Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-11
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plOyS a french chauffeur to his twelve
tlousand-dollar automobile, and is worth
several hundred thousand dollars. He owns
gold watch and chain diamond pin, diamond
studs and diamond cuff-buttons all given to
him by Prince Henry of Germany when His
Highness was in New-York; but he never wears
them.
Each new waiter in a large hotel knows instantly
the kind of service he must give to qualify as a
permanent employee under the head waiter. The
average waiter makes seventy-ive dollars month
in wages and tips, man y make much in a week
and some are more independent financially than the
patrons whom they serve. A number of New York
hotel waters testify that they regularly make FIVE
thousand dollars year.
All female help is in charge of the middle-aged
woman with the bunch of keys, the fat but never
jolly housekeepcr. With length of service sourness
oerspreads her visage more and more. She never
expected to be public hOusekeeper. The fact that
she is such remains to her perpetual surprise and
source of increasing bitterness Not one good hotel
housekeeper in a thousand ever in the ranks
Chambernaid. On the other hand strange but true
not one good chambermaid in a thousand makes a
good housekeeper. Usually the housekeepers past
was that of ordinary housewife. Left a widow
she had to become bread-winner If she was
good ome-naker, she1t becomes good hotel house
keeper She never regards herself as a servant
while the hotel staff in general ignore her as their
social equal Loneliness is her lot hence her bitter
mental attitude. Said housekeeper of the fat
and far from jolly type: " In this establishment
I'm neither fish nor fowl. I'm just flesh"
Sometimes the housekeePer IS lady in reduced
circumstances. In one of the great Washington
hotels the present houSekeeper was not long ago
one OF the permanent guests occupying expensive
suite. One day she sent for the pro prietor. I've
lost my last dollar in Steel want work You are at
your wits end to find good housekeeper I've
lived here long enough to know the duties of the
position. That IS to-day probably the
prize director of Chamberna is and laundresses in
the hotel world
The head bel-rnan, or captain unlike the house
keeper, invariably comes from the ranks. A bell
boy who started sLch at fourteen, may still be
bel-boy at forty, because he has never shown the
qualifications of commander. On the other hand
many who rise to the coveted position of lord of
the ''bel-hoppers, reduce themselves to the ranks
by yielding to the temptation to roam. Were
you not head bel-rnan a. the Blank in Philadel-
phia? said traveller to fifty-year old bel-boy
in a hotel in Pittsburgh. Yes, sir" replied the
middle-aged colored boy; but I'm workin' my
way west, and jobs boy is plenty, while jobs as
captain is scarce"
The supreme hour of pride and glory to any
captain Is at seven o'clock in the morning at
noon, six in the evening when he lines up the
watch that is to relieve the old watch This
ceremony corresponds to guard-mount in the army.
There stand the boys in military order, and down
the line walks their chief like a real captain of
infantry, inspecting lis men. He sees that each
front has his hair s1nartly brushed collar spotless
clothes innocent of specks, shoes well polished.
Then he gives the command Right facet For
ward march," and through the corridors marches
the watch, Indian file, the captain leading.