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OldWaldorf Bar Days
Not only waiters but, as it developed later, certain of
the belJhops on duty that night, some of whom were
connoisseurs in the vintages of the time, helped them–
selves freely to the contents of the cases in the pantry
already referred to.
Now in the snug uniform worn by the Waldorf bellhop
of that period, there was little room to hide a quart of
champagne. Certainly, a tight-fitting blouse could not
conceal an increment of such size. But they were re–
sourceful, were those lads, and they knew the possibil–
ities of a trouser-leg. It proved easy to frisk out a bottle
from its case, raise the side of one's blouse and slide the
bottle down inside the waist-band. Thus laden, an ap–
pearance of unconcern was, so they thought, all that
was necessary.
However, a steward had kept a sort of check on bot–
tles as they were brought into the banquet rooms, dis–
covered that the cases of champagne were disgorging
their contents at a speed little short of amazing, and the
whole bellboy force of forty youths was lined up for in–
spection. At such times they had to stand like soldiers
-eyes front, hands at sides and heels close together.
An assistant manager and the head bellboy looked
them over carefully.
Nothing happened until the two inquisitors had
reached the
midc:Ueof the long line. Suddenly, the lad
upon whom their eyes 'were bent began to perspire. Then
he gasped. Immediately afterward, a bottle smashed
upon the harcl floor at his feet and a quart of cham–
pagne spread itself in every direction.
The manager started to grab the bellhop, but even as
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