Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-23
FLEECING AMERICANS.
Our MIIliOnairss Made to support Their
Populations When in Europe.
FROM tie PhiIadelDIi1 Te1eyrdDa.


From the Philads1Dlia Te2eyrdpa.
From the Messonier portrait of Mrs.
Mackay to the breakfast ordered by the
Shah of Persia at Fontainebleau, the bill
for which amounted to the respectable
sum Of 81, 200 the average European can
not. it appears, refrain from fleeing or
trying to fleece native or foreign royalty
or American millionaIres. l remember
the case of wealthy American widow
who was asked to patronze young mil
liner who was Just beginning business
for herself after having been the fore
woman tor one Of the great houses at
which the lady dealt. Being kind-hearted
and generous, the lady consented 10 do so
and ordered quite number Of articles
from the new establishment. In the
course of a few months she received Dill
for $500, in which figured such charges as
$50 for pair Of new strings for bonnet,
S25 for retrimming a child's hat, etc. She
called at the shop to demonstrate on the
euOrmity OF such prices, but was met by
such q storm Of impertinence that she re-
tired IN Indignation, atterward sending
her check for the amount OF the bill by her
maid, with an intlmStiOn that this pay
ment closed all transactions on her part
with Mile. X.
HAS your mistress lost her fortune,
that sac is growing ecOnOmicalP was
the insolent query of the mOdiste as
she handed the servant the receipted
bill.
But a still more ilagrant case was that
ci an American gentleman, who was
spending some time at Naples, and who
was attacked with malady OF the eyes.
lie was advised to apply to young
native oculist VINO had already gained
some reputation by his skull. lie sent for
the young Neapoltan, who paid him two
visits only. the aft elton Of the patients
eyes having proved a trifing affair after
all. For these two visits the doctor
brought in bill of 5000. The American
refused to pay any such sum, and was
met by the cool assertion:
You are an American, and of course
millionaire; and if did not make some
money ont Of you, how could manage TO
/ live AZ ALP
Our countryman was proof against
even such potent reasoning and was
] sued by the doctor. On being called UP
before the court, the Judge asked the
0culist what was his usualfee Tor a single
/ visit.
Two dollars" was his reply.
On the other hand, the American Offer
ed 10 deal literally by the physician, aud
TO pay him $50 for the two visits. But to
/ this the Judge would not hear, condemn
4 ing the graspDg medical man to receive
only his customary fee, namely, 81 and
/ expressing n courteous hope that the ag-
grieyed patient would not judge all Italian
professional men by that single sample.
! But all our foreign friends are not like
that-far from it. remember when Mr..
John w. Mackay first began his sittngs
/ tn Cabauel for his portrait that the Illus
Jr,Ous artist was met one day by col
/ league, who stopped HIM to congratulate
himon the important order he had just
rec wed.
"Of course, you will make good thing
out Of it-double or triple your usual
price"
"And why sop quoth the painter.
care my pictures worth more to Mr..
| Mackag than to any one else? / shall
charge him exactly what always ask for
a portrait OF similar dimensions. Good
morning"