New-York tribune., 1919-01-26

4 the women OF the country we're to
believe all that has lately appeared in
print about Mattresses, homes and
business Offices would be deserted by
the skirted half Of the population and
~-~ery girl in search of fortune and
romance would seek them through any
hotel Kitchen In fact, VIC waved a
bit excited ourself over what read like
bona nde account Of six hundred
dollars earned in tips during one
month. performed a few mathematical
gymnastics trying to divide our pres
ent salary among our needs, and fig
ured that any opportunity which
bcckoned with $500 finger ought to
be given chance.
And then there was the reputcd
romance somebody else had written
that so per cent of the girls employed
by one management had left to be
married,
Well. ten minutes with the manager
of a Broadway hotel, and the plunge
was taken We were to report at II
a. m. to the captain of the floor who,
WIN inc HedU WtlOIcSS, w do lSN iHNO
.he secret. No one else knew that
we weren't what we seemed.
At II a. m. we were given uniform.
and fifteen minutes later, attired in
demure black and an apron with
strings crossed at an impossible angle
in the back, we entered the grill and
were assigned to station-tables 61
and 80 Until 2:3O in the afternoon
it was our duty to see that whoever
sat at those tables received 100
per cent perfect service.
We hoped that the first customer
would order an easy meal, for mean
while we had seen the kitchen.
Kitchen Covers Acres
A hotel kitchen and food fair are
much alike. Both cover acres Of space
both have food, food, food everywhere,
and both have narrow aisles and too
many people moving around. AT food
fair conditions could be remedied by
selling only half as many tickets; but
all the people in hotel kitchen are
needed. And if the place were any
larger. no one could manage to get
around within the necessarily limited
time. As it is. one needs a definite and
ready knowledge of geometry. d sense
of gravitation and a skill of circum-
locution above the average. to master
the intrcacies of the kitchen
It's no sinecure that job held by
the little lady who takes your order.
II took a cook, a bus boy. another
waitress and a genial bell-hop. who
happened to be hanging around the
pastry section, to set us straight one
OF the many times we got lost between
the hors d'9uvres and the salads. The
subway system is a snap compared
with a hotel kitchen. There are no
green arrows there. We thanked
heaven we were of the sex that is born
with intuition, for we needed it all.
Not only are the soups, the grilled
orders. the vegetables. the salads. the
ielshes, the garnishes, the pastries,
the coffee, the tea. the butter and the
bread in separate sections. but the
dishes which hold them are all in sep
arate sections. consomme cup. for
instance, than which there is no more
innocent appearing receptacle, is an
object that tries the patience of gods
and mattresses. 1t has a metal stand.
china cup that fits therein, and a
metal cover. The cup is kept in a
heated cabinet and the cover and stand
are across the room on an open stand
Consomme should be called lust soup.
and served in plate,
Inc Mystery OF "CoNerS
hen there are the covers-those
Jolly silver affairs that clutter a table
AS customer in the good old davs
we alwavs requested to have them re-
moved As waitress, we found II
almost impossible to remember 70 n,,t
them on. ConSomme has cover: SOM
tureehs and platters, side dishes. and
practically everything hot must have
mem Apparently. We We're not alone
in our confusion. Other Mattresses
"ere Delng constantly reminded bv =
sFuH' nut good-natured person. stand
ing near enough to superin+ond o,.or,.
Ger Ger that @ covers are missing, Kid"
our hrst customer was a man in mi
lofm with wound stripes, who had
Nvioehtty Just come back from the
Piace "here life was one long rush
ioT ne was content to sit and wait
rerhaps every new waitress doesn't
""'e co!' shlVers Of anticipation when
she taxes the arSt order. We did. We
,ried to remember just where the oys
se'S were In relation to the grill door.
dHu "her@ the bread and rolls lived
because we were thinking of these
.nI"gs. we couldn't remember whether
ne returned soldier had asked to have
ne oysters cocktailed or plain. Rather
ther, @sn, S,,'. we ,o9K a chance and brought
mem cocktalled. Costs no more. and
man can eat them plain if he pre-
Iers, but if he had wanted them cock-
'aiied the sauce was there.
rvery order must be checked nm ;u
inc kitchen by checker. and w waitl 4"
1esss book stamped with rubber
TIKI 1T1onP bd"t gearing the price of each order.
pay and tips. If lost. it costs S5 SSS -
1epiace 1T. If one check be MISSING at az
tbe tbe Ss,, sad Of the day, off comes So from m
INC Httlc bank account one has walkad
miles and carried tons to acquire.
Then Came Soldier
The first mca' and the man in nni-
sorfn were easy. Then it came tim.
Tor the payment of the check and '.,.,e go, :
"ement with the waitress
We're VIC embarrassed? Did we hl,sh
ana wonder whether or rot we would
seruse atrss,, to accept money from a
pride was forever gone when wn nocI ~
eted his generous bit Of cash W.
aid not We felt we'd earned H. And
tnat was new poin, Of view.
Until rcaTl, c'cf,cl