The Dickinson press., 1900-01-27
LIVE HIGH ON CREDIT
DAINTY DINERS WHO GET COSTLY
MEALS FOR NOTHING.

WG~1S VSh wv
How Some Big That Are
Never Paid Are Run Up ut the Fash
onable R~estnurnnts THAT Flourish
In New York City.
Legal proceedings recently taken to
recover from u well known citizen who
belongs to the fashionable" class the
amount of Il tailCr's bill revealed the
fact that the man was poor. had no
money and nc means of support and
owed many Lllls. Besides tailors. shoe
makers ana l%atters, lie owed money to
florists. jewellers. livery stable keepers.
dealers in tlieutcr tickets. slIirtuiakers,
%stationers and restaurntcurS One Of
the largest bills against the man was
contracted in the course Of several
years ut Il prominent up town rcsiau-
rant.
You must have been bung' up for u
great spread" said Il patron OF the
place to the manager, pointing 10 the
item.
Not at all" he answered. THAT bill
represents hundreds Of charges aud has
grown slowly to its present magniti,
cen proportions"
"But how is 1t done-how do people
run big bills in n restaurants"
"Well. in the first place, because we
look upon men who come here as gen.
tlemcn and treat them accordingly, |
don't remember just how the account
In question was opened. but usually II
is done in this way: Some day. after a
man receives, his check. he scrawls his
name across its face and tells the wait.
err. I'll pay this tomorrow: it's all
right and then If the person in charge
Mt the desk marks 1t %. X the check is
hung up and an account is opened
with the man.
"In most instances the man
back. as he said he would. the next
day and settles his little bill and
thanks us for accommodating him. If,
however, the man intends to work the
house. he does not come back the next
day and settle. but waits three or four
days. Then he drops in and orders n
modest luncheon or a not elaborate
dinner and scribbles his nane across
the check, gives the waiter a tip. and
the new account receives it's first nd.
dition.
Little by little the account grows.
but never by any really large charge.
and when ut last the man has a little
dinner party with a big appetite the
check is liable to be o. K.'d' because
the account is already so large that it
would be poor policy to turn it down.
when the account has grown so
large that we think it should have at
tention, we give the head waiter n
tip. and without telling the man in so
many words he is given to understand
that cash would be preferred to an
autograph. Sometimes the mar takes
the hint and makes Il payment or asks
for more time and tells us that he will
pay as he goes, and he remains a Gus
toner without increasing his account,
but generally he leaves us and goes
to some other place and complains
about poor service here and in other
ways tries to injure u business be.
aus he can't have what he wants to
eat and drink for nothing. His account
remains open. and when it becomes
outlawed we put it on the list which
bears many good names, but we never
dun the man."
10 show how anxious some people
are to have it known that they are
well acquainted in the fashionable
restaurants the following story was
told:
"SOme months ago q man came here
early in the day and said that lie would
have a little party of friends to supper
ing and ordered what he wanted. His
order showed that he was unaccustom
ed to the part, but it is our business tt
fill orders, and we said that his supper
would be served all right. Then liz
laid down a sum of money, more thar
enough to pay the bill. and said. 'Thi:
will save me the trouble this evening,
and ven away. The supper passed
Oh nicely, the mans friends from thu
country or the country part Of the cit.
seemed 10 enjoy their spree, and fnall,
the host asked for his check, looked a
it and then said grandly and lout
enough for all to hear, Charge it, Tn
supper was a grand affair in the eye
Of the guests, but the climax-the orde
to charge it'-overwhelmed them, AM
l dare say the man accomplished hi
object, which was evidently to max
himself solid with his guests."-Ney
York Tribune.
A One Sided One.