The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-10
FIVE WEEKS ABROAD.

| XIII.
! AT the hotels through Europe, after
the porter assigns the rooms, the guest
Is escorted to his apartments and a
little slip of paper put before him to be
filled out. The blank spaces require
the names, addresses, number in the
party and occupation. This formality
takes the place of the usual registra-
ton in big book. The names and oc-
cupation on the blanks are copied for
record The calling of a guest seems to
be matter Of some moment partic-
ularly in Germany. 1 was travelling as
| a newspaper man and no questions
were asked. A friend of mine was
registering as a banker, having learned
that bankers were sometimes given
especial attention. This friend was not
banker, but really a lawyer. although
he excused himself for travelling a
financier on the ground that he held
some shares in a bank
| One day he concluded that he was
just then more of a tramp than a
banker, or an attorney. so he registered
as one, using the German word mean
ing a s'good-for- nothing" Upon seat
ing himself in the dining room the al
legged tramp found himself the center of
attention. The walters were all looking
at him. The head waiter shortly dis
appeared returning with policeman.
A conference was held and, while my
friend was uneasy, those at the tables,
who could understand German, showed
especial concern on their faces. Tramps
in Germany are looked upon with even
more suspicion than they are in America.
My friend began to think that the
whole German empire would soon be
after him unless he made satisfactory
explanations, which he did through an
interpreter, and caused his calling to
be put down again as a banker.
We reached Paris early in the evening"
after the hard days ride. seemed to
have collected small specimens OF the
soil all the way from the Alps TO the
French capital and was not very pre-
sentable for a first appearance In one
of the greatest cities in the world. I
also wanted to try one of the little pay
wash rooms in the station. Upon pay
ment of ten centimes. two cents, one
can make a wonderful change in his
appearance after dusty ride and then
I was also somewhat concerned by an
accident to my toilet. made at o'clock
lndC morning IN Geneva.
Some of the shirts my family had pro-
v1ded for the gentleman in the party
fastened at the back and others at the
front. In the hurry, incident to our
early rising, my apparel was not quite
correctly arranged. When we were on
the train a few hours my daughter
made sudden discovery, saying:
why, papa, your shirt is on wrong side
before xsrifa in,
laughter The French lady and gentle
man in our compartment did not under
stand a word of English and apparently
did not see any joke The matter was
also somewhat serious to me, and then
none of the French people, with whom
we came in contact the entire day,
seemed to notice that anything was
aniss, any more than there was always
a general survey Of everything we wore.
I never knew my family to be in quite
such good spirits over a little thing as
they were at my appearance on this
trip. I furnished perpetual entertain
ment, without expense. There was a
constant series of giggling every little
while. Our fellow passengers evidently
did not understand what was the matter
and 1 had no language at hand to make
explanations AS nearly as [ could
judge, by their faces. they thought 1
was a very dignif1ed, gentlemaniy COM
panion and that the ladies with me were
simply incomprehensible in their perl
odical outbursts of merriment OF
course, the real explanation of the MAJ
ter is that 1 was saving the bosom for
our grand entree into Paris. My ASSOC
ciates on this trip threatened to publish
this incident in the Capital unless L
used it, In which case I have preferred
to be hoist by my own petard, rather
than be blown up by another medium.
had no difficulty in explaining to the
cab man where we wanted to go. haV-
pronunciation of the name of our hotel,
which was the Hotel de L'Athenee, pro-
nounced Hotel de Latinay." French
words seem to be pronounced quite con-
trary to their spelling.
This same friend of mine, who had
the trouble with the German empire
over his calling. told me that when in
Paris he wanted to be driven to the
Hotel Chatham. but had to call upon
half dozen cabmen and bystanders be-
fore they understood he wished to go to
the ''IIotel Shaytom.''
Our hotel was filled and mainly with
Americans: over one-half of the names
appearing on the register were people
from New York, Chicago and other
places in the United States. I had
written in advance for rooms, and we
were given the only one left, a small
one, which cost fifteen francs, $780, In
a day or so we were given two excel
lent, connecting rooms, for which we
paid twenty-five francs. or $40. per
day. a lower rate than would be
charged at the best hotels in New
York. While the prices for rooms in
Paris were not so high as they were in
hotels of a similar class in New York
city, the figures in the cafes and res
taurants connected with the hotels. are
much HIGHER.