Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-09-27

and omnibus" men, who keep the
water carafes filled, remove dishes
which have been used, and generally
supply the tables with what small
articles may be REQUIRED from time
to time. According to Auguste, of
the Hunting Room, the head waiter
should always meet the guest as he
enters and courteously commit him
to the care of one of the captains,
who places him at a table.
ut is the duty of the waiter to
help people to eat" said Auguste.
How can a man who nearly always
eats at home learn how to eat at
hotel without some assistance? The
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 a 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 Auguste, 1--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 toe
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. TIL.
good waiter understands all this a.
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
is handled with kid gloves by his
waiter. and is stroked, as it were.
with hand of velvet. gently. sooth-
ingly. sympathetically. AS like as
net the guest becomes ashamed of
his !il temper, an6 the waiter gets
conscience money in the shape of
dollar instead of quarter tip"
The waiter himself is under too
strict discipline ercH to show irri-
tation or bad humor. In great
hotel like the Astor, where the staff
employed in the four dining g-rooms
numbers 2T0 regulars" exclusive Of
the host of subsidiary attendants who
assist behind the scenes, everything
Is organized with the utmost r!c.
Cision.
In each dining-room there ars
three watches, consisting Of twelve
men and six omnibus boys. Two of
these watches are call"a 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 a steady for that week. and
one of the steadies relieves the re-
serve. The first watch comes on at
o'clock, opens up the place and
goes off at 12 o'clock. Then it re-
turns at 6 in the evening and stays
till closing time, say about 1.30 a. NJ.
The next morning the watch which
has closed up does not come on until
10, 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 h><@'
proprietor, not infrequentiy have t.
pay for the privilege of working in
the establishment. AS a matter of
fact, the best New York walters get
$25 week and their clothes. Their
tips, it has been calculated, run from
800 to $125 month, q generous
salary, but one which is certainly
wall earned New York Sun