New-York tribune., 1907-08-11
SERVICE OF THE GREAT.
Head Waiter Tells Experiences
ufth Eminent Public Men.


"rhe service Of the great has Its special in
terests and its emoluments, and sometimes ies
interests without emoluments." said Joseph f.
P. vitalone. the other day. who. as head waiter
in some of New York's noted hotels has served
many of the great ones Of the earth in the last
twenty-seven years. When / first came 10
New York. young man OF twenty-three. ne
said, trained to wait in the royal households
of Italy by my father. VINO was head waiter IN
the palace of Victor Emmanuel. I naturally
turned waiting my profession, and entered
the Hotel Brunswick. which was then in Fifth
avenue where the Brunswick Office building
now stands. 1 quickly became head waiter
there and had opportunities of serving many
people of note who visited New York
president Hayes never drank anything ex-
cept water with his dinner. and plain Croton
seemed 10 satisfy him. He was never HoeraI,
either IN his orders his pourbores HIS or
dere were ample. but no more, and IL is
noticeable fact that people who come from
Washington are not, as a rule liberal In pour
bolres. The great are absent MINDED ratner
than ungenerous. have noticed that
"A marked exception to this rule was Presl-
dent Harrison He was one of the incest men
TO serve I have seen. He always had
smile and pleasant word for everybody. ana
was always considerate and anxious not 10
give trouble. He talked more than any other
PRESIDENT WnOm ever SerVeut ITO "oS
very fond OF broiled squab for supper.
"I remember Grant better than most Of our
Presidents, for the reason that he was q fire.
Quent patron of the Brunswick He would hnd
a quiet, secluded spot, selecting table where
he would not be noticed He smoked all the
time. and. although he had no special dishes
he never drank any champagne except the extra
dry of which he would order good deal.
James CT. Blaine was always smiling, pleas
ant easy to serve and with special fancies.
He would tuck his hat under mis- chair and say
Don't bother yourself when the waiter would
offer to take II.
Mr. Mckinley too. often came to the Bruins
wick and the WaIdorf-where 1 afterward
served as head waiter. He was man of simple
manners and tastes, and talked little at the
table.
President Cleveland OF most
exclusive guests. He always took his meals In
private. and was silent and reserved at the
table. and fond Of mineral water. He never
had any special dishes; appeared well
come as another TO him. and ne trouble
to serve.
'yice-President Hobart was one of the great
est favorites in the Waldorf dining room He
had one Of the most intelligent boys ever saw
In my life. The little fellow would come down
In the morning and order breakfast for the
family. He would have ten newspapers on the
table every morning. and ne would sit there
reading them through just like little old man.
that interested him. One day he asked Presi-
dent Mckinley to give him entire charge Of
all the electrical apparatus in the White House
The President embarrassed 10 refuse his
request without hurting the boys feelings. for
he was so greatly in earnest about 1t.
"One Of the most difficult men 10 serve and
one OF the most interesting l ever met was
Senator Roscoe Conkling- He was whimsical to
the last degree about his dishes. and wanted
things just One OF his fancies TO eat
oatmeal for breakfast with red pepper and
without sugar milk He did not like either
milk sugar. and never had milk upon the
table for himself He was very sensitive TO
cold. 1 recall. cold day. seeing him walk
into the dining with brightly striped
carriage robe wrapped around his overcoat. So
dignifed was his carriage that this unusual
addition to his apparel did not appear in the
least absurd.
Mark Twain was q man we loved to see come
around He was jolly. and always had a
Joke and pleasant word for us. the same as
Father Ducey. Outside the Brunswick. and
later. the Waldorf. the poor would collect as
soon Father Ducey seen to enter He
always got number Of bills changed. and when
he went out he would distribute this money
among the expectant crowd Every man went
away with the price Of his bed and supper at
least.
81 think Senator Mark Hanna was the closest
man l ever served. Mrs Hanna on the con-
trary was one of the most generous women
who ever dined at the Brunswick Waldorf.
There was another one. Wilson. the oeO-
margarine king. He often ordered dinners
costing thirty forty dollars and would never
tip the walters more than % cents. That was
his limit
In marked contrast to this was the liberali-
~ of ]. Pierpont Morgan. He frequented the
Waldorf and ate any dish with equal appetite
There never anything fanciful about him
except his fancy tips. l think Mr. Wilson
Faf tod at SIGHT nf Mr
Morgan always smoked great deal and
quiet
"A captious and difficult customer at the
Brunswick and Waldorf was Commodore Gerry.
A nice man. at that. but so particular and
fanciful about his dishes that it a hard
matter TO get things to suit him. He wasn't
quite bad Nine. Sarah Bernhardt, how
ever, for she was not only somewhat fanciful
as 10 the dishes she ordered but particularly
cranky about the least delay that might occur
in serving them
"One morning breakfast was just five min
utes later than the time which she had set for
IT. AS she started for the door her waiter
appeared with the tray. Mime. Bernhardt gave
that tray kick that sent everything on il to
smash and startled the waiter nearly out of
his wits.
Then there Senator Chauncey NJ. De-
pew, always a welcome guest and the life of
the table. He not large Upper. however.
and his favorite dish seemed TO be brOiled lob
ster. because he always had one prepared
which he carried home in his pocket after the
dinner. Sometimes waiter, disappointed of
his pourboire. would look after the absent
minded Senator and wish the lobster were
alive.
- Russell Sage habitue of the Bruins
wick where we knew him principally for his
economical habits. while the elder Astor was
noted there for his fondness for sliced bananas
and cream and stewed prunes.
'Sir Henry Irving was the most extravagant
man at the table that l ever beheld. and I
have seen many such. We required six silver