1900 Harry Johnsons Bartenders Manual (Mixellany)

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week—he would be obliged to charge much more, and have, altogether, a higher-priced bill of fare. Num- bers of people would not then be able to patronize res- taurants, Who are in the habit of doing so now. This is the reason why the waiter receives tips, as his wages are generally not sufficient to pay his living expenses. It is not always the meanness or parsimony of the pro- prietors, but forced circumstances that compel them to pay their help small wages. Give the owner or man- ager of an establishment more profit and, generally, he would cheerfully advance the wages of his waiters and other assistants. There are thousands of waiters who would rather not receive tips, if they could demand and receive the proper wages that would support them and their families. There are as many men in this line of busi- ness who have just as good a character and principles as men in any other endeavor to earn a living; but the vocation makes a man slavish, and he is virtually com- pelled to accept presents (tips) from generously in- clined people, in order to get money enough to pay his own expenses. Another point, to which my attention has been drawn hundreds of times, is, that waiters when clean- ing off a table, just after a party has left, are in the habit of beating the cloth with their napkins and whip- ping off the crumbs, which may possibly drop upon people sitting at an adjoining table. This is entirely wrong. The crumbs should be brushed off carefully into a crumb pan, or mopped up with the napkin, so that the guests in the vicinity may not be disturbed. I do not wish it to be understood that every feature of the restaurant and cafe has been mentioned by me, but only some of the principal points specified, as it would take too much time and voluminous space to itemize everything, connected with the subject.

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