The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-10-08
susINessLlkE DINERS.
The German Table dHots M viewed Nv
Ammrhrmm Kyaa


ined. The food served in miorosoop-
ical portions and eminently unsatis-
flying from the American stand
point is. however. not its worst fea-
ture. The long table where rows Of
hungry hordes dine is in itself dis
couraging to the fastidious. and the
table manners of the average tourist
leave much to be desired. The
French and Germans are blessed
with, it seems, un1aggingly good
appetites, and they feed-I say feed
advisedly-in such q businesslike
manner that a meal in their society
becomes a dreaded ordeal. They en-
JOY the viands SO undisguisedly and,
alas, frequently so audibly that the
question of ones neighbor at dinner
becomes an important one, and when
an American or Englishman falls to
ones lot there is, for that repast at
least, some balm in Gilead.
But though the strict usages of
etiquette are sometimes overlooked
by these good Teutons there is no
question as to their courtesy and IN
varying politeness elsewhere. Bit
ter, if you please, is their shibboleth,
and a question is always considered
with the utmost consideration. This
kindly courtesy extends everywhere
oven on the trains, when the con-
ductor, armed with a tin case and
formidable iron punch, comes to col
lect fares. A respectful salute in
bestowed upon each rider, a SEEM
ingly heartfelt THANK you'll" is Civ
en- for the absurdly larger number
of pfennigs which make up the
cent tariff, and an almost fraternal
farewell follows the passenger as he
finally alights.
A visit to Cologne without a trip
down the Rhine would be something
like Hamlet" without the Prince
So down the Rhine we went.
Now a river excursion to be half
way pleasant needs plenty of sun
shine and balmy breezes- The
breezes we had, but they were too
closely allied to cold, cutting winds,
and sunshine there was none. In
fact, we nearly froze, and when the
threatening rain at last fell o more
miserable lot of pleasure seekers
were probably never collected to-
| gether on one small boat.
The cabin being, as such cabins
usually are, somewhat smelly, "wC
had no alternative but to stay on
deck. So in self defense we literal
ly huddled to keep warm. How We
Americans, who prided ourselves OF
travelling with nothing in our hands
but our small bags, envied the Eng
lish their rugs and wraps-we. who
had erstwhile smiled in a superior
manner at the vast quantity of hand
luggage which they carried, anC
without which the true blue Britor
cannot be induced to venture abroad
Our pride was laid low, indeed
and we were tempted TO follow tn,
example of young American who
with Yankee ingenuity, calmly un
packed dress suit case before the
entire ships crew and took there
from a dress shirt, which he utilized
as a lap rug, but our bags contained
nothing so useful, so I'VE could not
an we would, follow in his wake.
In utter physical misery and men
tai detection we viewed the piotur
esque river and its superb scenery
and, though the latter is not to M
mind equal to that of the beautiful
: Hudson, there is yet a glamour o
old world romance surroundinl
those moated castles and ivy cover
ed towers which blends unconscious
, ly with the beauty of the scene, an,
! doubtless to this same association
may be attributed much of the rap
ture with which generations of tour
lists have regarded the noble oil,
: Rhine.
. But all things have an end, evel
an all day river trip, and, slipping
along at good rate of speed, pas
} crumbling ruins, vineyards an,
stately villas, quaint little villages
thriving towns and pathetic waysid
: shrines, weat last reached Mayenoe
; and now, the discomfort over, w
recollect only the beauty, the poetr,
of a scene whose legends of bygon
centuries have given it an imperish
} able charm which will endure a
long as tourists of all ages and al
nations come and go.-Philadelphi
Record.
HIs Only Bet.