Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-06-07

of this indirect poor rate by which
the almshouse system is largely obvi-
ated. The exhibition visitor will come
in touch with the Paris concierge, but
VIII scarcely realize her importance in
the social fabric. The 100000 natives
III and around the capital live in
apartment houses. each with its con-
cieTge, or janitor, who lives rent free
With small weekly salary from the
proprietor. The larger portion of the
concierge's income is made up from
t:ps-paid by the tenants to keep her
good-natured. In return the con-
cierge performs several kinds Of ser
vices; the regular receipt and mount
ing" of letters, cards and packages;
the answering of callers inquiries and
tle cleaning of the stairs; a hundred
little commissions, like mailing let
ters, running errands and calling
cabs; and. on a salary, she will make
the bachelors morning coffee, make
his bed, clean his room and carry up
his coal, even. Another service-ren-
deTed according to the generosity of
the tenant-cOnsists in the concierge
not making herself a perfect devil.
She may answer tradesmen's inquiries
with sniff that damns your credit.
She may send your callers climbing
up the servants stairway She may
lose callers cards and forget their
messages. She may say that you, are
out when you are in. Do not begin
economizing tips on the concierge.
Exhibition visitors. who oftenest go
to hotels, may profit by few sugges-
tons on the subject of getting their
quid pro quo for tips. The PORTER, or
front door man. can be made as good
as a guide. 1T was one of these who
gave me the origin of the word tip"
French and Germans call the thing
drink money"-pourboire as
the Chinese have it li-tak, or tea
money. In an old English tavern a
receptacle for coin was placed conspic-
u0usly, with the legend, "To insure
promptness." Whatever was put into
the box was divided among the SER
wants. Other taverns followed the
example, and soon the three words
were indicated, ct. l. P" and every
body knew what they meant. The
PORTER told me this in the cleaning
of a sweet spring evening, at a mo-
ment when I needed prompt service.
TO Insure Promptness," he unused,
Tefectively. "Quite so,' | answered,
with resignation. There is the femme
de chamber, the sommelier, the gar
con, the valet de Chambre, the maitre
d'hOtel at the top and the little chas-
seur at the bottom. To tip them and
not profit by them is worse than not
tipping them. | have known Euro
pean women to make almost a ladies'
maid out of the hotel femme de cham
bre. The sOmmelier, or wine garcon,
is capable of bringing you up a bottle
OF siX-franc stuff for two francs A
properly tipped garcon will bring ex-
ira eggs, butter and toast for break
fast, and give you first pick at lunch
and dinner. Have the valet de cham
bre fetch you a sitz bath each morn
3, at least. The little chasseur
ought to hide the illustrated weeklies
fer you, run for your cigarettes and
the2ter tickets, and find out names
and addresses, at least. AS for the
maitre d'hotel, is not the deferential
gravity of his best manner capable of
raising any guests credit SO per cent
in the eyes of all the other guests?
How would they get on in European
hotels without tips? True, one class
of hotel servants, the employees strict
ly Sc called, receive proper salaries
because they never come in contact
with the guests, cellarmen, laundress-
eS, cooks, lamp-tenders, silver polish
els and the like. But the others are
lucky ii they get $40 a month wages,
and the celebrated pourboire is their
sole resource. Such servants do not
seek employment in houses that are
known to pay high wages. Their ideal
is a house where the guests are con-
stantly going and coming, and seek to
obtain a footing, particularly where
the manager or proprietor is known
to be lacking energy. An establish
ment of this kind is doomed. Its
guests are harried, browbeaten, in
suited and intimidated into giving fees
at every turn. Then, when these end
Of-the-century servants have worked
it to the end, when they have fright
ened the public from its doors, they
leave it to it's fate and seek new pas
lures. Time and again l have watched
the departure of a touring family with
the mingled pain and pleasure of the
superior unhampered celibate All
work ceases in the hotel at this hour.
You ring in vain for chambermaid or
garcon. Everyone is at his post
which is the front door. The family
is going away. Snug faces that the
members of the family see now for
the first time are there smiling conf
IDENTIFY 1t is a gauntlet to run. And
here the unpractised American is lost
because OF his lack of habit. What
does the European do in this crisis? ?
Why, by habit, he remembers the
faces of those who have really waited
on him. He remembers nearly how
much he has given to each already.
To this one he smiles kindly good-by
and gives nothing. He is particular
| to ask for the oo-often-forgotten
boots. Distributing his tips intelli-
gently-that is, honestly-he will
waste nothing on the undeserving, and
! depart with the respect of every me-
NAL.