Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-03-30
LIVE HIGH ON CREDIT
DAINTY DINERS WHO GET COSTLY
MEALS FOR NOTHING.

How Some Big Accounts That Are
Never Paid Are Run Up mt the Fash
1onabIe Resfauranfs That Flourish
In New York City.
, Legal proceedings recently taken to
recover from a well known citizen who
belongs to the fashionable" class the
amount of a tailOrs bill revealed the
fact that the man was poor, had no
money and no means of support and
owed many bills. Besides tailOrs, shoe
makers and matters, he owed money to
florists, jewelers., livery stable keepers,
dealers in theater tickets, shirtmakers,
stationers and restaurateurs- One Of
the largest bills against the man was
contracted in the course of several
years at a prominent up town restau-
rant.
You must have been hung up for
great spread" said n patron OF the
place to the manager, pointing to the
item.
"Not at ALL" he answered. THAT bill
represents hundreds of charges and has
grown slowly 10 it's present magnifi-
cent proportions"
''But how Is 1t dOne-hOw do people
"Well In the first place, because we
look upon men who come here as gen.
tlemen and treat them accordingly. /
don't remember just how the account
On question was opened. but usually it
is done in this way: Some day, after
man receives his check. he scrawls his
name across its face and tells the wait
er. I'll pay this tomorrow; it's all
in, oh
at the desk marks IL 20. X the check is
shung up and an account is opened
with the man.
''In most instances the man comes
back, as lie 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
hay and settle. but waits three or four
days. Then he drops in and orders
modest luncheon or a not elaborate
thinner and scribbIes his name across
the check, gives the waiter tip, and
the new account receives it's first nd
tlition.
Little by little the account grows,
but never by any really. large charge,
and when at last the man has n little
thinner party with a big appetite the
check Is liable to be %. E.'d' because
the account is already SO large that ii
would be poor policy to turn it down.
"When the account has grown so
large that we think 1t should have at
tention, we give the head waiter
tip, and without telling the man in so
many words lie is given TO understand
that cash would be preferred to an
autograph. Sometimes the man takes
the hint and makes a payment or asks
for more time and tells us that he will
pay as lie goes, and he remains a Gus
Fomer without increasing his account,
but generally he leaves us and goes
TO some other place and complains
nbout poor service here and in other
ways tries TO injure our business be-
cause he can't have what he wants to
eat and drink for nothing. His account
remains open, and when il becomes
Dutlawed we put 1t on the list which
Bears many good names, but we never
alum the man."
y To show how anxious some people
hre To have ii known that they are
well acquainted in the fashionable
restaurants the following story was
hold:
"Some months ago man came here
early in the day and said that he would
haye n little party of friends to supper
with him after the theater that even
ing and ordered what he wanted His
order showed that he was unaccustom-
ed to the part. but il is our business to
aill orders. and we said that his supper
would be served all right. Then he
laid down a sum OF money, more than
enough to pay the bill. and said, This
will save me the trouble this evening"
and went away. The supper passed
of nicely. the mans friends from the
country or the country part of the city
seemed to enjoy their spree. and finally
the host asked for his check, looked at
1t and then said grandly and loud
enough for all TO hear, Charge it. The
supper was 4 grand affair in the eyes
of the guests. but the climax-the order
to charge it'-Overwhelmed them. and
i dare say the man accomplished his
object. which was evidently to make
himself solid with his guests."-New
York Tribune.