Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-20
TIPPING EVIL IN PARIS

lOSl one Ol It's WOdllnlCSI LAlilCi l1ctli
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 roy
atty, 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, says the
New York Sun, she went to a big
house she had bought.
ITO tell the truth" she said the 9TH
er day. Il 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 l
spend only six weeks of the year in
Paris, but you have no idea what
satisfaction it was to go to Paris this
year and not be held up for tips at the
end of my stay.
"The tipping evil over there, instead
of abating, has grown worse, and last
year my experience was such that L
determined l would never submit to it
again even in Paris. Just before leav-
ing the hotel 1 had made liberal pres
ents to everybody l thought could pos
sibly lay any claim to having done
anything for me, but as l was about to
go away my maid said:
"'You have forgotten the carpen-
ter
1.-The carpenter! l exclaimed. Why,
what has he ever done for me?'
"'Why, he mends things about the
house.
but has he ever mended anything
for me?'
"'No, madame, but he expects a
tip
This got on my nerves, and I de-
clared that l should not tip Mons eur
the Carpenter nor any one else; but
in the last l was mistaken.
Il drove to the railway st ltion in
great state of Indignation. but with the
firm determination tn 1t l would never
go back to that hotel. judge of my
surprise when upon reaching the sta
tion a boy wearing the uniform of the
hotel ran up and took off his hat.
Madame has forgotten me- he said.
"'Who are you" 1 demanded.
=" I am the elevator boy at the he tel
he said.
"'But 1 tipped one elevator boz l
said in perpleXity.
=" L run the other elevator, madame,
he informed me.
"'But did you ever take me up or
doWnstaris?
mo, 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 dumfounded at his nerve that |
simply took out a five-franc piece and
gave it to him."
Several years ago a New Yorker was
doing Belgium and France in a very
modest way and among other places
he visited was a 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 a
few coins to eXpectant persons on the
outside but there was one man hold
ing an outstretched hand whom he
could not quite place.
"What did you do for me?' the
American inquired.
"Why, monsieur" replied the other,
a tall, cadaverous individual "it is l
who pointed out the spire of our little
church as you entered the hotel"
In front of the Carlton hotel in Lon
don few years ago the writer was
witness to the absolute helplessness to
which some American travellers are re-
duced 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
four wheelers. 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 second car
riage and continued the process of dis