Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-01-13
PRICES IN NEW YORK
HOW ONE WILL BE FLEECED
UNLESS ONE REvOuTS.

Inc cXtOTuOn iHdt H Z Fdn OF Lie IN inc
Great Metropolis-One Visitors Method Of
Dealing With the Omnipresent Game Of
Graft.
"There is absolutely no use in .
mans going to New York nowadays
unless he has Q pocketful Of money
and is willing to be systematically
robbed at every turn" said friend to
me.
Getting pessimisticT answered
with q smile.
"No, not at ALL" be answered.
Think about it,"
The next day had to 60 to New
York.
took . Pennsylvania railroad ham
som to hotel adjacent to Madison
square.
"How much?" I asked as alighted.
"Eighty-five cents" said the driver.
took out the schedule of fares,
which l had borrowed from the in
side of the hsnsom.
twenty-five cents for the fare," l
read off; 10 cents for valise carried
on top"
gave the driver 35 cents.
IL would like an evening Post"
said to the newsboy OF the hotel, and
gave him dime.
"Thank you, sir" he said.
"My changer" asked as read "3
cents" on the paper.
"Ten cents in the hotel" replied
the boy.
called the chief clerk aud got back
cents.
l ordered and ate Q light dinner
costing $l.40 and gave the waiter Is
cents as fee. He looked at the two
pieces of money contemptuously and
muttered to another waiter standing
by, " That fellow II get rich quick"
called the manager and said
"This waiter here has just brought
me $l.4O worth of food that did not
belong TO him and which he is paid to
serve me. ] gave him 10 per cent OF
the bill as a fee. The most can get
for my money is 6 per cent. He not
only accepted that fee contemptuously
but chose to insult me-"
left. So did the waiter.
called q cab to 60 to an uptown
theater, twelve blocks away.
".Two dollars" said "cabby" when
he reached the tbeater.
I called . policeman, told him
whence I had driven and asked him
how much should give the driver.
"One dollar" he said.
l went into . Broadway florists
shop and asked him how much for a
bunch Of 100 violets.
Eight dollars" be said.
told him to fix it up and then
asked to see the proprietor -
The proprietor came and verified
his salesman's price.
1explained to him that I knew from
whom he got his violets and how much
he paid for them-$2 for the hundred.
I argued would allow him 81 for his
profit, and 81 for his rent, the box in
which he put them. which cost him
10 cents, and the ribbon with which
he tied the flowers, which cost him
about 8 cents. Four dollars would
represent . profit to him Of $50 per
cent.
Take them," be said. "You're in
the business, guess"
paid him q.
"Not seat left" said the man in
the box.ofice of the theater. "except
what you can get from the speculators
outside"
called for the manager.
Within three minutes l had two
seats directly on the center aisle, eight
rows from the stsge-the choicest
seats in the auditorium.
drove back to the hotel again in .
cab. -.
1.-TWO dollars and fifty cents" said
my " "cabby" this time.
called . policeman once more and
again compromised" on the correct
fare Of 81.
The next day friend asked me to
lunch with him in what 10 known as .
very swell" restaurant.
I ordered bowl Of milk and crack.
ers. I wanted to see what would
happen.
It hsppeuedl It took the COM
bined efforts of two walters and the
head waiter to get my simple order
straight and then Oil three stood in .
row full OF interest 70 sae what ] was
going 70 do with such . strange order.
So far back 10 the childhood OF the
average New York waiter!
When the check came. my simple
order cost 60 cents.
called the manager and asked him
70 point out on the bill Of fare how
the price was arrived ct. He studied
and then figured out that l bad had
the equivalent OF . pint Of milk. and
nv crackers numbered exactly eight!
".Change that. check to 70 CENTS"
be said.
I begged my friend to allow mo to
pay the check. Ihad special reason.
did 90 and gave the waiter 10
cents 90 . fee."
He looked ct the dime, Tipped tho
coin in tho air and put it into his
pocket without word Of thanks.
asked him TO let me see the coin
for q moment. He did %. put it
in my pocket and strode out.
1 can still see the look on that watt
er's face. It was study in express
sioni
Invent into an "antique" % shop
and saw an old Dutch plate.
Seventy.five dollars" said the
smiling salesgirl.
"And this delft shoef" I asked.
"Ten dollars"
"Real delft, I supposer I asked.
"Oh, yes, sir" she replied.
"From Delft, In Hollandf"
"Yes, sir. We imported it direct
from there"
l asked to see the proprietor. He
verified all his salesgirl had said.
Then I spoke Dutch to him.
ala this shoe from DalftH I aeked.