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Show TOOTHPICKS A NECESSARY EVIE. Restaurant-Keepors Deplore the Eact That so Many Patrons Want Them. To obtain positive and complete Infor-nialion Infor-nialion from accredited sources upon the question of how tho patrons of restaurants restau-rants of every class ln New York regard the toothpick, a canvass was made of the prlnolpal ones of every grade, from Sherry's to tho Bowery qulok lunoh-room. lunoh-room. If you are dining ln Sherry's, Del-monlco's, Del-monlco's, the Waldorf-ABtorla, the Cafo Martin, tho Holland house, Rector's or Shanley's, and you feel tho need of a toothpick, you must order it Then tho waiter goes somewhere and gets some uharpenod qulllB for you. That using toothpicks ln the presence of others Is very bad form was tho posl-tlvo posl-tlvo dictum of the managers of all theso restaurants. They caid that Buch conduct con-duct by any of tholr patrons was practically prac-tically unheard of. "We havo toothpicks, of course," said one, "but there is not ono call in a month for them. Tho class of persona who dlno here know that It Is unspeakably unspeak-ably offensive to uso a toothpick ln the presence of others, particularly at table. "We have toothpicks ln n glass on the cashier's desk, and often men will tako ono as they leave the dining-room. Of courae, they do not stand on the stops and uso them." At the other restaurants named the managers had many interesting things to add to the general statement. One. at a famous hotel, said that he had many times observed a patron take a toothplok on leaving tho dining-room, blto It ln twain and unostentatiously chew half of It. "It Beems to mo they use It because they feel tho smoker's need of something between the teeth after dinner. It excites the eecretlon of saliva and promotes digestion, di-gestion, a doctor told me," he said. "In a cosmopolitan place like this I havo been annoyed to see men picking their toeth at tho tables Just as I have trembled to- see others put their knives ln their mouths. But wo cannot conduct examinations ln table manners before wo admit persons to our dining-rooms." So ln Fifth avenue the offensive use of the toothpick may be regarded as a negligible quantity. Not so ln Sixth avenue, the Twontles, Park row and the Bowery. Thero tho toothpick Is an Institution. It Is regarded as extremely thoughtless to treat your "lady friend" to portion of "beef and" without delicately passing the toothpicks at the conclusion of tho meal. "Do toothpicks cost much?" said the manager of a great lunchroom system. "Well, you know they aro very cheap, but you ought to see the number we have to buy. "I'll bet that a ton of lumber Is taken out of our restaurant every six months In tho form of toothpicks. I havo stood by a cashier's desk and seen man after man grab anywhere from a dozen to fifty as he walked out. "What do they do with them? I am satisfied that on the cast sldo there are many persons who eat at our restaurants restau-rants who B.avo the expense of kindlings by taking our toothpicks. "Most of our customers aro not stylish and they do what they want to, whether It Is regarded as Ill-mannered or not. We will net let men without coats cat ln our places, because there Is always uujL'uuuiiy io ii. .rersonajiy, i mime a man who conducts himself properly at the table Is lesa offensive with his coat, off than Is one wearing a coat who Is Jabbing a toothpick into his mouth Jn the presence of other patrons. "But we are hero to feed the people, and not to teach them mannors." New York Herald. |