Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-01
FLEECED IN PARIS.
SOME or THE TRICKS FRENcHMEN
PLAY ON VISITORS.

What 1t Costs to Eat at a First Class
| Paris Restauraut-Tricks of Guides and
Waiters-The Charges.
making precarious living by taking in
each others washing" This was one Of
| Granville Murray's jokes, which he applied
to any village or town, the Inhabitants of
which had not any visible means of subsist-
ence. Something Of the same kind Of senti-
ment was echoed in remark made by an
American on the boulevard here a day or
| two ago. Everybody in Paris seems to live
by making q commission out Of somebody
else" The man had been some weeks in
Paris, had been feeced right and left, spend
ing lot Of money and seeing very little and
| getting less for it paris is regular fraud"
he said. "You want US Americans to come
over here and teach you what civilization
really is" The speaker was practical bust
ness man, as acute as razor, self made
man and an inventor. Yet in spite of all
his smertness and his most business like
habits, he had "got left" in Paris
The fact is that Americans who come to
Paris and don't know the ropes do get most
mercilessly swindled. Fully 50 per cent. of
the large sums spent by Americans in this
city brings no return In value Of any sort or
kind. Many leave Paris Indignantly and VOW
never to set foot in it again Like the gentle
man quoted, they set Paris down as a '.recu-
lar fraud" This is pity. because it is hard
lines or a man who comes to city for a
change and holiday TO be sent away with
his temper spoiled, and all the more SO that
with a little precaution he could easily avoid
the harpies who infest Paris perhaps more
than any other continental city, including
Naples.
GUIDES AND COURIERS.
Much good money is wasted on guides and
couriers. The regulation fee for the services
Of these is g day and meal Very few,
however content themselves with such
salary. II is to the extras that they look for
their profits. Thus it is very usual at meal
times for the courier to take his client to an
expensive restaurant. His client can't speak
French, wants to sample French cookery and
bids his guide order The guide orders every
thing that he likes and what is most expen-
sive If his client has not the same tastes as
he, so much the worse for him. When the
bill has been paid the courier pockets the
document and will call in the evening to get
20 per cent. commission.
The American have referred to had in
this way been taken to all the best restaurants
in Paris and had spent on himself and
his guide what would suffice to keep a
French peasant and his family for year
At one house, which is noted for its good
cookery and the moderateness of its prices,
he had paid s107 for breakfast which he
had been unable to eat. Elsewhere he had
spent $40 on a dinner which he valued at
seventy-five cents.
To convince him that one can dine well
and cheaply in Paris l took him to a restau-
rant / frequent consulted his tastes, and
gave him dinner which cost me for the two
of us just s1.40 He said he had not dined
so well since he had been in Paris
There is absolutely no necessity to take
ones guide to lunch or dinner, and if visitors
would remember this they would save much
money and fare very much better In every
good restaurant in Paris there are walters
who can speak English to translate the items
on the bill of fare.
SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
Much annoyance would also be saved to
visitors who dine at the restaurants if they
would avoid visiting houses where the prices
of dishes are not marked on the bills of fare
At such houses the amount of the bill de-
ponds on the appearance of .squeezeability or
otherwise of the customer. The very cele-
brated houses should be strictly avoided by
the American visitor, unless he is accom-
panied by habitue. Barring the pleasure
of a tickled vanity, there is scart profit in
paying $50 for a dinner barely worth S..
1t should also be remembered that prices
- <l,el,ae fo,.
persons at all the better restaurants Items
not marked on the bill of fare which may be
offered by the walters should be left IN
touched. Two or three prawns on plate, a |
few olives on another, and such kickshaws,
will, if touched, bring the bill up % per cent.
Walters are in the habit of putting these on
the table without being ordered to do SO.
In the matter of change visitors should be |
very careful. Certain moneys which have /
no legal currency i'll France are invariably |
at certain establishments offered to foreign |
ers in change for good money 1t should be /
noted that the only moneys current in France |
besides French coins are those of Italy, /
Greece, Switzerland and Belgium Russian /
and Austrian gold is also currency. Rou-
manlan, Spanish and South American coins /
should invariably be refused They can only
he disposed Of at loss of 90 per cent. The
coins of the late Papal states can be passed
at nominal value, but should be- avoided, If /
possible.
In ordering goods made to measure such as
ladies' or gentlemans clothes. a written con-
tract should be made, otherwise the amount
charged will very probably be doubled on the
bill The tradesinan, if payment is refused,
has the right to have the visitors trunks
seized and to prevent him from, leaving Paris.
Tickets for theatres should never be bought
at any of the theatrical agencies in the city.
These charge about double the right prices.
Visitors can always procure tickets at the
booking offices of the theatres in advance
These are a few indications of how to avoid /
being swindled in Paris, and if people would
observe them one would hear less complaints
from visitors. There is DO city, perhaps, In
the world where so much pleasure can be got
for as little money as in Paris. but in no city
either is the systematic swinding of foreign
ers, and especially Of Americans, more ex-
tensively carried OUR H. Sherard in New
York World