, 1880-10-04
Servants Fees in Europe.

|
the matter of sratuIties. You give a
trih,. all the time to every one who does
you the least service. Even for an ap-
par.ntly friendly word of information
op the street Won are expected TO pay In
shis way. In England it is - a tip >; III
France, the p'u'-Joi'ej in Italy, 6nomo
mrnu. the good hand; III Germany 1t IS
tr.nhgeM. drIDk money. 1t is not much
money IN any one instance, but foOts up
pretty we'll after an active days work.
The practical trouble, however, is to
know what to give. The inhabitan.s
and the servants themselves know ex-
actiy what they are entitled to, for 1t is
!. matter of right, just as much as any
other charge, although tue amount is
never fixed or published IN any written
form f.r the Information of strangers.
rhey must learn i, by experience.
We, rs a rule, to whom the European
measures are new, give too much.
Euslishmen OF rank and wealth COM
plain that Americans raise the cost of
travel wherever they go.
For the gtatnity of b-drivers, wait
ers at restaurants, etc, the recoSniz ed
European usage is in England one penny
ior every shlliin4 spent III fare or at the
| table, and in France or Italy two sous
for every franc spent. This rule dis
poses of large portion Of the cases.
Forporters, twopence in England and
tso eous on the Continent for every
piece of luggage hand led, if it is only
to carry it across pavement. An um-
breIla or u shawl is a piece as we'll as a
trunk. The driver OF an omnibus, cab
or .fac'e, as a point of etiquette AMI out
OF professional consideration for the
porters, will refuse to touch a piece OF
luggage himself, even to lift it from
three feet away into his vehicle.
Visiting at private houses of the
opp, classes in England, the servants
expect their tips Ill gold coin if your
stay is over day or two! Tue small
ISL Z Jgl,sh gold coin is ten shilling
| plece s. 80. You see" the footman,
who attends your bedroom; the maid,
If sou have ladies, who serves their
| chambers; the bu Ter, who has charge
! of the t,iuinS-ros and force of walt
ers; The keeper, if you aunt; the groom
you Use. If you rIde, or the head of the
stables If there are several, and gener-
ally any servant that you speedily use
You will soon learn how to grade these
| tees according to the rank of the ser
yunt aud the length Of your visit.
Ga frst-class OCEAN steamers the
gratulties are much analogous to those
| M, ge,tieman's house. The steward
who waits Oh you ut the table, and the
one who attends your stateroom, will
each tXpect "A fee III gOld-ten shil-
lings ($2 50) ut least-trom single
,sseug r; and $5 if you have bath:
brought lutO your room every morn
ing. are particular about having your
vines warmed "r iced, or, in short, use
,he servants mp to their full Capacity.
| When tue passage is 500 to SIS or less,
these fees are less-apout oue-halt OF
! the ii cures above Tue "boots also
looks to he remetn bere !. about one bali
tue amount gwen the steward.
The expense of this gratuity business
i'll Ordinary travel is III general rather
Exaggerated. The sums given are very
smull, and You get IA great deal for
them willing, perfect, kindly serv-
ice " hich You do not get III our coun-
try at all. 10 the traveller the custom
Is an annoyance rather than burden.
The usage degrades and demoralizes
ana unmxns him who takes the vail, or
git, or tip, or bounty, or whatever you
please to call it; Yet Il great pO' tion OF
the people OF Great Britain and Europe
do receive then wages in this way, look
for it, and feel no humiliation in the
transaction. Y III Can scarcely insult
any body across the water by Offering
them auy thing. no matter what appears
to be his or their official position. l
have given q shilling in London to
uniformed policemen. and II frame in
Paris to Notwithstanding hotel
managers. A Philadelphia acquaint-
ance III London had several hun nired
dollars brought to hiEa from his bank
lug house, one Of the largest there, by
a clerk of the est isament. and the
naltily dressed young gentleman asked
fer II shilling for his services. Imagine
the consequence uf Off ring ten cents to
u conduc, or of an American railway
who had shown you to your seat in the
car and given you Information as t."
when to get out; yet this is dOhe all
over England every day. and the uni
formed and respectable looking guard
hangs around stickily till he gets his
s1xpence.
SCHEMES FOR CROSSING THE ENGLISH
CHANNEL -rhe proposed channel tun-
uel between England and France seems
likely to be built. One shaft has been
sunk to the required depth, and it is
asserted that i'll eighteen months at least
two and half miles will have been
bored under the channel, and that the
work will be completed in four years,
probably, by boring fron each end.
There are evidently, however, contin-
yeDcIes, such ss break in the rock,
which may destroy the whole enter