The Washington herald., 1907-06-24
AT THE HOTELS.

= 4 \ n A. ~ \ <&<@s
"The miserable telephone service IN
London is something 70 almost drive an
American frantie with lmpoteut rage
said Mr.. r. S. McGarvey. Of Chicago at
the Arlington.
Il had one or two experiences IN try
ing London telephones while there recent
ly, and am prepared TO say that they ara
so atrociously bad that one wonders how
on earth the public endures them. l sup
posed they were the limit Of inefficiency.
and yet when I endeav0red 10 talk over
a Paris telephone a few days later.
was bound to admit It would take an ex-
pert TO say which Of the two was the
more diabollcal failure.
What was the matter with them?
Why, everything IL took minutes 20 get
central instead Of seconds. as in the
United States. and then after you had
secured your victim. audible and Uuiu-
terrupted conversation was impossible.
After a few half understood words, there
would come a break and a prolonged
wait Then the rest OF the interview
would go in this order. What's that?
No. I can't catch il. What did you say?
Repeat that, please and so on ad
naUseam
THE reason for such a pitiable service
did not learn, but IL did not take me
long to get enough, and I found il easier
and far more agreeable % get In cab
and ride two miles % talk with a person
than 20 attempt an abortive confab by
wire"
Paris is a grand and glorious old burg,
but 1 had enough of it this year to last
me for while" said Mr.. W. J. Bostwick.
Of San Francisco. at the Shoreham.
My troubles were the same that hun
dreds upon hundreds Of my fenow-citIzens
Of the United States experienced. and
were due 20 the fact that the hotels OF
the French capital were utterly made
Quate 70 accommodate the sWarms Of
American tourists who invade the town.
wrote weeks before leaving home 10 the
hotel which I had patronlzed many times,
sent a cable the day I sailed from New
York. and took the further precauuon OF
wiring from Cherbourg, but after all
this. when 1 got to my hotel al almost
midnight the manager threw Up his
hands despairingly and begged forgive
ness for not being able 20 give me and
my wife any quarters. He said his house
had been full for weeks. and it looked as
though none Of his guests would ever
lieave. But he had with infinite trouble
g0t me a room I'm an old. dilapidated
house near by, where 1 could make out
until morning. and then l could probably
secure better lodgings elsewhere. After
ward ! found I had played in luck 10 get
any sort Of place 10 sleep in. for on that
very night more than one American failed
Of finding a bed anywhere. putting in all
the hours until dawn going from one
hotel to another. always 10 be met with
/ the same information Of a packed house. r.
Finally, I was lucky enough TO get in
stalled in my own hotel, but discovered
/ that French t..rift had availed itself Of
/ the opportunity TO charge me just twice
what had paid the previous year; that is
/ 90 say, 80 a day for a room. without O.
/ bath. All over the city the hotel pro-
/ prietors had doubled their prices. and
think if they had trebled them the rush
I 10 get quarters would have been just as
/ strong. for the people were there. and at
/ the mercy Of the tavern keepers. This
condition prevailed all through tie month
Of May and well into June.
1T was the same way. my wife told me-
iu the stores. for she also knows Paris
+ quite well. and this year was quick 90 see
that the shopkeepers have raised their
tariffs fully 100 per cent fust for the bene-
/ fit Of the Yankee visitors This further
/ item / got from her and know it Is au-
+ thenuc. These excessive prices for fem
mime belongings Is for the spring and
summer months, when the daughters Of
. America are there with fat pocketbooks
and eager 70 buy. After their departure
for their native shores, when the pur-
chasing public includes only the local fair
sex. down go the prices 20 the uOrmal
figures. which attract the prudent Pa
risiennes."
A prominent New Orleans business