Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-01
| as much as the Steamship company re-

as much as the steamship company re-
CARDS your passage money. II is pcssi-
BILE to avoid paying the fees, as they are
not collectabe by law, but the passenger
who does not pay them will have trouble
In getting his luggage Off the steamer,
and it would be we'll for him to keep off
steamers afterwards where any OF the
servants OF that boat are employed. The
stewards seem TO have some sort OF fee
guide-book or blacklist OF passengers
who do not give fees. so that they can
make them suffer on future trips. Ger
tain fees are regularly fixed and expect
ed, irrespective of the cost OF state-rooIn
or the style in which a man travels.
while certain other fees depend on the
style. For an ordinary passenger there
are fees TO be given to the state-room
steward, the saloon steward, the deck
steward, the smoking-room steward, ana
the barber and bathman. The fee TO the
steward who looks after your state-room
is about 10 shilings. The steward who
waits on you at the table should re-
ceive the same fee. The deck steward.
for bringing you an occasional drink and
looking after your steamer chair and
rugs. expects shillings, but he will
take half a crown. The smokng-room
steward expects 8 shillings, and, If you
are In the smoking-room great part OF
the trip, he feels that he is entitled to as
much as the state-room steward or your
waiter. A bath every day on the pas
sage can be had for a 6-shilling fee.
These rates are fixed by long custom
The stewards can tell whether or not
man understands the rates, and II he
will pay at the end OF the trip. II they
do not think that he will, they give him
hints from time 70 time, until they get
some assurance on his part that he re-
cognizes tho obligation of the fee system.
IL they think he will not pay, ne will
have hard time Of IT. He will find that
his state-room Is not well made up.
that he does not care when he is seasick,
that he is served last at the table, and
does not get the things that he ordered;
that the wrong drinks and cigars como
TO him in tho smoking-room, and that
his steamer chair is constantly lost. The
servants are as effective as seasickness
I'm making a mans trip miserable.
These fees are not to be paid until the
last day OF the trip. The servants very
speedily find out at which place a pas
senger is to get Off. II making his first
trip they are pretty sure TO know IL. 1t
is advisable for him in that case 70 tell
his state-room steward and his waiter
that he will give them the regular fee
az the end OF the trip II they serve him
properly, and that II they do not they
will not get penny. II he tells them
this in the proper way. he will get as
good service as the man who is Well
known.
The last morning Of the trip the state
room steward comes round for mis- fee.
II the passenger does not offer II, the
steward suggests that 1t Is customary
to give him a fee. and that the regular
fee is half a sovereign. IL anything less
is offered him. and he thinks he can get
half a sovereign by refusing TO accept
less. he will at once hand the prorered
sum back, and say in an insolent way
that he never takes less than the regular
fee. With many passengers. particularly
women. this remark and the tone extract
the ten shillings. The saloon steward
does the same thing. The stewards work
In with each other, and, II a man sue
ceeds in avoiding the state-room stew
ard, the saloon steward Will ask him
for both himself and tho state-room
steward. AS a man cannot get off the
ship until 1t stops, there Is no way OF
escaping these demands, which will be
repeated during the last day OF the trip |
until the passenger succumbs.