The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-31
Progress of an Abuse That Is Harden
ing Into a System.

Progress of an Abuse That Is Harden
ing Into q System.
from the Philadelphia Press.
Tipping, which has hardened into sys-
tenn In most of the Atlantic seaboard cities
and perhaps in all large towns Of this
country, is born OF the presence in the
United States Of professional foreign-born
waters. The race Of professional walters
in Europe 10 largely native 10 three or four
small countries bordering the great nations
and speaking several tongues. Switzerland
and the duchy OF Luxembourg contribute
most to the corps Of professional walters
The men speak several tongues. usually
French and German, Dutch or Italian, and
sometimes all four. A few add TO the
language which they have learned at home
in childhood smattering OF English, and
thus equipped these men go from one end Of
Europe TO the other.
You find great numbers Of them In Paris,
some in London, many in Vienna, thou
sands In ST. Petersburg, and few in all the
| cities, big or little, frequented by tourists.
Some of them turn translasors and YOU may
| see their sigos all over Paris. They under
| take to anslate almost anything from any
| of half dozen European languages. In
| this capacity they are wretchediy paid, and
| only very proud man or a very poor
waiter would consent to change the latter's
| employment for that OF a translator.
Many of these polyglot walters have come
| TO the United States and they have brought
| with them their notion as TO their natural
| right to receive tips A naturalized Ameri-
| can unschooIed in the ways of fashionable
| easily understand the attitude of the pro-
| fessional waiter toward the tip. Upper and
| tipped in Europe view che tip in a different
| fashion from that OF the un-Europeenized
| American.
Somebody has said thas 1t Is safe to tip
any Briton below the dignity Of a bishop,
but an American travelling in England
found that it was well to draw the line as
| low as dean. Mistaking one Of the latter
| dignitaries for something less than he was,
the American fumblod for shilling after
having received some courtesies at his
hands, but paused when he saw his guides
face flush and took the hastily proffersd ad-
vice to put bis coin in the poor box.
The colored waiter. unspoiled by contact
| with great cities or summer resorts, accepts
tip with a gratitude that makes the donor
| feel that it is more blessed to give than to
| receive. The European walters gratitude
toward the tip is as much beyond that Of
| the upspoiled colored man az the lowering
tenderness, the respectful yet sympathetic
and half familiar interest of the latter
| toward the person he serves is beyond the
| COAbDdbc VI pIOlchhtOuh european
waiter. The one receives tip as his simple
due, the other accepts it as a gracious act
Of generosity.
The Partisan waiter especially regards
the tip as right. He not only knows ex-
actly what to expect, but he does not hesi-
tate Co remind guest who scants the fee
that something is yet due. The iron rule of
Paris is / sou to the franc, or per cent OF
the price charged for the meal In some
fashionable restaurants there 10 g minimum
of franc, but in ordinary restaurants the
waiter who serves a 2-franc dinner expects
sous and no more. In some English inns
the custom has gone beyond this; the guest
finds upon his bill a charge Of per cent. for
Service" and is still expected to tip the
waiter.
These details are slowly taking form In
Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Chicago,