The Mena star., 1898-07-20
SILENCE REST -lURAN T.
uriaue Chicago conc'sn Where Orr ders for Food Are Given
 by Signal.

Monroe street luncHFOOIn, Ofuered me- s;um-boiled eggs, and when he had done so he ducked instinctively that the .~oiter's voice might pass over his head: hut it didn't.
 The waiter snapped his fingers viz orously. looked across the room and .ben raised his right hand with the tbnmb and forefnger held~to form a circle and the other three fingers in the air Then he turned to an urn to draw the coffee quietly and in good or der.
 "Aint you going to order my eggs ?" he asked, fearfully.
 "Eggs is ordered, sah--got lem on the fire now" said the waiter.
 How is that?" asked the customer. suspiciously
 q ordered lem as soon as you gave me the order" said the waiter. "All I cot to do is just that" and again he made the cabalistic sign with his thumb and forefnger 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 eat in quietness. When he had finished the eggs and coffee he sought out the manager of the house and said:
 q want to buy 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 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 cus- toner. Years ago two walters who should go down to fame for their serv- ice 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 were few, calling only for the principal things on the card, but it has grown with time until now there are over 150 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 the floor 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. Then he makes cut across his left hand with his right and sticks up his right thumb. Instantly the head waiter repeats tine signal to man in the back room, who transmits 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 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 we'll done the open hand sign is fol- lowed by two quick blows of the right list 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 diff ferent from what certain move means if 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 his fist closed and the thumb in the air. If the order 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 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 backward and forward, in- dicating how well shaken the ingredi- ents of the hash are before being served. For baked beans the waiter holds up his right hand and beckons rapidly with his closed four fingers. For liver and bacon the waiter scrapes his right index nnger with the forefinger of his left hand, showing how the bacon is sliced, and then places a forefinger over his side about where he thinks his liver IS