The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-20
EUROPE FOR $155.

IF'rom the Philadelphia Americana
The principal of a school in Newark
n. j., told a local interviewer how he
| managed this feat. 1t is worth repro
| ducnig in brief
I believe have the record" he said
II Went across, stayed six weeks, not
including the voyages, either going or
coming, and spent but $155."
This may seem incredible but the
principal subsequently handed over his
diary to the writer in which every item
| of expense, from the time of leaving
the dock in New York to the car fare
from Market street station to his home
was included
There were three of them in the par
ty, all local school principals. Two had
Travelled in Europe before, but it was
the one who had never seen the other
side got through on the least money.
The others expended $165 and $175 re-
Spectively The sum total for the trio
was but a little more than the great
majority use in taking the trip alone.
When they decided to go they made
their plans very carefully. They made
up their minds first that they were GO
ing for rest and recreation, were not
going to tear furiOusly over the cOnti-
nent along the beaten track and were
not going to distress themselves with
trying TO cover a vast extent of terri
tory at breakneck speed, at which SO
many Americans go.
They were away from home almost
exactly eight weeks and spent most of
their time in four cities-Glasgow, Ed
inburgh, London and Paris.
They sailed on July IL on the State
line They secured excursion tickets
over and back for $72. so each, first-class
and had their choice of state rooms.
These We're exceptional accommoda-
lions and were not secured without in
fiuence. Still, this rate is not much less
/. than the usual fare on this line which
is known as the cheapest of all trans
atlantic lines. The dock is in Brooklyn
not far from the Brooklyn bridge. The
people who travel on these steamers
are mostly teachers, physicians and
refined and intelligent persons whose
means are not great
The steamers land in Glasgow, and
the Newarkers arrived there after
ten days voyage. From the time of
their arrival the principals kept strict
account of every penny they paid out.
They made the entries every night be-
fore retiring. In Glasgow they stop
ped at the Bridge Street Station hotel
at shillings (about so cents) a day.
On the day they landed they spent but
25 cents each for supper Every night
they fixed upon something they wanted
to see the next day They passed the
morning in seeing what they had fixed
upon. In the afternoon they rested and
took life easy at the hotel, smoking and
reading. Occasionally one or two of
them would take a stroll in the late
afternoon or evening.
The items in the principals diary are
many of them interesting. Dinner on
the second day in GLASGOW cost about
thirty-five cents. supper but twenty
cents. The principal bought some gen
uine Scotch goOseberrieS for a. halfpen-
ny, and gave an urchin q penny to turn
a handspring. Lodgings for the three
on the third day cost but $1.50. They
spent day in Ayr. the home of Burns.
1t cost each. including car fare, dinner
straw berries and q shave, about Sl-SO-
The fare to Edinburgh from Glasgow
was Sixty-tWo cents each A visit to
Hollywood cost twelve cents. From Ed
inburgh to London and return their
| tickets were about $50 each. They
went by steamer, and had a delightful
| journey down the North Sea along the
| English coast, in sight of land most
! of the time. The voyage consumed
day The first dinner in London Cost
but twenty-five cents and the second
! but sixteen cents. Three lodgings and
breakfasts for the three during the four
| days in London cost a trifle under So. 90.
The fare to Paris and return for each
was about $50. They stopped ten
| days in Paris and for four nights lOdg
| ings and breakfasts each paid $425. A
| trip to Versailles cost a little less than
| a half collar. Paris dinners averaged
lodgings and breakfast in Paris cost
but 81. 16 each
on August 14th they began to retrace
| their steps. One bought nearly $1,000
worth of presents before leaving Paris
| This, of course. used up his money
! pretty thoroughly, and, as a matter of
| fact, when the trio returned to London
| they had little left. Fortunately they
| had their tickets all the way to New
| York, and had only to be extremely
| cautious in the expenditure of every
penny to reach home; but they had
| done what they set out to do-had en-
| loved a six weeks Sojourn in foreign
| lands the money they would have
| spent visiting watering-places in this
| country or in taking occasional outings.
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