eye. When the
dishes come out they are perfectly
clean. Moreover, they are dry.
Every housewife will understand
that this is because the water is So
hot.
There are 800 rooms for guests
all told, but the guest capacity of the
hotel varies with the class of guests,
for some take rooms in suits and
some singly. The largest number
Of guests registered 50 far in one
day was l 300.
The highest priced suit may be
had for 500 day. This includes
service, but no meals. The Ameri
can plan is not used at the Waldorf
Astoria. The cheapest rooms are
$3.50 day for one person $3.50
for two. You can get good, plain
meal for less than 81 two persons
may breakfast or sup for $3.50 A
man and his wife could live com.
fortably there for sr0 a day. The
limit Of what they might spend has
never been figured out, for they may
eat wild duck At IS a bird and pay
$25 a bottle for wine, while the
husband may smoke 81 cigars.
There are six housekeepere, PAID
from $50 to 1925 month each. AL
the women "help" sleep in the hotel
all the men sleep out. Fifty -sia
men do nothing but clean windows
at $25 q month and board. Waiter'
get $50 and food. The highest salary
is paid to the chief engineer.-NeV