The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03

and scrubbed them again. and this he
continued 10 do all day long, until
every tenant but the one of whom l
am writing paid the holiday tribute.
This particular tenant, however,
though somewhat amazed ct the con-
tinuOus Scrubhing. did not appreciate
what WAS wanted and did not pay up.
The next day the janitor wouldn't
speak either 10 the tenant or his wife,
and it was not until New Years morn
ing that they discovered what was the
matter. Then. according to what they
supposed the correct custom, they
gave his ianitor his 81, and then they
found out why he had been
'crouohy." Said the janitor. as he
pocketed the money, broad grin
overSpreaJing his face, Il fought you
had forgotten me: it will be all right,
now. sir; youse is all right, after all.
This brings up the everlasting tip
question. There is no doubt at all
that very large number Of New
Workers included among their New
Years resolutions one to modify some
what their extravaganza as to tips
during the twelve months which have
just been begun. Also there is no
doubt whatever that the majority of
ton. for there is no way of getting
along without friction nowadays in
this big town without spending a
goodly sum of money in extras.
IT'S this way" walled a man this
morning who came here two or three
years ago from Cleveland where the
required tips are much more moder-
ate than here. II get my luncheon
every day at a gilded, mirrored, mo-
saic-hoored eating palace, because
there I meet all sorts of chaps with
whom l do business right along l
don't go there specially to do more
business, though l sometimes do an
extra stroke or two even at luncheon.
and / know going there increases my
transactions considerably every year.
1t costs me about a dollar more day
TO buy my luncheon there than Ia
have to pay in a more modest place
for quite as good lunch. and there is
$500 a year: no small sum to me, for
it would buy all my clothes.
'T don't mind that money, though,
but 1 do mind the lunch tips, which
run up to at least half a dollar day
more. The boy who hands me a towel
in the lavatory, after / have washed
my hands, expects 10 cents day.
The boy in the check room-they ask
you to check your hat and coat at this
palatial eating jont-eXpects 10 cents
more. 1t would be a deadly insult for
me to pay the waiter less than quar-
ter; when ] have two friends with me
and the luncheon costs more than 81.
he expects and gets more. Thus you
see my midday tips run up to 40
cents on the lowest days and some
times more-say at least $3.50 the
year.
But that isn't the total of the tips
by any means. For some reason I've
never been able to shave myself with
out cutting my face, and so / have to
depend on a barber. Back in Cleve-
land I could get along with four
shaves a week. one every other day,
and an extra one on Sunday. Here
have TO be shaved daily.
Again I wouldn't kick were 1t not
for the tips. Fifteen cents a day for
having your face kept in good order
isn't extravagant, but you might as
we'll thing of getting shaved for moth
ing as for Is cents day. 1t is
true that this is all you have to pay
the shops for the servec, but the ad-
dition of 10 cents to the workman
who shaves you is as imperative as the
price for the work.
ct found that out the first time
endured the touch of the metropolitan
'tonsorialst' The fellow OWNED that
1 was new to the town. From Chicago,
sir?' he queried. NO said l, from
Cleveland Glad of 1t, sir returned
he, these Chicago fellows are no
gentlemen. They never give more
than a five-cents tip to the barber, sir,
and no self-respecting artist will ac-
cept less than ten.
"Then he proceeded with much con-
tempt to tell me a story of the way
he had been obliged to work upon the
pride of a Chicagoan only the day
before in order to get him to raise the
ante from a nickel to dime. 1 wasn't
so thick but l saw he was applying
similar tactics to me, and 1 paid the
dime without a murmur. 1 under
stood, of course, that if l were to get
good service from that barber l must
meet his requirements, and so I've
paid so every year since then in
barber tips. They would buy a fairly
good suit of clothes, and added to my
luncheon tips it brings the total up to
only $3.50 less than 5000 year.
''Nor is that all. The elevator men
in the apartment house where l live,
the walters who serve at dinner where
l dine with my wife or friends at the
yellow Plush Hotel, or at supper
when we get a bite after the theater,
all want their tips.
"All told it costs me more than $500
year for extras, and that's more
than l can very well stand.
mot long ago a well-known hotel
man said in a printed interview that
no one ought TO pay more than a 10
per cent. tip, and this is surely enough.
But, bless you, 1t wouldn't do for a
working basis here in New York. The
barber who receives 10 cents on a IS
cent operation gets Sc 2-3 per cent.
The waiter who gets rs cents on a dol
FAR lunch gets % per cent. The check
boy who gets 10 cents for keeping your
coat and hat-and, well, what per cent.
does ne get? Duane.