The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-18
THE OCEAN HOLD-UP.
Complaint of the Tipping Nuisance on
Board Atlantic Steamships.

Robert P. Porter, in Philadelphia Inquirer.
But this question of ocean tipping has
reached a point where 1t is almost unen-
durable for people of moderate means.
Ocean tipping has simply become science
The ingenuity expended on this organiza-
ton of the servants of a ship so that they
will extort the most out of the passengers
is StupendOus. If a man with d small
family can escape for less than 100 marks
on a ship like the Fuerst Bismarck he is
lucky and will probably have some farsh
things said about him. In these criticisms
| am not blaming the servants. They de-
serve all they get, but the trouble Is, fear,
salaries that the tips they get out of the
passengers become matter OF lie ana
death to them. A sensitive man feels that
from the moment he scrambles up the
gangway and is brought face to face with
the various petty functiOnaries who are 70
administer to his comfort for the week,
that he is an object of perpetual scrutiny
as to how much he is likely to yield IN the
Is he an old traveller? Has he a full APP
probation of the services about to be rem
dered? Is he strict or liberal? Is he rlcn
or poor? Is he most accessible to small
attentions? Can his purse be opened e1 d WIG M
cabin? The first of this tip-hungry COM
bination he must face is the head saloon
steward. He must have seat at the table
The man who fails to see the chleI stew
ard gets a seat at the farthest and least
desirable part of the saloon; Nothnlg
short of cash in advance goes win thls
the captain or purser and an order Tor
decent seat given in advance. Having ar
ranged your seat, the next contest comes
on deck with the deck steward. he
knows the most desirable places tor chalrS,
and nothing short of a cash tip or out-and-
out promise will secure Such location.
Occasionally some old traveller gets aboard
early and holds the fort, but it is struggle
unless you are in with the deck steward,
for your chair any morning disappears TO
the furthermost part of the deck; ana II Is
a constant battle, with the oudS against
the old traveller. If a friend SENDS you a
basket of fruit and you want tnat on ice,
neither the dining room steward nor the
room steward, nor the deck steward dare
touch it. That is the way the second
steward introduces himself. The basket OF
fruit is left twentY-fOur hours outside the
ca bin on deck or anywhere, until your wife
says it will be all spoiled unless put on ice.
The stewards have been repeatedly spoken
to about it. but have done nothing At
this iuncture the second steward appears,
and incratiates himself. He takes charge
of the fruit. After that, if the converse
ton is satisfactory and an actual ZIP
given or prospective one probable, the fruit
is attended to with great regularity ana
and on the able.
The great men disposed of, we come to
numerous other stewards you are nable 10
run up against if you have family. me
dining room steward and bedroom steward
are really the two who contribute 10 your
comfort. and q generous tip to each of
tEem should be pleasure, and always IS,
so far as 1 am concerned. If a lady is IN
and, even though she may do nothing eX-
poets 10 receive tip. Take few books
from the library, and at the settling up and
final return of the last volume, the night
before arrival. the library steward expects
a tip. If YOU use the smoking room, elther
for card playing or smoking or drinking,
or even to occasionally light your cigar, a
subscription is put under your nose Tor
the smokeroom steward. one or two OF the
ladies of your party may nave had some
lunch on deck, and this places YOU under
obligations to the deck steward who may
or may not have been the man who ar
ranged the chairs the first day out, and
VII ose implied contract is to give you a
claim deed TO a certain portion OF the deck,
regardless of the rights of others or of the
fact that YOU never use the space q know
of people who have thus pre-empted space
on deck and afterwards played poker all
the way over for which you have, TO be
sure. paid. There are no concerts on the
German boats but a paper is passed around
to everybody while a dinner. and they are
personally requested to paw so much for
the music, which is advertised as one of
the great attractions of the line. This is
the most offensive thing of the whole
lot because there is no getting out
of it. The steward stands behind you
until you have signed Off, and
then passes II to your neighbor. There was
lots OF kicking over this. The amount
sigred for Is then placed In your wine bill
as music" so in this case you pay the
piper direct There are minor sad-eyed
stewards who sigh In the seclusicn of the