Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-06-07


erously, to punish, l suppose, the Sec
ond. Sarah Bernhardt-who is going
to play four matinees a week all
through the exhibition--once tried to
abolish the ouvreuse, installing uni
formed ushers in the American style,
and requesting the public not to tip
them. "Shame!" cried the Paris pub
lie. you want to prevent a few old
ladies earning their living!"
The same American who Wa so up
set by the impertlnence of the box
opener at the Bouf1es remarked later,
on the terrace of a Boulevard cafe,
"the delightful freedom of the Paris
streets from loaferA Are there nc
poor people?" he asked. Certainly
there are fewer of the exceedingly
poor, because of universal tipping.
The universal Paris concierge consti-
tr-es "A fine example of the working
OF this indirect poor rate By which
the almehouse system is largely obvi-
ated. The exhibition visitor will come
in touch with the Paris concierge, but
will scarcely realize her importance in
the social fabric. The 100000 natives
in and around the capital live in
apartment houses. each with its con-
cierge, or janitor, who lives rent free
with a small weekly salary from the
proprietor. The larger portion Of the
concierge's income is made up from
tips-pald 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
the cleaning OF the stairs; hundred
little commissions, like mailing let
ters, running errands and calling
cabs; and. on salary, she will make
the bachelors morning coffee, make
his bed, clean his room and carry up
his coal, even. Another service-ren-
dered according to the generosity of
the CHAMPIONSHIPS in the concierge
not making herself a perfect devil.
She may answer tradesmen's inquiries
with a 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
eeonomizing tips on the concierge.
Exhibition visitors. who oftenest go
to hotels, may profit by few sugges-
tions on the subject of getting their
quid pro quo for tips. The porter, or
| front door man. can be made as good
| as guide. Ut was one of these who
gave me the origin of the word tip
| French and Germans call the thing
drink money"-pourboire just as
the Chinese have 1t ll-tak, or tea
money. In an old English tavern a
receptacle for coin was placed eonspic-
uously, with the legend, ITO insure
promqtness." 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. |. 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 | needed prompt service.
40 Insure Promptness," he mused
| rehectively. 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 stun 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
ing, at least. The little chasseur
ought to hide the illustrated weeklies
for you, run for your cigarettes and
theater tickets, and find out names
and addresses, at least. As for the
maitre d'hotel, is not the deferentlal
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 so-called, receive proper salaries
because they never come in contact
with the guests. cellarmen. laundress-
es, cooks, lamp-tenders. silver polish
ers and the like, But the others are
lucky II they get $40 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 house where the guests are con-
stantly going and coming, and seek to
obtain footing, particularly where
the manager or proprietor is known
to be lacking energy An establish
,ment CT this kind is doomed. Its
OH 80 \.