Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-13
FLEECED IN PARIS.
SOME OF THE TRICKS FRENcHMEN
PLAY ON VISITORS.

Americans Most Mercilessly swindled.
What 1t Costs to Eat at First Class
Paris Restnurant-Tricks of Guides and
waiters-The Charges.
Making precaTious 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 a remark made by an
American on the boulevard here 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 fleeced right and left, spend
ing a 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.n The speaker was practical bust
ness man, as acute as razor, a self made
man and an inventor. Yet, in spite of all
his smartness 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
merciessly swindled Fully so 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 'regu-
lar fraud" This is a pity, because it is hard
lines on a man who comes to a city for
change and a holi lay to be sent away with
his temper spoiled, and all the more so that
with little precaution he could easily avoid
the barpies who ufest Paris perhaps more
than any other continental city, including
Naples. Fa
GUIDES AND CoURIERs.
Much good money is wasted on guides and
couriers The regulation fee for the services
If these is s. It day and a meal Very few,
however. content themselves with such a
salary It 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
extensive restaurant His client can't speak
French, wants to sample French cookery and
bids his guide order The guido orders every
thing that he likes and what is most expen-
sive II 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 viii call in the evening to get
90 per cent. commission.
The American | have referred to had in
this wav been taken to all the best restaurants
in Paris and had spent on himself and
his guide what would suffice to keep q
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 sl07 for breakfast which he
had been unable TO eat Elsewhere he haG
spent $40 on a dinner which he valued al
seventy-five cents.
To convince him that one can dine wei
and cheaply in Paris, took him to restau
rant frequent, consulted his tastes, ant
gave him dinner which cost me for the tw,
of us just $40 He said he had not dine,
SO well since he had been in Paris.
There is absolutely no necessity to TAX
ones guide to lunch or dinner, and if visitor
would remember this they would save mucl
money and fare very much better In ever,
good restaurant in Paris there are waiter
who can speak English to translate the item
on the bill of fare
SHOULD BE AVOIDED
- Much annoyance would also be saved {
visitors who dine at the restaurants if the
would avoid visiting houses where the price
Of dishes are not marked on the bills of far,
At such houses the amount of the bill d,
ponds on the appearance of squeezeability {
otherwise Of the customer The very cell
brated houses should be strictly avoided b
the American visitor, unless he is accom-
panied by a habitue. Barring the pleasul
of tickled vanity, there is scant profit
paying $50 for a dinner barely worth S.
1t should also be remembered that pric,
of dishes are for quantities sufficient for tw
persons at all the better restaurants Item
not marked on the bill of fare which may /
offered by the walters should be left III
touched. Two or three prawns on plate.
few olives on another, and such kickshaw
will, if touched, bring the bill up 25 per cen
Walters are in the habit of putting these c
the table without being ordered to do so.
In the matter of change visitors should
very careful Certain moneys which ha'
no legal currency in France are invariab
at certain establishments offered to foreig
ers in change for good money. 1t should
noted that the only moneys current in Fran
besides French coins are those of Ital
Greece, Switzerland and Belgium. Russie
and Austrian gold is also currency Ro
manian, Spanish and South American col
should invariably be refused. They can on
be disposed of at a loss of 20 per cent T
coins Of the late Papal states can be pass
at nominal value, but should be avoided,
possible.
In ordering goods made to measure such
ladies' or gentlemans clothes, written CO
tract should be made, otherwise the amou
charged will very probably be doubled on
bill The tradeSman, if payment is refuse
has the right 10 have the visitors trun
seized and to prevent him from leaving Par
Tickets for theatres should never be bong
at any Of the theatrical agencies in the cit
These charge about double the right pric
Visitors can always procure tickets at I
booking Offices of the theatres in advance
These are few indications of how to av,
being swindled in Paris, and if people wol
observe them one would hear less complain
from visitors There is no city, perhaps,
the world where so much pleasure can be
for as little money as in Paris, but in no C
either is the systematic swindling of forei,
ers, and especially of Americans, more
tensively carried out-R. H. Sherard in N
York World.
Good and Pretty House,
In the business, hustle and brick of a C
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