New-York tribune., 1910-06-19
Fortune OF Kesfaurarf Osvner Depends Often
on Tbs Mans Ability TO Grade Guests
According 10 Purse dnd Social Position.

Ter think Of the maftre d'hotel who
--eets YOU after your long automobile run
- invigorating dip in the surf as a kind
- boss salesman? Very likely you lean
,,on him as an expert adviser or admire
,is wonderful foreign politeness or Of he
hee showed you off into a dark corner to be
xs-ved by blundering waiter) damn him
snently for q high class second story man.
--ove6 like Raffles in immaculate black
snd white What probably hasn't occurred
- vou is that his main object is TO make
-.e most money possible for the proprietor
- the establishment-his expert helpful
,sse his poIiteness to the favored and his
Indifference 10 undesirable guests being
aou7llv means TO that end.
tn in the Thoroughfare Building, where
,he aristocracy of head waiterdona is organ
szed into club, a high priest of salesman
shin from Chicago addressed them recently
m the subject Of their art His delving
,r-o nsvchology didn't feaze the walters a
,,- Suggestion, attention, desire, decision
sztiefaction. these he named as the five
essential points Of making a sale, whether
in disposing of & yard Of calico or a f1et
Chateaubriand. Bless you, the head wait
e-s had induced ali those mental states and
r,anv more. They could teach bypnotism
N Charcot and mental telepathy to Palla-
dino. The commercial Brahnlin from Chi
cseo merely affixed the schoolbook names
N their everyday stunts. and they passed
him vote OF thanks.
A regularity Of the present season is
that the better summer resort places now
demand the cleverest, most expert n1aftres
d'botel 70 supervise their dining rooms. 1t
nsvs There are only a very few such
men. perhaps a dozen or twenty, whose
rreserce in q restaurant means likewise the
nresence OF the fashionable world, and their
services are eagerly sought
AT Newport or Narragansett Pier, Bar
Hsrbor or Long Beach. the maftre dhotel
knows the Blue Book from A TO lizard:
he knows q great many other things te-
sides as In e sense he is the recipient of
more conhdences than the family doctor
or the family lawyer. Dietetic whinls of
Pater and Mater Fauinas, scrapes and
snours Of Young Hopeful, mammals plans
far the conquest Of Europe, Miss Millions
hopes of a coronet. the latest feud .hat has
cleft society. the real character and ante
oedents Of princeling or countlet disport- |
ing himself here-but, sh! The beach
lead waiter is as discreet as he is wise. In
innate knowledge gives a pungent SAVIOR 70
his confidential gossip in the patrons ear, |
but he bears no tdIeS tnat WCuIO make enc
mics or drive the "desirables' from his
restaurant.
Honki Eonk! Here comes a much be- /
shattered, much worn motor car, out OF /
which some ordinary looking folk in cog
giles busters and gauntlets Chamber hastily |
and skip up the steps. hardly laying aside /
their things before demanding refresh |
Inent. FRANCOIS. the genial head waiter, |
fairly outdoes himself. Crowded as the res
faurant is. he finds them a delightful ia bic |
BY q window overlooking the water, sug-
gests special tidbirs to eat and serves the |
drinkable with his own hands. Meantime |
he has chef sub-waiter and omnibus stand |
ing on their heads, 50 TO speak, to accom-
-no6eIe the newcomers.
Ten minutes later q much smarter party !
Of travellers drives into the automobile !
park and disnounts. But this time Fran I
ceis hens and haws. Most deferentially he |
explains they really should have reserved I
& table tventy-four hours in advance. /
Alas, the best locations are all taken. It |
would he too bad to have 70 ask monsieur |
and madame to drive on to the next inn |
where FRANCOIS has heard there are
plenty OF veranda, tables and oodles and !
ocdles OF room. Well such IS the un-