South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-24
Seeing America
First
pr Ernd ~ Ko11rr
BY Fred G. Kelly.

BY going about the thing quietly
and Systematically, it is possible TO
have lot of fun and harmless amuse-
ment out of the New York system of
extra charges in restaurants.
New York is-naturally-the nome
of the extra charges. But like many
another thing of a vicious or silly
nature that gets it's start in New
York, the extra charge is making
Roadway in other cities-just as did
the eyebrow mustache. the tango
craze, and kindred misfOrtunes.
Charging 10 cents extra for one
small bite Of bread, or one small
drop of cream for coffee or dessert,
is a form of practical joke that would
grow tame to anybody except New
York waiter And it is the undated
zest OF the waiter to see how the
joke will work on each newcomes
that gives the guest the opportunity
to derive fun from an otherwise dull
situation.
| remember going with a New York
friend into the dining room of a big
hotel there a year ago-just after the
practice of charging 10 cents extra
for bread first became vogue.
The food prices were extremely rea-
sOnable when considered from the
point of view of the man running the
hotel. That is, they were reasonably
high-high enough to give him
chance to make profit. even If he
wished TO give each guest a bite of
bread entirely free of charge.
l noticed these prices, but what
cid not notice was that my friend
did not eat anv bread. Instead he kept
showing the bread plate over toward
me- 1t contained two cute little
rolls. each about the size of an in
fant's fist. Now. l rarely eat bread,
70 in no W
waiting for the approach of other
food, | broke the end off one of these
wee rolls and gently, casually, mas
ticated ii.
Later 1 saw my friend exchange
funny little glance with the waiter
and the waiter put something down on
his pad with the air of a spring poet
iotting down a new phrase. That one
little bite of bread cost me, of course,
10 cents.
But it was cheap at the price, for l
have worked the joke on various
others since then. and, what is more
To the point, / have had the fun of
keeping jocular walters from working
it on me.
You sit down at a table in any of
the so-called first class New York
eating places and a waiter places a
bread dish with two rolls on it-no-
body seems to know why there are
always just twO-after which he
turks about to see what will happen.
If you pick up one Of the little rolls
and eat a piece of it, or even If you
mutilate il by breaking off a bite and
do not eat il, an expression of hendish
satisfaction sweeps over the waters
features He has worked his joke
and is happy. Your meal costs you
10 cents extra.
But if you know about the prank
and gaze about at other diners in a
preoccupied manner, as if you hadn't
noticed the handy proximity OF the
two little rolls, the waiter will be-
come as nervous as a witch.
In the biggest hotel IN New York
the other day. the waiter lurked
about with a dotted line running
from one eye to the bread dish and
the other eye on men, until he was
scarcely able TO control his emotions.
Three times within five minutes he
came over and Hospitality showed the
two little buns a trihe closer, lest l
might have overlooked them. When
1 still manfully RETAINED from
touching them, ne leaned over and IN
quired cOnidentialiy:
Don't YOU care for bread, SIR
If you would completely eXasperate
q waiter just wait until he asks II
Won don't care for bread and then
give him a noncommittal reply.
Tell him that you have not entirely
made up your mind vet whether you
are going TO eat bread or not. Elk
plain TO him that on some days you
Will not eat so much as a crumb, and
that. on the other hand, without
moment of warning YOU will often be
seized with an impulse TO pick up a
little roll and eat it-Or part or It,
Let him think that even while you
talk to him this impulse may strike
you Keep him in suspense as long
as possible.
BY the time you have reached the
desert course without breaking any
bread he will resignedly remove the
two little rolls TO a side table and his
face will wear an expression of NOR
tifcation and despair that cannot but
fu YOU with a deep sense of joy