Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1903-12-15
MINE Aosrs CONVERSION.
Behind the Scenes at Swiss Hotel
Where Rich Families soIourn.

| IL ID Olllg NEAg AAAEAy NhHN goA hAAN
a Swiss landlord in a communicative
mood, and with leisure for long talk;
but when you do the result is interest.
ing. The present writer, says the
Golden Penny. once rendered the pro.
prietor of a large Swiss hotel some
slight service, and was invited by the
grateful host to an exquisite little
lunch in his private room. After the
dessert came coffee and cigars
You like this cigar?' observed
mine host. 81 thought you would. II
is cigar we keep for the couriers;
these are gentlemen who will stand
no nonsense; they must have the
best of everything. The best of every
thing, and commission of per cent;
and when they are without engage
ment we are glad to give them free
quarters. 1t is Of the first necessity
to be on good terms with the couriers.
for il they are not pleased they take
their families elsewhere. And then
they can make the bill all right, for
the settlement is always left TO them.
No family will dispute what a courier
says is right. But the other day |
confess 1 was a little uneasy.
1--WE had a family of Americans,
richer, they say than the family Of
Rothschild-great petroleum people
and | left everything to the courier,
even to the ordering of their repasts
and their wines. When he ordered
their first breakfast l was almost sur
prised; when he ordered their lunch
was more than surprised; but when
he ordered their dinner ! thought he
had gone mad 1t was not the quail
ity that a3tonished me; It was the
quantity of everything, not a fourth
of which they consumed. Their leav
ings-what they did touch-made
luxurious supper for all my walters.
demonstrated. l told the courier
there would be trouble. He said no;
II would be all right. And it was.
The bill felt almost ashamed to
make it out-they paid without
word; and the courier touched a very
fine commission. Next to American
millionaires | like, think Egyptian
pashas But that was in the old days. |
Now they arc poor, and do not come.
And such airs tn y gave themselves!
But 1t was a very good thing for us
Il remember one we had-Duffer
Pasha. quite a young man, and, |
think, a relative of the khedlve. He
spoke French very well, and had with
him four masters (gentlemen), two
servants, and a courier The masters
lunched and dined in their own sa.
LOOM of course and the pasha ordered |
for himself bottle of Chateau Yquem
at 90 francs, and for each member
of his suite a bottle of Chateau La
Rose at 10 francs. These are expen.
sive wines, and as very little drunk at
second dejcuner, l ordered the un
finished bottles to be placed on tho
table for dinner But this did not
please his highness at all. He sent
for me Immediately, and commanded
that, whether little or much was
drunk, fresh bottles should be served |
with every repast. That was very
easy; but as / could not think of
throwing away wine worth 20 francs
a bottle, ordered the partly-emptied
bottles to be reflled, recorked and
served a second time"
"And so you were paid for the wine
twice over?"
"Parfaltement why not? Have
as many sorts Of wine as are shown
on my list? Not quite. For instance,
those three sorts OF Neuchatel are all
drawn from the same cask, but the
loss is mine, for when visitor orders
the cheaper sorts am done out OF
two francs bottle. You are right,
we make our principal profit by our
cheaper wines. Il is easy to charge
two francs for a wine that costs US
only one, or four for one that costs US
only two, but we cannot ask ten for J
good Burgundy that costs us Ave. or