The sun., 1909-05-09
YIDIHG OYER THE SUMMER
THREE GIRL MUSIC STUDENTS
HELPED ALONG BIZ TIPS.

Pront OF Waiting At . Seaside Bote
--Serupies About Tips Quickly Re
moved by the Head Wsiter-Tht
Summer Pay or Waitress and Teacher
Three young women studying music
in New York have paid their expenses
for the last three years with money
earned as mattresses in a summer hotel
They leave the city the first week in
June and return the last OF September
and have always be-n employed by the
same hotel.
aOur wages are 500 month and tips
That is what we were told when We were
first engaged one OF the three girls told
! the reporter. AS we are all three of
American birth and parentage we had
our doubts about accepting tips when
we started out, but before we had an
opportunity TO put our theories OF uplift-
ing the profession into practice the head
waiter interviewed us.
He offered to put the hotel guests
known to give the most generous tips
at our table, with the understanding
that so per cent. was to be given to him.
u
business to us, but on consultation with
several OF the girls who had been there
before. professional mattresses, we learned
that unless we accepted these terms we
would lose our places inside month.
"The fact that the head waiter had
made the same promise to each and every
one OF the girls under him didn't seem
the least bit unusual to one Of the wait
resses we talked to. She assured us that
they all did the same thing-that is, all
head walters.
"This particular specimen, according to
her experience. was real gentleman
Others under whom she had served de-
manded often as much as rs per cent.
One whom she remembered with disfavor
was accustomed to let every fifth girl OF
with 90 per cent. but she was to act as
spy on the other girls.
After this talk OF course we realized
the futlity of attempting to refuse tips.
We fell into line with the other Mattresses
and on the first day. though the dining
room was Yees than half filed, l col
lected more than IS in tips. Several
girls received twice as much.
every day occurrence and later on we
would take in much more we decided that
our first move should be to open bank
account in the nearest town. You see
the principal reason for our electing to 90
to this particular hotel was that the
Mattresses were expected to lodge ont
This would give us an opportunity Of
rooming together and having piano for
practice when we were not required to
be on duty in the dining room. =.
"When>a at the end Of our first week We
all went down to open our bank account
We found the hank besieged by hotel
mattresses. They were not only from our
hotel but from all the others.
when the teller learned that 1t was my
frat experience he assured me that 1t
would prove very paying business II /
could only succeed in keeping in with
few desirable hotel guests as we'll as the
head waiter. He explained that head
waiter was always quick to show extra
consideration to a waitress who had few
persons who demanded her services
"On reporting this bit Of advice to my
two friends we decided to put II to the
test. The head waiter hadn't been par
ticuiarly nice to the largest member Of our
party. On the first day he had allowed
her TO stand idle while other Mattresses
had their hands more than comfortably
full We also heard him remark to the
stew ard that big girls took up more room
than could be spared.
AT the end OF the week her tips would
have fallen far behind ours II 1t hadn't
been that on the last two days q fussy
old lady with a long string OF devoted
friends and relatives refused all the
tables offered them by the head waiter
and elected to take one OF those assigned
to this girl.
This old lady appeared to have the
tipping habit. She not only tipped the
waitress when she settled for her meals
but often when on taking her seat she de-
clared she was in hurry. As she was
the leader Of the tribe who sat at that
table what she did the others did.
took the head waiter some few days to find
out just how generous they all were to
the waitress. Then, il you. please, he
tried to induce them to change their table.
When this was refused he had our friend
change tables with waitress in another
part Of the room.
II this had happened before l received
my tip from the bank teller my friend
might have lost her one steady family
and her best tips. She had provided
against just such move. She had given
that table her especial attention.
an consequence the old lady posi-
lively refused to be served by any other
waitress. or course there was nothing
for the head waiter to do but give her
back to them. From that minute his
manner Of treating that girl was go
changed that all the mattresses noticed
il. He had found that she not only had
gained customer who preferred her
services but one that would speak UP and
refuse every one else.
After that episode we had no further
fear Of losing our positions in the hotel.
for it soon began to MI up 80 rapidly that
we all had as much as we could possibly |
do The work of waitress is not easy. |
A girl who is either delicate or unwilling |
to do strenuous work should never under |
take it.
I'VE went on duty at in the morning |
and seldom got Oh before half past IL. |
or course these hours seem very long, |
but when you remember that we had |
The afternoons to ourselves and every
other morning didn't feel that we had |
100 much TO do for what we got out Of il.
Excepting our room rent and two watt
-esses' dresses we had no extra expense,