The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-19
THE CHECK SYSTEM.
An English visitor Tells the People About
tho American Way.

An EngIish visitor Tells the People About
tho American Way.
The American constitution has been
called system Of checks. So in Ameri-
can life. When you want to travel, you
give your baggage to the porter OF your
hotel, and he gives you a check IN re-
turn. At the station you reclaim IL
with the check and pass it in at coun-
ter and receive another check. AS you
approach your destination another func-
tionary comes along the train, takes
your check and gives you another cheek
in its place. He fishes out your baggage
and conveys it to your hotel-for con-
sideration. You have left your third
and last check at the Office Of the hotel
when you enter it, and thence II is de-
livered up on receipt of the baggage.
At first you bless this arrangement as
the salvation of the traveller. After a
few weeks of it the tyranny OF the check
becomes so CALLING that you begin 10
| long for the fine old English method or
dumping down your goods in front OF
porter and leaving them TO find the way
themselves. You would even hail 1t as
personal triumph if some of your bag
gage would get lost. But it never does.
Sometimes it arrives late, but it always
arrives.
Yet il seldom arrives in the shape In
which it started, if that is any consola-
ton. They who have to do with bag
gage see to that. You very soon discover
why Americans carry their goods III
ironclad trunks, aud why it is madness
for anybody TO do anything else
started out, like an idiot, with new
leather portmanteau. They ripped the
stout brass lock Off the first week
not for plumber, apparently, but SIMPLY
because il is the tradition of the service.
They punched it and kicked and danced
ON il. In softer hours. when literary
inspiration came, they wrote on 1T. MY
portmanteau today is an epitome or thu
, political sentiment of the United States
, from New York to San Francisco. A
a historical document 1t Is beyond
price, and am contemplating the gu
of it to the library of congress at Wash
, ington. AS portmanteau 1T has DOT
feet i'll the grave.
. The system of checks is not confine
. to travellers luggage. The conductor @
!. the train passes carelessly to and IT
q asking for your ticket and giving you
q check in return, or asking for you
o check and returning your ticket. II 20
n hand your stick to boy in a hot
while you write your name III the rel
lister. he dashes off to stow 1t away
some secret place and returns triumphai
IS with a check. In the very hotel ba
or when you buy sevenpence ha'porth
r. whisky you get check and walk w
" yards across the bar to pay at desk
rs But the apotheosis of the check Is
ne Niagara. When you go down to q
rs Cave of the Winds, you strip on
an YOUR clothes and leave them, as well
BIT YOUR valuables, in a tin box with I
it's attendant Then you go down to bait
he with the cataract attired only In 81
Id of pyiamas, suit of oilskins and
les check dashed around your neck and +
1t. ing and falling with the beating
De. YOUR heart. No wonder the Amerlc
ng speaks of death as "handing IN
he checks" 1t is only by death that he
Did rid himself of them. London Mail.