The record-union., 1898-09-05
WIGWAGGING.
IA Chicago Lunchroom Where Or
ders are Given by Signals.

uerS are G1ven Dy Signals.
The other day man slipped into
Monroe street lunchroom, ordered me
dium 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 Wig
orously, looked across the room, and
then raised his right hand with the
thumb and forefnger 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.
"Ain't 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.
II 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 forefnger 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
out the manager of the house and said:
ST want to buy a ticket to eat here
the rest of my life And I 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 transmit every order to
the cooks, and then return to his GUS
toner. Years ago two walters who
should go down to fame for their service
to dyspeptic and unhappy mankind de-
vised a system Of signals for all the
articles of the bill of fare. At irst the
system was quite simple and the signs
were few, calling only for the prinrci-
pal things on the card but I. 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
in the center of :he I!oor during the
rush hours and keeps an eye on the
walters behind the long counters, sur
rounded by stool climbers" If a Gus
toner orders roast beef medium, the
waiter snaps his fingers to attract the
attention of the head waiter, when he
makes a cut across the left hand with
his right and sticks up his right thumb
Instantly the lead waiter repeats the
signal to a man IN the back room, who
transmits it to the cook, and the roast
beef is being prepared before the waiter
&ka o~l1 aN111a q
five feet toward the Kitchen, and there
is no noise n fuss about 1t. If a small
steak is ordered the waiter holds his
right hand at the hight of his head.
palm out, fingers joined. If * is 10 be
medium he clinches his hand quickly
and let's his thumb project. If the Gus
toner wants it well done the open hand
sign is followed by two quick blows Of
the right fist on the eft palm.
The eye of the interpreter must be
quick to catch the changes in the sign,
for a certain move Of the hand follow
ing another means something entirely
different from what 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 Est closed
and the thumb in the air. If the ordei
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
cheek. that being the signal for fried
ham. and then extends his arm with the
paln of the hand UP AMI 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 backward and forward, in
dicating how we'll shaken the lngredi-
ents Of the hash are before being served.
For baked beans the waiter holds
up his right hand and beckons rapidly
with his fou- closed fingers For liver
and bacon the waiter scrapes his right
index finger with the fore6nser Of his
left hand. showing how the bacon is
sliced. and then places forennger over
his side about where he thinks his liver
IS located. Pork sausage. too, is sig
nal easily discerninle. The waiter links
his two little fingers together, indicating
the links of sausage. chicago Tribune.