New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-14
TRAVEL NOTES.

WITH SOME CONSIDERATIONS ON THE
.oupARAT1vE ATTRACTIONS OF ENG
land AND THE CONTINENT AND
ON THE RAPACIrIEs OF
THE INNKEEPER HERE
AND ABROAD.
London August e.
british innkeeper has found friend in
,.,,,sh Journalist. Moved, suppose. by the
!" ~, hardness Of the times. the journalist has
.,plaining TO his public that It Is better to
~ =, home or stay within these islands. than
"N.ye in foreign lands. He seems disposed to
". that the British inn Is not good and that
,,nkeeper Is extortionate. But he declares
w here are also dear hotels and bad food 10
.srsd in almost all countries OF Europe This
~. but II II be the best argument or the best
S..msnt ne has to offer. II will not be likely to
a..,, those who have made up their minds to
.,uce beyond the seas. For really, II one were
r..,.ed 10 be censorious. one might quote the
".5can who explained the difference between
.. IN England and travel elsewhere In Europe
~ the Continent" said this experienced person,
~, and here and there hotels which are bad or
-, or both. In England they are all bad and
I'll dear.
q. was too sweeping but his verdict was not
..., without evidence nor entirely against evil
% OF course, 1t will be understood that In
,'.,u..,ng such matters. nobody gives final
...~nent. Nor need anything In disparagement
:, 40 mere comforts OF travel discourage the
..,,sr II YOU go to Siam or South America
~.u aon', expect luxuries. You go all the same.
.rovaller UhO cannot nut no with
S.,ashps and small miseries. But he is entitled
., know what he may expect.
The view OF the innkeeper Is that Of other
.-.a..men. He thinks himself entitled to get
.,,o, he can out Of his customers. If. to avoid
.,,,roversy. we admit that ne Is there remains
~. question how ne Is TO get all he can; whether
So systematic extortion and by III treatment OF
~. ,u..ts or BY fair accommodation at moderate
.-,css Roth here and abroad the host has a
,nsorv that after a reasonable period Of devotion
=. ,he nublic service he ought to be in posi-
.on 70 retire on a competence. 1 was staying the
.,h.r dav at a hotel In a watering place on the
r,.rrh coast which I have known these last
.x.nty wears and visited pretty frequently. IL Is
vsrv good hote! and very dear. I said to the
manager that his prices seemed to be se'Uhe
.,.sdrv higher. An expression of paned surprise
c..on 70 assume It: at any rate he did II very
well. "Do you know" answered me- MT - ""'
49,, nronr,etor Of this hotel for twenty-seven
years. and he Is not yet able to retire! "ha'
rou say 10 so piteou. a remonstrance as that?
The public clearly had not done It's ou.S' INC"
,,nowsd the usual distressful tale Of short sea-
sons and fuctuatng popularity ana Ill ."e
., tho considerations which. to the nina OF 'he
In
the prices Of Paris
Perhaps they are not quite douoie' ou' nav"
places where they are Ostend Is one. "'aNe '"e
British innkeeper and his advocate 'he DIi''9
.,o,.,v journalist, a present Of Ostend IL Is
probably the dearest place IN Europe-uea'
man ANYTHING English. and really twice as dear
&C Paris But then Ostend is very amusing ana
,ha English Ostends are not amusing. When you
hs,ake yourself to the shores Of Belgium ana pa!
e. a dav for An attic, and for the attic only, you
do get something for your money OUTSIDE VI INC
ho,o, You are not bored. and II you are not
bored at Brighton or Eastoourne 1t is oh4y oe-
cause YOU have resources Of your own. and have
discovered that 1t Is a mans own fault II the
hours pass heavily. That however. Is an argu-
ueut which proves too much; at least FOR the
saxeeper's purposes 1t is as good for London
vAeh would not suit the Brighton hote.keeper
Another branch of this large subject is opened
fyou begin to consider the nature of the attrac-
uona offered YOU at a seaside resort in England
and At a seaside resort elsewhere. You know De-
sorehand that on the English sands duiness
,,,y7. sunreme You can see In your minds eye
,hs n,gyer-rninstrels. and the salvation army the
shrnn merchants and the acrobats. The soie!h'
procsssion of Harrys and Harriets on the pier
The crazy flies with ragged drivers and horses on
three legs the dirty roads. the saloon entertain
s,snts with the refuse Of the East End or l~ondoh
mus,c.haIls-these and other delights are only 100
familiar IN Won II Ia TO witness these that you
are n submit ioyfully TO the licensed brigahoaee
NJ the licensed innkeeper In Great Br'ain'
Whereas at Ostend or at Deppe. or at lrou-
Vile there IL animation color. life, gayety VaTi-
s,v and ALL the sparkle and glow with when the
Pr,ncbman knows how to embelish the business
Of amusement .o.
n might even be possible TO say woro LOT
Door little despised and neglected Caiais ~
most travellers in these days Caiais - o'''s a."
op%n door 20 the Continent. The assoc'a''o''
which com arted It with earlier days. win o'ei"
and Thackeray and many more, are u!i"s ~
The Hotel Dessin exis.s no longer nv
town itself hardly exists for the tourist INC
Mite channel steamer no longer corkscre"s "e'
way into the muddy little basin which was .'e
old approach to the old railway station
trains run regularly down to the new pier nv
DO not even stop in the town. or 90 ho' a'"a
stop The Calais which the Traveller VI 'o-'a'
knows consists Of a pier and hotei anu ~,
hotel consists Of a custom house ana rei'en
ment room. with a news stall where "'iuu''
aged lady Of Norman birth and speech with a
beard, sells you yesterdays papers ana 'he nu'e''
which have ceased to be bought In far's
are. however. bedrooms and the 'o!"es' ~
whom the channel passage has proved 700
Ing sometimes rests here for a night; 80 ooeS 'ne
tmid traveller from the South who likes 10 wal.
TOR q smooth crossing. Neither OF thc''' me-
the town. I believe am the only PerSo" nv"