Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-06-11
Now American Tourists are Fleeoed
in Europe.


shower of gold without making any
noise, eXplodes with q recoil which is
not only very disagreeable, but proves
any thing but a paying advertisement
for the hotel. Such a case recently hap
pened at one of the large hotels in
Geneva, where an American lady had
been stopping for several days, and was
only able to get her bill as she was up
on the point of leaving in the omnibus
for the station. Glancing hurriedly
over the items to see what there was to
make so large an amount, she saw o
charge of so francs which she could not
understand.
"What is thisP" she asked.
For toilet set, MadameP" said the
obsequious landlord.
/" But have had no toilet set.''
Pardon; but the Madame broke the
set in her room"
She remembered that she had acci-
dentally shivered piece the size of a
siXpence from the cover of a soap-dish,
which she explained.
"I am very sorry, Madame, but the
set is ruined.n
"It is not ruined, and I shall not pay
for it, B." said the lady, her anger rising.
&C. But the Madame must pay for it if
she wishes her baggage" Time did not
admit of a further parley, but she was
In a rage.
eff l pay for it the set is mine, is it
notP" she asked, as she placed the re-
ceipted bill in her purse.
Certainly, Madame, certainly said
the landlord, pocketing the gold and
thinking how easily he had plucked the
down from off this goose.
The lady thought she must have
dropped glove in her chamber, and
disappeared like flash. Soon return
ing she Jumped into the waiting omni-
bus and was driven away. Half an
hour after, when the maid went to reg
ulate the chamber, she found the toilet
set, every piece of it shivered to pieces
on the floor, and not a relic left the size
of her hand. AS the incident became
noised abroad among travellers the hotel
for long time was favorite resort for
our country people.
Another case which happened at one
of the large hotels at Naples two years
ago created much talk among the tray
cling fraternity. Two American ladies
who had been boarding at the hotel for
several weeks, and paying extravagant
prices for every thing, accidentally set
fire to one of the muslin windOw-cur-
tains the night previous to their intend
cd departure. The carpet was little
wet, and some of the furniture, in the
efforts to put out the fire, and the room
suffered little from smoke, but 1926
would have amply paid for all the dam
age. The ladies told the proprietor to
charge the amount, whatever was right,
in their bill. Judge of their surprise
when they found the item entered in
their account at 1900 francs. They
were wealthy, had spent their money
lavishly wherever they had been, and,
American style, had paid their hotel
bills unchallenged all over the conti-
nent. But this was an attempted swim
die that they demurred against. They
told the proprietor that they could not
submit to such an extortion, but that
they were perfectly willing to pay gem
erously for the damage. Their time
was limited, and it was necessary for
them to catch a Liverpool steamer by
which they had engaged passage to
New York. The proprietor was firm
as adamant, claimed the charge was
not enough to cover his loss, and would
not discount a franc. The ladies
offered 800 and then 1000 francs; but
no, they were at his mercy, as he sup
posed, and he should have the full
amount. They happened to think of the
American Consul, and as al
last resort went to his office
and stated the case to him, and
asked his advice. He accompanied
them back to the hotel, and saw the
amount of the damage for which the
exorbitant claim had been made, and
attempted to make compromise, but it
was no use. He then had the ladies
give him power of attorney to settle
the matter, and told them they could
take the next train for Rome and leave
the case in his hands for settlement.
But this they were prevented from doing,
as the hOtel-keeper refused to give up
their trunks until the claim was paid in
full. The Consul then had recourse to
the civil authorities, who, for wonder,
were willing that the ladies should have
justice, even though they were foreign
ers. After much delay the Prefecture
of Police finally gave the Consul an
order on the hotel proprietor to deliver
up the trunks, and after two or three
days detention the ladies went on their
way rejoicing-though they were too
late to catch their steamer. The case
was finally settled by the Consul, and
cost the ladies about one hundred francs, |
not one of which went into the pocket |
OF the hotel-keeper. The attempted |
swindle proved losing business for the
hotel, as the Americans, who had been
its best patrons, have ever since given it |
a wide berth.
A similar case to this happened in |
Rome two or three' winters ago. A |
wealthy American who had been sick
at one of the hotels with fever was |
presented on his recovery with a bill |
embracing the value of all the furniture |
in the room he had occupied, including
carpet and wallpaper. The prices, too, |
were charged at a rate double the |
amount the furniture had ever cost.
The gentleman was a man of few words, !
and the hotel proprietor refused COM
promise.
You say the furniture is ruined and |
will have to be burned, do youP" asked |
the American.
lie was assured that such was the fact.
"But you are willing should burn it
myself, if pay for itPn
Certainly" replied the landlord,
who had no idea of removing a piece Of
the furniture himself, or that the Amer
lean would either. The bill was paid
and the American ordered his courier
to obtain cart and one or two porters.
Within an hour the contents of the room
were packed on a dray in the street.