The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-09-27

>@~A Ga S0 9<A Ga 0S0c09
menu is to him almost Chinese puz-
zle which he studies laboriously and
with little profit. In despair he or
ders three steaks when one would
do; then he is angry at having to
pay for so much that is not eaten
all this is bad, both for the waiter
and for the house. because the dis
satisfied guest will not tip and will
not come again. Such man does
not know what he wants. and there.
fore the waiter must know"
1t is surprising what an insight
into human nature the waiter pos
sesses- He can instantly read new
guests character and discover his
social standing; yet he prefers old
customers, knowing how to treat
them, as well as how he himself will
be treated--and tipped
Regarding this question of treat.
ment," says Augustc, we walters,
like everybody else, have often to
meet many who are not gentlemen.
When a man snaps his fingers at
his attendant and speaks as If he
were calling dog, we naturally
know where to place him, and that
person does not get better service
than others, to say the least. But
the waiter must exercise judgment.
Sometimes a man has stayed up too
late the night before and may have
taken more than is good for him.
His nerves are on edge, he has two
headaches-one over each eye-and
the world is jet black to him. The
good waiter understands all this at
a glance.
''Or perhaps the man has been
good fellow ten times, but the elev-
enth time he is a brute. Well, we
comprehend Something has gone
wrong-he has lost money or there
has been trouble of some kind. He
II handled with kid gloves by mis-
waiter, and is stroked, as it were.
with a hand of velvet, gently, sooth-
ingly, sympathetically. AS like as
not the guest becomes ashamed of
his i'll temper, and the waiter gets
conscience money in the shape of
dollar instead of a quarter tip
fhe waiter himself is under too
| strict discipline ever to show irri-
tation or bad humor. In a great
hotel like the Astor, where the staff
employed in the four dining-rooms
numbers 2I0 regulars" exclusive of
the host of subsidiary attendants who
assist behind the scenes, everything
is organized with the utmost pre-
cision.
In each dining-room there are
three watches, consisting of twelve
men and six omnibus boys. Two of
these watches are called STEADY
and the third the reserve" The
reserve is always on hand and helps
the steady watches alternately. At
the end of the week the reserve staff
becomes steady for that week. and
one of the steadies relieves the re-
serve. The first watch comes on at
6 O'Clock, opens up the place and
goes off at II O'Clock. Then ii re-
turns at in the evening and stays
till closing time, say about 130 a. m.
The next morning the watch which
has closed up does not come on until
IL. and stays till sand thus alter
nately, so that every day there are
different men on the different
watches. The opening up and clos
ing is the really hard work of the
room.
No man has the same table or
even the same side of the room twice
consecutively, in order that there
may be no favoritism and that he
may get handy and experienced in
every part of the room. The sta
tions of the captains are also change
able. Another item of interest is
that each piece of work has three
men to look after it.
Some people are fond of asserting
that these imperturable purveyors.
instead of being paid by the hotel
proprietor, not infrequently have to
pay for the privilege of working in
the establishment. AS a matter of
fact, the best New York walters get
$25 a week and their clothes. Their
tips, 1t has been calculated, run from
500 to 1925 month, a generous
salary, but one which is certainly
we'll earned. York Sun.