The west Tennessee star. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1888, 1888-10-26
swINDLEs OF WATERS.
How Guests at Cafes and Hotels Are Vic
timfzed and Deceived.

How Guests at Cafes and Hotels Are Vic
timfzed and Deceived.
Said a returned tourist to a reporter
last evening: Il see it don't take long
for the walters on this side of the wa
ter to adopt European tactics when it
is to their personal advantage"
"What, for instanceP"
From long and not unusual expert
ence in cafes in various parts of the
world, 1 have adopted the custom of
looking carefully over the itemized bill
brought me for my meals and compar-
ing it with the prices on the bill of
fare That is what an itemized bill
is for, and not simply to look like a
washing list. The other night when
dining rather hbeE lily at one of the
up town hotels, remarked a discrep-
ancy as between the account presented
and the change returned from the bill
gave the waiter.
at was only fifty cents short, but l
called the walters attention to the
fact. He seemed astOnished and count
ed the change twice, then lifting the
bill of items from the plate where it
rested with the change, his features
were spread with a satisfied smile as
two quarters of a dollar appeared
Hereunder. His hilarity disappeared,
though, when l told him that had
spent time and money enough in Paris
to know that trick we'll, and always
rewarded them there, as I proposed to
do with him, by emitting his accus-
toned fee"
What is the trickP" queried the re-
porter.
Don't you see that by hiding two
or three coins under the list in that
way when returning the change to
careless man who does not count his
change, he would receive his tip and
the hidden coin also, but when serv-
ing a more careful person, myself for
instance, and a recount was called for,
the missing coin could be found and no
suspicion of dishonesty attach to the
waiter, unless a fellow got tired of
having the same old chestnut played
too often. There are other tricks be-
side that for capturing the careless"
said the tourist. lone that is prac-
ticed in France, where gold louis and
half louis are the most common coins
in circulation, is when the waiter re-
ceives a louis he puts it between his
teeth, or seems so to do. You see the
gold right their in plain sight all the
time, but he gives you change for
half louis only.
You Immediately call his attention
to the fact and remark that it was
louis you gave him. But no, SIR he
says, see there, and takes the coin
from between his teeth and behold it
is only a half louis. You are puzzled,
for YOU were confident that it came
from the little spring case that half
louis would not fit, and can not ac--
count for it until you learn that he has
had the half louis in his mouth wait
ing for just such an occasion. The only
safe way, therefore. is the moment you
see your louis going toward his mouth,
let the battle begin, and tell him to let
it remain on the table until the change
is given. That is not all, for in the
supper rooms at the various cafes in
Paris the number Of the room Is placed
right over the column Of figures ard
added in with the total amount. I sup
pose if the room were not numbered
they would add in the date; any thing.
in fact, to make the amount bigger -
~ T. Telegram