Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-03-29

hotels in India are wretched affairs,
says l. E. Thalman in the Baltimore
sun. The rooms are swept by a filthy
coolie, who with a bundle of switches,
ike a South Sea Islander, whips the
mating and fans the dust into cor
ners, but does not clean the room.
Towels are unchanged; so you carry
your own towels, and lock them up to
prevent the coolie from drying his
feet upon them while tidying the
room. 1t is a notorious fact that they
do use your bathroom and anything
convenient, such as hair brushes,
soap, dentifrice, towels. etc.
All articles. broken in the dining
room or elsewhere are charged to
guests, and the majority of hotels
insist on calling II hours day.
Birds hop about the dining rooms
and roost in crevices at top of each
room, the ceilings being usually very
nigh and without much finishing, with
rafters visible. Lizards crowd undis-
turbed about the apartments, and the
guest may be thankful they are not
snakes.
Salt is heavily taxed, on the princi-
pie, probably, that such taxation
reaches the poorest of the poor, and
none can escape it. 1t is a crime to
extract salt from earth or sea, for it
is a government monopoly and yields
more revenue than the immense liq-
nor and opium traffic of India. Hotels
grind salt with flour to increase it's
bulk until it loses its SAVIOR.
The Hotel Menu.
The hotel menu each evening con-
tains veal, chicken or mutton outlets,
consisting of remnants of meat and
made into coarse sausage-like
cake. In each cake secondhand"
bone is stuck, then it is fried and
served. Chocolate cream is on the bill
of fare as dessert, sort of chocolate
colored pudding made of scraps ofbread
served with sauce; and this same dish
will masquerade each evening under
q different name, while the band plays
in great style. Calcutta hotels, at
least, have one night per week a
guest night" when a band plays, and
1t is safer to invite friends to dinner
on that night, as there always is a
chance of getting some real ice cream,
or the like. Yet, these hotels have
the audacity of invariably bringing
forward a book in which you are
asked to write and sign fiattering
testimonial. overlooking with praise
for the management.
The Servants
India is the ''land OF many SER
sants." The head servant is called the
bearer" he has the responsible con-
4rol and general management OF all
the servants except the cook. The
cook, the next in Importance, not only
cooks, but buys all the provisions. At
the big hotels he contracts to feed
the guests at a rupee (32 cents) or
less per head day. Another resign
eily placid individual sits on his feet
IN the kitchen and washes the dishes.
The gardener cares for the lawn and
decorates the table with flowers at
every meal. The Waterman has duties
peculiar to housekeeping in India, and
shouts at frequent intervals during
the night to prove he is awake; but
he has been known to shout in his
sleep. The ayah, or lady's maid, is
the only woman servant In European
households in India.
II a man keeps a horse, five or
more extra servants are required. One
is for driving the horse. another to
see that he does drive it, one TO cut
grass, the food of the horse, another
40 harness 1t, a fifth to look after the
carriage, and so on.
Every European, resident or travel
sr, rides in India, it being disgrace
for any white person to habitually
walk. When driving from one to
four natives must accompany you. II
YOU ride on a small cart driven by
owner one man straddles beneath the
axle at the rear of the cart and hangs
on for dear life. In a barouche the
driver and a native occupy the front
seat. while two footmen stand upon
small steps at rear. The chief at
tendant shouts at those blocking the
vehicles progress. The footmen run
ahead of your team, shouting and de-
handing right Of way, especially at
street corners and curves. The native
people all but fly from beneath the
horses hoofs and accidents are oil
frequent occurrence.
The water carrier supplies all the
bathrooms and the kitchen, besides
watering the shrubs and flowers. BY
hand he pulls the water from deep
we'll. Another man, the sweeper,
looks after the rooms and keeps them
clean" At night these menials scat
Ter 20 all the plague spots" OF town
10 return perhaps with sufficient con-
tagion for the whole family.
A stranger in India need never
feel friendless, for at his departure
from each hotel he is surrounded oy
A delegation of farewell wishers, del
egation OF twelve to twenty servants
including those aforementioned. They
each know OF your intended departure
almost before you do. Three-fourthi
Of them you have never seen before
ant they all expect ''backsheesh" from
You. and it is useless to try to &c
along without paying ''backsheesh'