The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-08


Subscription papers were circulated and
collections taken with such success that
| the church was completed, with the ex-
ception of the towers, about TWENTY-FIVE
years ago. The last stones were put on
the steeD1es. five hundred feet above
the sidewalk. some twenty years since.
at which time it will be remembered
There was a great celebration of the
event in various parts of the Worlo
One of the few places in Europe where
we We're held up was at Cologne. The
amount is so insignificant that it is not
worth considering, except to relate a 1T
Tie incident and to show that the con-
tract made by your agent is not always
lived up to by the party of the second
part. had been persuaded that it was
always best to make your bargain with
the cab man before getting into his
cab, but not knowing the language dele
gated this transaction to my friend the
porter. The agreement was for an hours
Tide and the porter said it would be a
mark and fifty pfennigs, about thirty
| seven cents. This was very cheap, in
deed, but when the boat was reached
the driver demanded another mark
twenty-five cents. He was receiving
little enough for the ride but it would
have been Dleasanter if he had named
the same figure at the start that he had
at the end. After this the cabman and
understood the figures without the in
terVentiOn of any middle man and when
any trouble. This reminds me that there
are exceptions to the rule of agreeing
on prices in advance. One day, in walk
ing about London, trying to find the To-
cation of the Daily Mail. which is on a
side street, I got lost. at least felt was
losing time without gaining ground. l
called cabman and said. How much
to No Carmelite street, a shilling?''
The cabby replied Yes" He drove
couple of blocks to the spote AS I
handed him the shilling. he smiled. and
smiled in return. The schedule on the
inside of the cab said the driver was
entitled to sixoence for the distance
he had driven me, but this trip was
made by a bargain agreed upon The
incident shows the folly of replying to
your own question in the same sentence
you are asking for information.
One often reads of the lineup of
servants in foreign hotels when the
guest is departing and those who have
served him assemble along the line to
see him off The nearest approach to
this was at the Hotel du Nord. AS we
were leaving the room the maid hap
pened to be between US and the eleva-
tor. Twenty pfennigs, five cents,
seemed satisfactory to her The e1e-
vator boy took ten pfennigS, two and
one-half cents with thanks. Ones bill
is presented by the waiter at the table
who last served the guest. This man
got twenty pfennigs. The entrance hall
leading to the bus at the curbstone
was lined by a half a dozen servants,
with the porter at the end opening the
cab door. We knew we were in for
running the gauntlet. Two men, one
of whom had helped us in with our lug
gage and the other helped US out with
it. got twenty five pfennigs each: The
boots was passed with a stony stare
an6 he returned the compliment, al
though he knew nothing was coming to
him for no shoes had been polished We
reasoned that, as he had rendered no
service, he could not expect any remun-
Grafton, and got away without being
nobbed and apparently living up pref
stv closely to the customs I think this
line was in waiting for another party
who had stayed longer at the MOTEL
The porter with the fifty pfennfgs of
my money in one hand. closed the door
With the other and we were or, al
though I found at the dock another at
tendant of the hotel, who insisted upon
carrying our grips from the cab down
the gangway. for which he received
twenty-five pfennigs. This made many
pfennigs but not many cents, and gave
us lot of experiences and would pos
sibly insure us a warm welcome on any
return upon the part of everybody, with
the possible exception of the boots,
whose future treatment, OF course,
would be problematie.
In looking back over our trip, in the
mater of tips, it is likely we were prob
ably, as a whole. trif1e liberal, at least
more so than the natives of the eoun-
tries through which we passed would
have been to their fe11Ow-citiZens VINO
served them. but the saving OF a few
cents in tips often costs dollars IN de-
lays and vexations. 1t IS easy, without
APPARENT intention, to be directed 20 q
wrong depot or to local train instead
Of a. through express.
We We're told that the employees at
hotels all through the continent nave
a code of wireless communication by
which they transmit Information from
one city to another. giving the standing
and pedigree of the traveller, whether
he is close, medium or liberal as to tips.
This knowledge is conveyed by certain
inscriptions ehalked upon the luggage
and also by the method of sticking on
the labels. The .sosition OF manner of
sticking the tag upon the trunk indl-
Gates whether the owner is good, indif-
ferent or lad. This means that the
moment a traveller sets foot into a
hotel his whole past career. with his
probable future conduct as to fees, lies
like an open book before the people who
are to administer to his comforts. or
apparently in great innocence. assist
him to miss trains or valuable informa-
ton.
The ride I'D the Rhine gave twelve
solid hours of pleasure. on a fine day.
on a fine boat. The river averages
about one-third of a mile wide and
deep enough for it's great commerce.
The current is quite swift, the water
not CLEAR. but almost as yellow as that
of the Kaw. The banks are certainly
picturesque and, although not, in the
main. more beautiful than those of the
Hudson. have the added charm given
by age and history. Occasionally lands
adjacent are low. -'but as a rule the
abutting ground is high and for miles
is a continuation of great hills running
up into peaks.
e S.fo
mere ruins: others rebuilt into summer
homes for royalty. We passed castles
from three hundred to eight hundred
years old. Several of them were put out
of business by Napoleon and have never
been used since. We came to Bonn, cell
ebrated for it's great university: Cob
lentz, a large city protected by immense
Qualifications on great hill opposite.