The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-19

TIPPING EVIL IN PARIS.
System of Extortlon That Drove ar
 American Woman Out of Hotel.

From the New York Sun.
 An ultra fashionable hotel in Paris lost one of its wealthiest American patrons, a woman, this year because she was tired of being expected to scatter small fortune in tips at the end of each visit.
 The hotel is much frequented by royal ties, and for anybody else to stop there costs real money. The American woman had made it her temporary abode for many years, but this year she didn't go there. Instead she went to a big house she had bought.
 "To tell the truth" she said the other day. "I bought that big house for no other reason than to get away from the tipping evil Of course it meant a big outlay, especially as I spend only six weeks of the year in Paris. but you have no idea what a satisfaction it was to go to Paris this year and not be held up for tips at the enc of my stay.
 'The tipping evil over there, instead of abating has grown worse and last year my experience was such that l deter mined I would never submit to It again. even in Paris. Just before leaving the hotel I had made liberal presents to everybody I thought could possibly lay any claim to having done anything for me. but as was about to go away my maid said:
 mYou have forgotten the carpenter ""rhe carpenter' I exclaimed. Why, what has he ever done for me- E ".why, he mends things about tho house..
 'Rut has he ever mended anything for me-?
 ".No, madame, but he expects tip.
 .rrhts got on my nerves and l declared that I should not tip Monsieur the Car penter nor anybody else; but In the last I was mistaken.
 q drove to the railway station In great state of indignation, but with the firm determination that I would never go back to that hotcl Judge Of my sur prise when upon reaching the station a. boy wearing the uniform of the hotel ran up and took off his hat.
 Madame has forgotten me- he said.
 "Who are you? I demanded.
 "T am the elevator boy at the hotel,' he said.
 But I tipped one elevator boy said
 "I run the other elevator, madame, he informed me.
 "'But did you take me up or down stairs?
 "'No, madame, but I ran the other elevator
 Then how in the name of common sense can you expect tip from me?'
 "'Oh! madame has tipped everybody else in the hotel. why should she not tip me- he rejoined coolly. and l was so dumbfounded at his nerve that 1 simply took out a five franc piece and gave It to him.
 Several years ago a New Yorker was doing Belgium and France in very pth r,1a a visited was little village near the battlefield of waterloo He had lunch con at one of the local hostelries, and as he left the hotel he handed out few coins to expectant persons on the outside; but there was one man holding an out stretched hand whom he could not quite place.
 ican Inquired.
 why. monsieur." replied the other. tall, cadaverous individual, "it Is 1 who pointed out the spire of our little church as you entered the hotel"
 In front of the Carlton hotel in London a few years ago the writer was witness to the absolute helplessness to which some American travellers are reduced when facing tipping time.
 A tall, husky American who was de- parting with his family, had Just had his luggage placed on the tops of two fourwheelers. For a moment he stood by the door of one of the cabs looking about with an expression In which be- wilderment and despair were mingled. Then he began to hand out money to everybody in sight in uniform.
 Next he went over to the other car riage and continued the process of distri- button. No sooner had his back turned than the porters, messengers, pages and walters who stood about the first car riage sneaked over and joined the second group. Most of them came in for second tip.