The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-14
BUSY LIFE LED
BY A HOTEL CHEF
Career of Oscar" at the Wal
dorf-AStoria
He IS A MAN OF GENIUS
Tolls Early and Late to Master Details
of Business-Works for Arts
Sake Until Early Hours
of Morning.
He IS A MAN OF GENIUS

more satisfactory TO use the prefix Mis-
ter-"and that is interesting, Mr. Oscar
If true.
1T is indeed very interesting" but Mr..
Oscars noncommittal phraseology was
hardly emphasized by the smile that ac-
oompanied it. Yes, it is mportant-if
true" Mr.. Oscar smiled again, and his
Visitor smiled, too The understanding
seemed perfect
Every man who is great is bound to be
interesting regardless of the direction in
which his greatness may lie. Greatness
in many postulates brain power original
ity, determination, will, resource, ability,
whether that quality lie in a burglar a
! hnaneer, a diplomat--or a waiter. For
after all greatness is relative term. And
Oscar is a greste waiter Oscar is the
prince of great walters, negro, Oscar is a
mighty interesting person.
In his opening observation as to the
comparative amount of Oscars yearly
stipend. The Times interviewer based his
words on the best of authority, and the
fact that he was singularly impressed by
this information may be offered as the
/ sole excuse for the mercenary character
of the greeting. At all events such an
/ tA1hot was QlltAtQ ~ OStdI, WHO SlIllltu
graciously, and then apropose of nothing
in particular remarked that when he first
came here thirteen years ago his salary
/ was $50 a month. But it has increased
/ since then. Ah surely! If Oscar does
not feel that the mantle of Midas. or, to
/ be more pat, if he does not feel that the
touch of this legendary hero has been
/ impaired to his finger tips, it Is only be-
cause he has neglected his Bulfinch for
/ his cook book.
Art for Arts Sake.
But Oscar grows a trife annoyed.
Really what has the sord!d increment of
wealth to do with the beauties and
| achievements of the epicurean arts? A
corollary? True. Well, let it remain a
corollary-in the Background. For the
aesthetic in gastronomy the question Of
! lucre must ever be subordinated, and if it
| has been found that the road to wealth
| leads to the inner MAXWELL who can
help that? Art need not be furnished by
/ giving prominence to that fact.
| But no doubt Oscar deserves all he gets
Any man who works eighteen hours day
and who sometimes at the height of the
season allows himself but six hours sleep
/ in a week, deserves well of the world,
| There have been many weeks in the past
| winter when Oscar has thus limited his
| hours of sleep, and never in the twenty
| lOuE HouIS Ol dIlN one udy dOtS ne ltcl
that he can afford to steep his sense in
sweet Inconsistencies for more than a
seant quarter of that period.
But it is all right he said II suffer
no ill consequences from loss of sleep, and
so [ feel that | rest all that l need to- 1
| am never sick, and, as you see, l am full
of energy and am looking well. Perhaps
the fact that | am interested, that l love
my business, Is the true explanation for
| am never so happy as when l am work
| ing, and one thing you can put down em-
! phatically-I do not believe in leaving my
! business to be looked after by others.
| That is not the successful way. That Is
/ not the way l do / am always here; IL
! anything goes wrong / see Ii and ] rec
tify 1t, and when l rectify thing it is
| very likely to stay rectified. You will find
| In me nothing of the-shall | say laissez
| faire?'
Secret of Success.
| Perhaps that is the secret of Oscar $
| success; one anyway. For as they all say
F, in the great hosiery, Oscar came a head
waiter, and by hard work and ability
| wonderful components of success by the
| way-created for himself a position far
| greater than that of head waiter. They
call him maitre d'hotel at the Wal
dorf, and no doubt he does fill that func-
ticn as nearly as any one person can in a
great American hotel. In some senses he
| Is even more than maitre dhotel; let
| u call him a Gastronomc field marshal.
| Yes, that Is better. This was the title
| that flashed across the mind of his WIS.,
| itor, anyway, and first impressions are
| usually trustworthy. Working under his
| direction are twenty-six head walters,
| some fifty captains, (unuer head walters
| ard from 600 to loco other men and wom-
! en- employed in the various departments
| he controls. He labors constantly to see
| that everything moves with machlnelike
| precision, and he is gratified to state
that. as a rule everything does.
| Military discipline that is my watch
word" he said. THAT should be the
watchword of any man who seeks to
| evolve perfect service in the conduct of
restaurant. When you speak of perfect
service in a restaurant you imply military
| discipline; there Is no other definition.
| OF course 1t is human to err, but at the
Waldorf you will find service as nearly
perfect as that In any restaurant or hotel
in the world | defy any one TO point out
| a place where the service Is better. Moth
| ing Is satisfactory to m, in this restal-
| rant but the smoothness of olockwork
anG that is the standard of excellence
| that we maintain"
Are New Workers. discriminating din
ers? Do they appreciate this excellent
service and are they epicures of suffi-
| Client caste to put you on your mettle to
meet their approyal?'
Internationally. replied Oscar, but
do not say New Yorkers-say. rather. the
American public. Yes. 1t is discriminating
and exacting; in other words our patrons
know what they want. and they know
| when they receive what they want, and
| these two things do not always follow
| either And then, for hat matter VIC
have many foreigners here and, of course
their good opinion. coupled with that OF
the American public is a rather salts.
factory thing to have. OF course my
main function is to see tina, they are
pleased and satisfied. and if | do this
have attained the results toward which
all my work and energies and any knowl
edge of catering / may have are direct
ed
Art of Pleasing.
1t Is an education in things hilbert,
neglected to remain at the hotel for
few hours and watch Oscar applying hi
ability and his energy to the end tina
the arbiters of good living from all th
world may leave the hosiery with broa,
smiles Of that aesthetic satisfaction borl
of the palate ticked. digestion unimpaire,
and the stomach complacent
He has an office adjoining the great ca $
restaurant, and each morning. as surel
| as the clock strikes 8 he bustles in. omen
| his desk goes over his mail. dictates TN
| necessary replies, and then strolls abou
through the various dining rooms. over
looking in a general way the service O
breakfast. With one sweep of his ey
he takes in everything that he wishes 4
see. and this to the visitor is no SINAI
part of his greatness. For as resul