Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-15
FEEDSBACHELORS FOR LIVING
Attractive Widow Makes Thirty Dol.
lers 2 Week at 1t.
sUPERNTENDs DINNER FOR THEM
n Finds hat Unmarried Men Keep
ing House Need Someone to
Help Them Entertain
Their Guests.

Last winter made $50 a week super
intending dinners for bachelors and l expect
to make as much every week during the
present season." The speaker was an at
tractive widow in the early forties who
until a few years ago had a charming home
OF her own.
Not very long after my husbands
DEATH" she went on, IAN unmarried friend
OF his while calling on ms lamented the
fact that he had invited a party of friends
to dine with him two evenings hence. He
wasn't a bit sure he wouldn't after all take
them to a restaurant instead of having
them come to his house. Although he paid
his servants good wages he couldn't be
sure the dinner when served wouldn't be a
mesa
PAY me for my trouble and I'll see that
It is not a mess 1 told him, and while l
was in earnest 1 little dreamed what a
business would grow from it.
"As there was nothing the matter in his
household except that his servants needed
a head there was little for me to do and
things went off swimmingly. l never gave
a better dinner in my own home, which is
saying a good deal is one can believe ones
friends. AS my employer was candid
enough to give the true reason for the sue
cess of his dinner when his friends compli-
mented him on 1t two Of the men present
wanted to give me orders at once.
Gets Her Opportunity.
"The next day my friend called on the
pretext Of banking me for coming to his
rescue and to hand me his check in pay
ment. Before he left he let me know, after
considerable embarrassment, about the two
men who were willing to pay me for the
same service. poor fellow! he seemed to
fancy that 1 would look upon it as an
affront to be asked to go to the house OF
men whom I did not know.
81 saw at once that it was my opportun-
ity to put our relations on a business basis.
Laugningiy 1 assured him that It had not
been his friendship for my husband that
had induced me to take charge Of ii dilrer,
but the desire to earn much needed money.
1t would give me great pleasure to do the
same work not only for the two men he
mentioned at the same price, but also for
any other gentleman Who had need Of my
services, 1 added. ....... .
THAT is the way 1 began. My method of
procedure Is almost as simple.
"Of course 1 can only take one order for
an evening. My first step after booking an
order is to find out as. nearly as possible the
ideas Of the host. l divide my inquiries un-
der three heads-the cost, the number of
guests and the color scheme he prefers.
"Often the number Of guests is all that 1
can learn. 1 am usually told to go ahead
and give a good dinner and make the table
look as well as 1 can. Such an order gives
me an opportunity to appear at my very
best, and when l know the taste of the man
] am to work for 1 never feel the slightest
doubt about pleasing him.
Trouble with Servants.
my first appearance in the house is al
ways the most trying, for servants, espe-
ciaily cooks, seem to resent the entrance
of an outsider as a personal insult. on two
occasions every servant in the house walked
out of the basement door as soon as they
learned that 1 was upstairs in the dining
room.
I'm the first instance I explained my po-
sltion and prevailed on them to return, but
in the second there was no such good luck.
II was either they or l. II the master was
not satisfied with cooks way of preparing
his meals and the buffers way OF serving
them they'd get out. II he was satisfied,
then 1 should go back where 1 had come
from and leave them to attend to their
business.
\ AAhN a WHY BObu bGAlG NJ
house worker in my W apartment whom
l had taught to be an excellent cook. She
was a plucky little Swede, and from some
where she dug up two cousins, a young
man and a young woman. as helpers.
with the assistance of these three 1 not
only cooked and served the dinner for
twelve gentlemen, but also had a valet and
"A parlor maid on duty whenever their sirv-
ices were needed. 1t was work, yes, hard
work, but II won me the reputation of being
able TO meet any emergency.
My employer was so pleased that l think
he would have paid me almost any amount,
but 1 stuck to the terms of our bargain and
would only take IS for my share of the
work. He paid the man and woman, OF
course, but not an exorbitant amount, and
gave my little cook a generous tip. He also
followed my advice by refusing to take back
the striking servants.
"of course my field is limited to gentle
men who have their own homes, either
houses of apartments. II is not only pleas
ant for them to be able to entertain their
friends in the privacy OF their home, but II
is much cheaper. Where the servants are
reliable = dinner for twelve can be given
for what the same dinner would cost IL
served for three IN a first-class hotel or
restaurant.
Would Pay More In TIps.
"A gentleman who employs me regu-
larly once a week for the four cold
months assured me that If he gave the
.same dinner in a restaurant that he gave
at home he would be expected to pay in
tips more than Sc. the amount paid me
for my services. Having his dinners at
home, he not only had the satisfaction
OF entertaining his friends in his own
house, but saved at least three-fourths
Of what It would cost in a restaurant.
"A few OF my patrons are married peo-
pie, but l prefer to work for bachelors.
1t seems that l can never cure myself