Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-20
QUEER CUSTOMS IN VIENNA.
Slow Banking Methods Prevail-Nc
 Night Latchkeys

Night Latchkeys.
 "An American with the ordinary sense of humor, and more especially a northwesterner, can have more fun to the twenty four hours in Vienna than any other capitol in Europe-that is, if he uses his eyes,' said Dr Frank R. Wright.
 Dr Wright has just returned from a prolonged period Of study In Vienna and he talks very entertainingly of the extraordinary customs that still sur vive from the days of old Vienna that are popularly supposed to have passed away with the advance of modern pro gress.
 2s'It is a strange combination of the modern and mediaeval, is the city of Vienna" saidfDr Wright "Think of a city of 1,50O,00O inhabitants in which you can buy membership on the stock exchange for $4O0 and the annual dues are $25.
 "The methods of business in Vienna are utterly obsolete. They are the methods of over century ago. As an instance of the banking system, may tell you that I had a draft I wanted cashed and took it to the leading bank. One of the officials of the bank glanc- ed at the bit of paper, yawpSnd and then examined me closely, as though sus- pecting some evil intention on my part. Finally he remarked nonchalantly that if cared to call again in the afternoon he thought he would be able to arrange the matter for me.
 Another little detail of my experi- ence with that bank occurs. There must be revenue stamp affixed to a draft before 1t can be cashed. But who would suspect the existence of an inhexible rule that the stamp must be put on before the draft Is endorsed However, if foreigner is unlucky enough to indorse his draft before he stamps 1t, he will have all sorts of official red tape to go through with be- fore getting his money. A friend of mine found that out. They fined him $S for indorsing before stamping, and the remarks he made seemed to aston ish them exceedingly. -.t.
 Tt is funny to an American studying in that town to be solemnly denied the privilege of latchkey but that is what ne nnds himself up against. If he stays out after 10 o'clock at night he has to ring a bell at the barred and bolted door, and after an appalling delay the Hausbesorger clatters sleepily up to the other side of the door. There he pauses until satisfied that the man on the other side is a legitimate resident Of the house. This point settled, he unbolts and unbars the door and let's his caller in, receiving as his reward lO kreuzer. This Is not tip. It is his legitimate pay for performing an office that has existed for centuries.
 There are no lights in the halls of these houses. After the Hausbesorger has admitted the belated individual he hands him candle of the sort we use for birthday cakes in this country. The little flame sputters and gutters in the draughty, dark railways and after feeble efforts to sustain itself it usual iy goes out. leaving the unfortunate in possession of 1t on wrong floor in ut ter pitchy blackness. The Hausbe- sorger pays no attention to any little difficulty of this sort. Once he has let you in and handed you the toy candle he has done his full duty.
 T have often wondered what 1t would cost to call doctor in the night in, Vienna. l forgot to say that it costs just as much to get out of the house after 10 at night as it does to get in. I figured out that if I had a toothache and wanted to go to the drug store 1t would cost me 40 cents. I therefore made up my mind not to have foothache and didn't. So much for the power of mind over matter.
 '.When you ride on a street car in Vienna you tip the conductor in addi- ton to paying your regular fare You hand the conductor 2 kreuzer, where upon he becomes offensiyelv obseuui- ous A Viennese car conductor one day held tip street car full of people for five minutes while he searched his clothes to find me a match. all because I had given him kreuzer instead of iu moment of alteration. Two kreu- ger is less than a cent of our money.