Wichita eagle., 1888-05-01
THE FASHION OF TIPS.
HOTEL RULES ARE HELPLESS TO
PREVENT THE IMPOSITION.
How American Baksheesh Is Extracted
at Summer Resorts-Tippins Confined
to Feeling Wafters-A Tip to the Public.
Outrages of the System.

Outrages of the System.
The American vacation is rendered IN
endurable by the fashion, folly and science
Of tips. Harvard boys who have not
millionaires for fathers stand behind the
chairs of done up and played out tourists,
expecting to pay their term bills with
vacation service and tips. The tips Of
handsome and polite waiter are so large
that his wages are matter OF no account.
Hotel rules are helpless to prevent the i'm
position. You must tip, or wait and see
your neighbor served, not only first, but
better served. These are the two things
an American cannot do. His first laws
OF existence are that he is the equal OF any
man and that he is in a hurry. He can
establish his equality and get his break
fast promptly by tipping quarter, and
he does it. OF late the walters In the
summer resorts have improved the system
by exchanging places. The wretched tour
ist. who has literally feed one napkin
knight for his breakfast, finds behind his
chair at dining a fresh untipped fellow
and at supper another. He must Zee the
whole retinue if he remains long enough.
Or, if he fees to another resort, he Will
find another hungry crowd, and he must
Lecin the same routine afresh. American
baksheesh is not demanded, but it Is Rev-
ertheless enforced.
THE SCIENCE OF IT.
The science of tips is to give the exact
amount that will secure the reputation OF
liberality and wealth, but avoid that o.
softness. The soft is bled, but not served.
Boots understands him, and makes him
i hon Iy for half q shine
1t is q very delicate matter, that the trav-
eler learns in due time to adjust himself
to with nice precision. There are half dol
lar hotels, where to offer quarter would
secure only contempt and neglect; and
there are quarter dollar resorts where to
tip half dollar would be to exhibit your
self easy to be feeced.
American tipping, however, is not con-
fined TO fleeing walters. There is special
public to be fed on all occasions that
bring man before the public. Emerson,
shortly before his death, called for his
daughter in great distress. MY dear
daughter" he said, "this woman wants a
pair of my pantaloons. Really, Euen!-
well-you will have to see to it." Ellen
found it was collector of poets breeches,
coats, shirts and other garments, out OF
which she proposed to create fire rug.
Really, what right has man to be a
philosopher who can not philosopbically
tip pair of pantaloons to every collector
Lcngfellow actually gave the woman a
shirt; Whittier drab coat; Lowell had
pulled off his scarf; and now why should
not Emerson spare his unmentionables2
With what pride and delight shall we
imagine that thrifty Puritan dame sitting
before her fire and pointing out to visitors
the salient points of her rug?
LITTLE TOO MUCH.
Longfellow on one occasion received
from lady 100 cards, with the request
that he would write his name on each, as
the lady desired to present them to her
guests at Longfellow dinner party. The
poet consid cred the tip more than the
lady, who was a stranger, was entitled to.
Most of those who constitute the great
public must be satisfied with tip in the
way of haDdshake. This no man may
refuse at his peril, be he poet, postmaster
or president. Our present chief executive
has a vast capacity in this regard. His
handshake never reaches above the elbow.
It does not disturb the equilibrium of his
nerves. He rather fattens on tips; where
as to shake hands meant with Lincoln an
enormous drain of his vitality.
Funeral tips and wedding tips are the
two supreme outrages of the system.
There is in them no compensation what
ever. Why honor to the dead should re-
quire poor man to mortgage his house to
pay an undertaker's bill, including twenty
or ten useless carriages, and other quite
as needless items, is unexplainable. Tips
to the dead should be. abolished; tips to
the living should at least secure an equiv
alent st. Louis Globe Democrat.