Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-07-08
To Europe on S40O.

OHCS AOiHNi hSSSiA "A'A eiAtNS
months and Si00 at my disposal. 1
went to Europe from Chicago and re-
turned with 65 cents in my pocket. l
went over second class, and found on
my return that / could afford first, and
so took it. paid $35 on White Star
liner to 60 from New York to Liver
pool. The berth accommodations were
about what one gets on the American
fresh water steamers. The breakfast
consisted of tea or coffee, bread and
butter hash or ragout-''hot pot" and
potatoes. The lunch or dinner was the
same, with the addition of a roast and
another vegetable, and for tea we had
bread and butter, tea, cold meat, mar
malade and plain cake. A late supper
was served of sandwiches, cheese,
crackers, usually taken with ale or por-
ter, which cost siXpence per bottle ex-
ira. BY tipping a steward a sixpence
we could get fruit in abundance from
the first cabin larder. Second cabin
passengers were not permitted on the
forward decks nor in the main saloons
but there was ample deck room left lis
aft for promenading. Upon Sunday,
however, we were told that we might
90 forward for religious services.
At Liverpool we were compelled to
90 ashore in the tender with the steer
age passengers, and it took an hour or
two longer to get through the Custom
House. We had monopoly of all the
fun on the ship, ,and there were people as
cultured and agreeable as any l ever
met in the first cabins. l tipped my
table steward and berth steward 81
each and gave fifty cents to the 'Boots.'
1t would have cost me S11 to have sat
isiied them had | been at the other end
of the ship.
On arriving in Liverpool my travel
ling companion and myself decided to
run down to Chester. Wandering
around the quaint old streets we stum-
bled on the Red Lion, an ideal place,
with many of the old English customs
one reads about but rarely finds. We
lived in good style for 50 per day each,
and had chance to try our tip sched-
ule. which worked ike charm.
All railway stations are infested by
horde of unsalaried porters who thrust
their service upon one whether he
needs them or not. 1t is better to re-
tain one man, whose advice and direc-
tions are usually reliable. The matter
of tipping strikes terror to the breast OF
the average tourist who usually makes
the gratuity an unnecessarily large one.
have seen our countrymen blush as
though caught stealing when fiunkey
took sixpense and, looking at it with
raised eyebrows, drawled Thank you,"
letting his glance run from the gift to
4 the donor and back again as though
both were curiositics. He would never
think of trying his pantomimic imperti-
nence on an Englishman. In the big
London hotels like the Metropole and
Victoria, which are patronized by
wealthy Americans, / was told that
some of the servants paid $1,000 and
their services per annum for the privi-
legc of waiting on the Americans.
We, of course, travelled third class,
corresponding with the American day
coach, and got from Liverpool to Lon
don for about So. AT the latter point
we left our luggage, as usual, at the sta
ton and hunted around until we found
a hotel that no American had ever pre-
viously discovered, paying three shil-
lings (seventy-fve cents for a nights
lodging. Our first work the next day
was to hunt up rooms. We secured a
fine large one, furnished to point bor-
dering on elegance, containing two sim
gle beds, for 81 per week. 1t was un-
der the shadow of the British Museum,
and within easy walking distance of the
Strand, the main artery of London.
We at once fell into the English way of
having for breakfast pot of tea, rolls,
butter and boiled eggs, which were
furnished on demand for eight pence
and served in our room. The other
meals were taken out of the house. For
lunch we patronized the so-called vege-
tartan restaurants, which in q measure
take the place of American bakery lunch
counters. A vegetable soup, an entree
of some sort, pastry or stewed fruit,
coffee or tea and bread and butter cost
about ten pence Each item was billed
separately, as bread half penny, butter
same, tea two pence, &c. For dinner
we visited some cosy little restaurant
NuSlS lLlS lOoQ NdS Clcdu, We'll COOkeu
and served, and where the comic and
illustrated papers were supplied. Here
we enjoyed a soup, a roast, a salad, pas
try, dessert, cheese and black coffee,
served in courses, for about fifty cents.
As will be seen our food and restau-
rant tips cost us about 81 per day and
our shelter thirty cents. We endeav-
ored to keep living expenses inside the
50 limit and had seventy cents for bus
fares and entrance fees to places of in
terest. Many places like the National
Gallery have two or three free days per
week aud he who desires can save by
visiting them at such times. The usual
entrance fee is shilling. Bus fare is
about one penny mile and there is no
better way of seeing the town than from
the upper deck of a London omnibus.
Theatres are generally higher priced
than in America, the dress circle seats
being considered the best. The par
quet is level floor, front seats being
usually so cents and rear ones half that.
The disadvantage in these is that the
floor is much lower than the stage.
There is very little difference in the