Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-11-07


and served as kelIner evenings. For
seven years, / am told, his time for
retiring was two o'clock in the morn.
ing, and he arose three hours later
His wife worked as cook at n sum,n.,.
resort. His prime capital, an excellent
constitution, did not fail him: and ar
last he carne to Hanover and start.d
his present establishment. He is not
Il large-sized man, but has a voice sur-
ficient for a captain Of artillery.
Herr Johannis, an acquaintance =
yours has told me enough Of your storv
to lead me to think that you can piye
me some information. came her.
This afternoon, to talk with you abou.
the tipping system. ! have heard II
said" and then l proceeded with
the scrap of history outlined above
Now 1 would like to have you tell me
whether have the right idea. If NOT
now IS it?'
ITS just about right as you give il 7,
he told me. las a matter of fact rho
hausdieneT, or porters, OF hotels re-
ceive no salary whatever"
Not a mark
Not pfennig. They must live en-
tirely from their trikgeld-tips M,
only that, but even from these tina
there is certain amount which thew
must relinquish to the proprietor"
For the opportunity to discharge
their office?'
Yes, for the privilege Of holding the
place. And this portion which ~.
hausdiener must give over pays the
bootblack, the silver-polisher, ana tha
elevator tender"
How much does the bootblack get -
Twenty-Five marks a month. usual.
ly"
THE silver-polisher?
From twenty-five to thirty. This
varies, OF course, in different hotels.
but the figures I give you are a fair
average"
When everything is paid, how much
VIII remain, on the average, lor IN.
hausdiener?"
There is a wide difference. In some
small hotels they do not average more
than one hundred and fifty marks a
month. In large hotels of the first
class they can average five hundred
marks Month, having some months
a net of six hundred or more The av-
erage for the middle class hotel will
correspond with the average for the
whole number of hotels Of all classes,
namely. about two hundred and fifty
marks a month";
How is it with the kellner?"
"In hotels?"
"Ye:, do they not receive n salary"
Eat most, a few marks"
"A month";
Eyes, but they do not see it. The
proprietor usually pays it not to the
kellner but directly into the sickness
and old-age fund
How is that?"
Compulsory. Under the law the
man must be insured against sickness
and the infirnities Of old age There
are private Institutions for this pur-
pose but the authorities have another.
II the kellner sees fit to go into the
private institution the proprietor pays
the money to the kellner. but the latter
has to pay it right over to the fund.
The proprietor is held responsible, to
see that he does this. If the kellner
does not take insurance from the
private company he must be insured in
the public one. in which case the pro-
prietor pays the money directly into ;:ie
fund. Then. in either case. when the
time of need comes. medical atten-
dance. care and everything is fur
nisher from the total fund. The keli-
ner has nothing of it to pay from his
ret savings
"How much 10 these net earnings
amount to in the case of kellner?'
''An average IF fur hundred. threa
or one hundred and fifty
marks month, according to the
tOtel.'
"And kellner in first c'ass restaur-
ants:"
"FrOm about two hundred to two
hundred and fifty ,narks?"
Can these facts and figures be de-
pended upon as applying to all Ger
many?"
Eyes. 1t is essentially so through
out the Empire"
The speakers lisht-reGdish hair and
beard. carefully groomed and adjoining
feat Lres of almost classic regularity.
to the appearance of
nearly perfect Teutonic type. The lack
was in size a lack which is very APP
parent when he stands before six
foot customer. Customers came in
now. and Herr Johannis began to fly
around Every look. tone and motion
bespoke indomitable energy, and
resolution which seemed strong enough
to dissolve the shadow of the Brock
ELI. When he was once more at lib-
erty l addressed him again.
Herr Johannis, you are of course Ia
m;liar with the tricks of kellner, es-
pecially Of young fellows new at the
business, to get tips from customers or
whom they do not feel sure?"
Zach. ia. know what you mean:
repli,l Herr Johannis. Tit:l a ringing.
boyish laugh. eyes. let's see. You"
order amounts to-you had one
Wiener Schnitzel. one mark; one hciies.
fifteen pfennige: that is ore mark hf-
teen.' (You lay down two-marK
piece. You want eighty-five pfennige
in change) Here is one-half marx
and two groschen twenty pfennige)
and"
And then the fun began. INTO
pocket after pocket dove Herr Jonah.
mis-, in perfect imitation Of pretended
serach for the last fifteen pfennige oil
ArI