The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-11-04
Fees to Saxon Walters.

Americans, find, are not very lonU
in Saxony before they begin to give the
value of one dollar to the imperial mark
Inc gold value of the latter is exactly
~ 40 cents. In other words, the Amer
lean dollar is worth marks, % pfen-
nige, and 4-5 of a pfennig. In general
they are not mistaken, for the pnrchas-
ing power of the mark in Saxony is al
most equal to the purchasing power of
the dollar in America. This fact how
ever, leads Americans into extraya-
gance, and it is safe to say that thew
spend on an average Just as much
money here as they do at home. The
inducements offered to the American
stranger to part with his marks and
ms pfennlge are numerous and peculiar.
l nave had the pleasure recently of listen
ing to quite number of young Ameri-
cans who were comparing notes as to
their experiences in this land of small
coin and cheap prices, and report of
the proceedings will serve better to il
lustrate how the fresh" young man
from Hail Columbia lives and has his
being here, than anything I could say
about it. In the first place let me in
form those who do not know it, that
there are 100 pfennige to the mark, and
that the latter is ordinarily considered
as being worth an English shilling or an
American quarter.
by George" said Boston boy. sit
took my breath away when saw Jim
there handing waiter ten pfennige for
fee the other day, and it staggered me
when the waiter took it and thanked
him for it as if he had done a big thing
two and one-half cents, whew! By
George, | would be ashamed to hand
him less than fifty pfennige, and l some
times give a mark"
Yes" replied Jim, who is a New
Yorker, " but You will learn to give ten
pfennige before you are here very long.
When L first came | gave waters one
and two mark pieces everywhere | went
knew that fees were expected, and l
thought that twenty-five or fifty cents
would be as small as gentleman could
offer to one of those elegantly-dressed
attendants. Ibegan to discern very soon
that the walters were quarreling among
themselves as to which of them should
bring me my dinner or my coffee, and |
made up my mind that they had come to
the conclusion that was an American
plumber, travelling for my health. Grad
ually began to let them down, and the
size of my fees inside of one week was
reduced to such an extent that they be-
gan to view me not as a plumber, but
as defaulting bank cashier, whose pile
was growing smaller, and who found it
necessary to retrench. | still continued
to reduce the fees, and made frequent
experiments. One evening | threw down
twenty-five ptennige as feeler, and the
waiter took it and bowed low. | watched
the gentleman sitting opposite to me to
see if he looked scornful, but he only APP
peared to be surprised. When he got
ready to leave he gave the waiter five
pfennige, and the latter acted as if that
sum were more than he expected From
that moment determined to reduce the
appropriations, and now | give only ten
pfennige. Next week | hope to have
my cheek hardened so shat | can give
five L don't believe l will go lower than
that
You are right about it," said Con-
necticut young man. &" The gentlemen
who eat at my restaurant seldom give
the waiter anything. have paralyzed
several of them by my extravaganza.
One day gave waiter who had done
some favors for me forty pfennige, or
less than ten cents, and saw him di-
viding it with the head waiter afterward
There are no more paralytic strokes at
my restaurant, and no more divides.
pay the waiter now about once a week,
and then only about half as much as |
gave him at a single meal before He
knows that | have tumbled, and he is
afraid if he is not good l will tumble
some more. You can just bet the wait
ers don't fight about me now" Chem
mtg Cor. Chicago Neo0S.