The Washington times., 1904-06-05

they were fed on insufficient quantities
Of stale bread and spoiled meat.
In fashionable hotel a. Long Branch
the negro walters struck because they
could not get enough to eat: one OF the
guests took a fancy to interest himself
in the matter. investigated the case, and
found that the strike was justified. He
organized another strike among the
guests, and the managers were com
PEELED 10 come to terms. There are
many places, however, in which the
servants are well fed and reasonably
well cared for.
The Division of Labor.
There IS a housekeeper. who has en-
tire charge of the care Of rooms. but
has nothing to do with the kitchen; and
there are women in the linen room,
whose business is to count. mend and
care for the clean linen. These are the
choice places in the hotel. The cham
bermaids. as a rule. do not fare so we'll
as the mattresses. They have fewer
char. ces Of tips, and IL the hotel happens
to want to economlze on food. they have
no chance to feed Themselves. The
serious drawback to summer hotel work
Is IN nine cases out Of ten. insufficient
and badly cooked food. Guests NAV be
girl is more or less used 20 fault-hnd-
ing. It is. however. uncommonly hard
to get used TO being hungry. especially
with all sorts Of delicious eatables under
ones very nose.
The managers in such establishments
count on losing a certain amount of food
which Is surreptitiously eaten; the stew
ards and other head men condone it; a
benevolent headwaiter has been known
to order a large dish OF fruit, Of which
he ate half a peach the rest of the fruit
going into the pockets Of mattresses on
the way out Is It TO be supposed that
that waiter did not know where the
food went? And is it to be supposed that
he told?
Don't touch me" whispered Miss Null
vaney on her way out Of the pantry one
evening i've got half roast chicken
in one Of me pockets and a pitcher OF
blueberries and cream in the other"
Helps to Kitchen Menu.
Miss Mulvaney got away with more
eatables than any other girl in the hotel.
but most OF II went TO the laundresscs
and chambermaids. whose calling de-
barred them from loot. It was Miss
Mulvaney who possessed herself of a
glass of sherbet and walked up the
length Of the long pantry behind the
manager. slipping the sherbet with the
relish Of an eDicure. while the wait
resses. and steward and dishwashers
grinned. Size had pockets half a yard
deep. made for use. not for fashion. II
college boys and girls. with all the ad-
vaEtages Of early training. have been
known TO raid pantries and orchards,
who is 10 blame these hotel mattresses.
half fed. tormented like Tantalus by
the sight Of good things within reach.
if they take without leave what they
nee4 to satisfy their healthy young
appetites2
That is life behind the scenes at 4
hotel Each person, man or woman. is
chosen for ability in some especial line
Of work. All that is asked is that the
work be done. Hence a strange melange
Of characters. habits. language and
doings. much Of it unsavory. some Of it
funny. now and then something tragic.
1t was just a little past the height
Of the season, in one of these great
hotels. when a Danish girl of fifteen or
! sixteen. a little waif Of the city streets.
pretty in a hard. reckless fashion, came
out into the group OF girls In the pantry,
( looking hopelessly bewildered.
What's the matter. Dagmar?" asked
one.
81 don know. Some of these people
don know what's the matter with 'em. -
She sat down on a bench and crossed
her weary little feet.
I'm tell you" said another girl. COM
ing out al the moment 'Dagmar had
/ eight people TO wait on. and that old
/ man at her table thought she didn' t