Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-08-28

The Boss Annoyance Of Foreign Travel.
watterson in the Louisville Courler-Journal.
Europe lives of America. The wine that IL
served to royal gluttons is paid for by Arneri-
can money. The noble swells Of London,
Vienna and Berlin, who travel in private
coaches and dwell in gorgeous suites at the
great hotels, would have to stay at home but
for a Pactolean stream from Yankeeland In
deed, hut for this same never-failing river Of
gold the great hotels would not exist. In re-
cognition of their obligation they each and all
have price for Americans and another
price for Europeans, and need not say that 1t
is the American who gets the butt-end Of the
bill whenever he comes to take his leave of any
of them.
1t is not SO much the extortionate character
OF the charges, depicting ones letter OF credit
and dragging his spirit in the dust, which the
traveller has most to complain OF BY compare
United States, the foreign balance sheet shows
reasonably enough. The real ofense, and this
adro springs om and
dies. =" :.
These swindles are in truth more annoying
than hurtful. They affect the temper, rather
than the pocket. They are the fly IL your oint-
ment, the pebble in your shoe, the mote across
the disk of your eyeglass, and q perpetual
source Of anxiety, all the more serious because
OF the surprises 1t has In store for you. You
be m
fool you! 1t is otherwise, and, In addition to
the aHront inflicted upon your sense of Justice,
romance of travel beset by thieves neither so
picturesque nor SO amusing al those who
played their merry pranks about the famous
Inn at Terracina, and your enthusiasm 10 put
both to shame and question, for 1t cannot be
denied that, to be obliged to turn from the con-
tains to the sudden inspection OF q tavern-bill,
rs positive descent from the sublime to the
ridiculous.
The pitfalls which the innkeepers prepare for
the Americans are as whimsical and curious as
they are numerous. He who speaks only the
his best to- a su h ino Wiz T
and go his way. The ready device of not I'M
Outstanding what you mean, although you
orons imprecatiOns known to AnglOSaxon ears,
Is common everywhere. And what can you
say against blank stare, or do against an out.
omnibus, and your train or steamer about to
startP Perhaps, anticipating this very situa-
before. It will serve you little You may ask,
and ask again, and 1t will be denied you till the
last moment. This is a favorite and elective
trlck, and nearly always wins. Now and then,
OF course, it doesn't
To have a tariff and to stick to it, and to treat
all corners fairly alike, is unknown in Europe.
was the foulest den Of thieves in Christendom.
But it is only the largest and most pretentious.
10 be sure the Americans themselves are
mainly responsible for this state of things. The
man who has made q fortune robbipg his coun-
trymen does not care much tor expenses. The
porLer, VINO mas sLruck IL r1cA Oh 1.-THE street"
and the chambermaid, his wife, can not be
greatly blamed tor assuming when abroad airs
OF nobility, which, they know how to express
only in profuse display of money. Ths igno-
rant and vulgar cubs, who are sent on their
travels by parvenu parents, after q season of
bizarre debauchery around about Delmonico's,
have learned but one lesson, and that is how to
be lavish and lordly. Thus the American is
game for the European, and the bag is set alike
for the buzzard and the eagle. I suppose the
thing will continue until the knoWIege of
French and German becomes more general
among tourists, and the travelling public, edu-
Gated TO the point of seltdeiense resolves to re-
Americans, who come abroad tor simple pleas
ure and health, must pay the penalty of having
pie, VINO come abroad solely TOR purposes of dis
play,