Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-03-17

Mr.; flCkthi>" Local 100 10
tom of Column. find the old
est active walters in Detroit,
and came up with Jim Fay as
the record holder.
Fay is working at Cliff Bells
and is - years old. Among the
people he remembers best are
Teddy Roosevelt, Uncle Joe
Cannon who always wanted TO
talk" and Hetty Green. the
eccentric millionaireSS, who
wasn't as cheap about things as
she was supposed TO be
\ couple Of years younger are
Loan hieah al Northwood Inn.
VIA will be 20 in MAY. and
Albert BERT Dale. at Gurney's,
Mo Viii be 20 in October.
Louis Demmcr, at the Statlcr
Terrace Room. Is very we'll
known but "A good bit younger;
and Just youngsters beside them
are {. NJ. Otis. at the London
ChophouSe, who claims TO be the
first waiter TO become an air
warden; his colleague. Paris
born Charlie Van who knows
more about wines than most;
and Don Rujala, Of the Penob-
scot. who takes busman's holt
days and spends his free time
trying out the service at rival
establishments Recently he hit
the Grenadier, Book Casino and
Casanova all in one night.
Rigali has worked at a good
many Of the places that used 10
be famous around Detroit-the
Pontchartrain. the old Fronte-
nae, Marquette Inn. Doors. and
some that still survive, like the
d. A. c. and Westwood.
people don't eat the way
they used to-" he says. IL re-
member when an average break
fast meant bowl of fruit, oat-
meal-er maybe oysters, steak,
chops or ham and eggs, and then
waffies or wheat cakes 10 top
or"
In the old days he waited on
L. 5. Grants son, Admiral Dewey
when Dewey was just back from
Manila: Chief Justice Hughes,
Bob Fitzsimmons and Jim Cor
bett, De Wolf Hopper, and Lily
Langtry.
In fact. he was the famous
Lily's favorite waiter and he re-
members having long chats with
her, sometimes when she was
particularly mad.
"She was always nervous
right after she came off stage"
Regal says, land she used 10
say she felt like wringing some
bOdy's neck"
She used 10 get over these at
tacks in time 10 eat goose liver
prepared especially for her
chopped and served with a shall
lot. or little onion. and truffles
and chopped apples.
More currently. Ragali has
waited on William S. knudsen.
Walter Briggs, the late Frank
Nayin and Judge William Con-
molly. But they don't eat as
Justify as the old-timerS. nor as
imaglnatively as Lily Langtry.
Walters don't always stay in
the business permanently Bert
Dale has been a waiter off and
on for "a years. but in the last
war came 10 Detroit 90 work IN
a tool crib, later going gack 10
waiting.
The tool man he worked for
sold the shop for $1,000. 600, he
says, but died nearly broke a
decade or so later. all the money
vanishing with the fortunes Of
1929, and he's content 10 be the
way he Is, just working for a
living
II heard OF "A waiter" he said.
who was supposed Ia have re-
tired with 1000, but I don't
think that the enormous tips
that you hear about were 80
frequent. I've heard Buster
Brown (another old-timer, who
spent a good deal OF time work
ing in New York; tell about $50
tips, but I never saw anything
like that In my life"
Not that he seems 10 mind,
especially. His principal OBJ
lection, he says, lis the man who
growlS while he eats, and just
never stops growing until be j.
through eating
IN general, the nicetieS Of
dining are slipping away he
says. People are much more
democratic now" he added.
But he evidently has a hank
ering for the more leisurely
days when people had time 10
observe The rules Of the right
fork and the proper VINE.
People" he commented some
what wistfully. don really
know how 10 eat now
(ABOUT FACE: Some people
thought my picture In ye~ter-
days column seemed 10 be
elongated. Will today'S make
up for it:)
Wal Rari4a