Year: 1870

Cor. of the Springfield Republican,


From the side of the hotel-keepers and


their numerous retinue Of employees, il


is a life where money must be made out


of the victims supplied by q kind Proyi-


dence. OF course this applies more di-


rectly to hotel at watering-place than


to one in city. The season is short


and uncertain, the outlay enormous, the


proprietors must make expenses, so the


extras are piled on, prices raised without


due warning, and bills for specified sums,


but containing no items, rendered. do


not write as a victim. experience of such


evils was kindly denied me in virtue OF


my babblng pen, but direct observation


supplied my facts. The walters, bell


boys, chamber-maids, all expect fees,


every one knows that, but entered upon


my hotel life absolutely ignorant Of the


importance Of feeling, and handsomely,


too one of the most important function


aries in the establishment, the head


waiter innocently supposed that hav-


ing once taken seats at table, they were


mine by right of possession; so l was


quite surprised one morning when the


great man Of the dining-room, in all


the pomp of dress-coat, white shirt


and white pantaloons, draping but not


concealing his portly figure, came and


announced that our seats were engaged,


the parties who had secured them had


arrived and we must vacate. This pos


itively declined doing, and carried my


complaint to the office, and my rights


were Immediately recognized and estab-


lished. A word, however, dropped incl


dently from one of the clerks, partially


enlightened me; he said, tits probably


a question of money with him, mean


ing with the head-waiter. | remarked


later to my companion at the table, l


believe that man wanted us to fee him.


What" she exclaimed; =" fee the head
waiter Nonsensel never heard of
such thing / determined | at any
rate would not do it, or at least not until
| satisfied myself of what right he had
to expect it. Meantime he overwhelmed
us with attentions, and asked con
cerning our comfort time and again, and
never once relaxed his polite concern
about us afterward. Later discovered
the secret of the matter; he had been
reprimanded and Informed Of my con-
nection with the press, and he wished to
coneiliate me in the hope, oh ye powers
of puff" The insult of being sup
posed capable of putting a head waiter
was lost on me in the comicality of the
thing, and then ! remembered letter
which had been written from Long
Branch, by the son of Philadelphia
editor, which was exhaustive of the vo-
cabulary of Mandatory adjeetives about
everybody in the hotel, and mentioned
the head waiter by name, described his
dress and address. and allowed him more
space than was given to the sensational
lady of the establishment. A copy of
the paper containing the letter was sent
BIZ the writer to every praise-bespattered
individual, including the factotum OF the
So it seems he had grounds
to suppose himself worthy of place IN
a published letter.


After time learned the claims his
position gave him on the feeding and
feeling the public. A head waiter has
the seating of the guests, and his office
is considered one of the most lucrative
in the hotel Sometimes, | am told, gem
tlemen pay him as much as $40 to give
them a seat near certain lady, or where
they can look at her. Outside seats in
large dining-room are considered the
best, and the head waiter usually counts
on making so much on each We had
outside seats, so were dead loss as
summer speculation. The following was
told me as indicative Of the sums proper
to offer such a dignitary. A lady came
to the hotel who was former acquaint- |
ance of one of the clerks he spoke to
the head waiter, and asked him
to see her well seated and he |
felt sure. he would lose nothing by |
it. whats it worth, sir?' asked the |
man of business. " | should think Y" |
was the reply. "All right sir. and the
lady was comfortably seated. A few
days passed and no money was offered,
and the business man advanced to the
lady's indorser during the dinner hour
one day and asked if he still thought the
prospect good. While the parley was
going on, the lady observed it, and beck
Oned the man toward her and handed
him note. ITS all right now" be
said beamingly to the clerk, without
looking at the money. After time he
came again, with look of insulted dig
nifty upon him. What do you suppose
she gave meg' he asked in injured tones.
"a two-dollar bill declare if she had
not been friend of yours / would have
told her that the hotel paid me" Could
language further go2


Il is pleasant to hear the walters at
your table discussing the prospects of
the harvest you are likely to yield them
They do not always trouble themselves
10 speak low enough not to be heard,
out audibly declare their wishes to be
to another table; " there's
not money enough at this, they say
With contempt The money given them
hey openly show each other, a1d when
hey think the time has come when more
money is due them, you are made to
know it by the impossibility of procuring
certain articles which you are known to
ancy on the I'LL of fare.