Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-01-12
THE PARTICULAR MAN
GOT WHAT HE WANTED
He Made Life Miserable For Waiter
but Got Proper Service In
the End

res taurant the other morning were
much interested, not to say edited.
by the troubles of a certain perspiring
and anxious waiter.
bis customer had a corner window
table He was of the type that
always does have corner window
tables. generally reserved in advance
He had a longish, dropping mustaohe.
His hair was reduced to scant strands,
deployed across the top of the head
He wule spats.
The first item of his breakfast was
cantaloupe. The waiter brought it
in nest of cracked ice, and with
3-inch square piece, like a great
crystal die, in the open half of the
melon. The dropping mustache
twitched scornfully.
Don't you know better, ''said the
wearer, than to put the ice inside?"
1--WE can't get them too cold for
most people, said the waiter with
touch of contempt.
The dropping musta:he seemed to
stiffen in every hair.
Most people don't know any more
about how food should be served than
you apparently do remarked the
man witheIlngly.
"Oh, very we'll, cir, said the
waiter, in an injured tone. Ct can
take the ice out, Of course.
"Not for me" declared the man;
"but you can take the melon back
and bring me one that has been on
ice for two hours and has been In the
cold room for "a hours. Then you
won't need to be mussing and drench-
ing the heart of it,.
Visibly impressed, the waiter retir
ed with the rejected cantaloupe.
He returned with a melon after
awhile which looked as if the cool,
fresh bloom of the inner surface had
been guarded from even the light of
day, it was so delicate.
Next came chops, baked potato
and rolls The rolls we're on an open
dish. The man was promptly told to
place a folded napkin under them.
turning the other half over them.
He was right. too. That is the
way, all hot breadstuffs, including
toast, should be served. 1t keeps
them hot, but does not soften them
by sweating the dish. Hot rolls
served on an uncovered plate always
sweat on the under side, which should.
be the crispest, but is thus softened
and is sometimes positively wet.
The baked potatoes pr ovided by the
waiter were wrong too. They had
not been pressed open to show that
they were done and that they we've
not faulty inside. Baked potatoes
pressed open this way and then partly
closed again do not get cold before
being taken out, and are all the better
for the escape of some of the steam.
The waiter added another error to
his growing list by removing the
cover from the chops the moment he
set them on the table. The customer
ordered him sharply to replace it and
allowed it to be lifted only while he
was removing a chop
When it came to the coffee there
was more trouble. The waiter put
two Jumps, as directed, In the empty
cup. Then he picked up the hot
milk pitcher and was about to pour
it on, but as he uttered preliminary
eliot milk, sir? ?" that mistake was
nipped then and there
Pour the coffee in first, command
ed the man. who apparently knew
what he wanted and why. IF you
pour milk on loaf sugar it won t
dissolve before dinner time. Pour
hot coffee on it, you idiot, and see it
crumble. Then you can put in the
hot milk and the cream.
The browning feature of the whole
affair was when the waiter brought
plate of cakes. AS he set them on
the table and removed the cover with
flourish which by this time had
grown timid and deprecatorY, the
man uttered an exclamation of dis
gust.
AREN'T the cakes right, sir p
solicitously inquired the waiter.
Right was the angry rejoinder.
They've upside down. -
upside down?''
Eyes. Don't you know enough to
serve cakes right side up
Right side up?"
Are you waiter, anyway ?" ex-
claimed the man. you sound like
q parrot. =
Then he proceeded to exhibit to
the discounted attendant the difference
between the two sides Of a griddle
cake. 1t is very decided. the side that
goes onto the griddle first being much