Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1911-08-30

~ VERY summer thousands oil
h Americans make their initial
a trips across the Atlantic to tour
Europe. All bad sailors know
the moment when it is best to seek
a chair and keep still, if the situ'
alton is to be saved. The man in the
picture has reached this stage. All
would probably be we'll had not the
woman with the baby dropped the
feeding g-bottle. Her maid, in the back
ground. is past hope. The mans duty
is clear. But. then if he moves?
One of the most interesting features
of an Americans first European tour
is the comparison of transatlantic GUS
toms in hotel and railway with those
Of the land Of the brave and the home
Of the free. Many things that to the
seasoned traveller have become com
monplace long ago strike the tourist
on his initial trip as highly amusing.
Col. Brotherton of Kentucky, for in
stance, had been recommended to a
quiet Italian hotel. Returning late
from San Carlo, where almost every
tourist goes on his first night in Ma
pies. he was amazed in passing along
the corridor to see outside nearly ev-
cry door in addition to the boots on
the floor sundry dress skirts and trou-
sers hung upon large branching brass
hooks. A garcon who was sitting in
the corridor tried in broken English
to explain it was the custom for trav-
elers to leave the clothing they had
worn during the day outside their
doors to be brushed. But the colonel
was incredulous. Never saw any
thing like it in America" he said.
Likely as not it's some sort Of skin
game, and all those fools will wake
up in the morning and find their
clothes stolen. Not I! I'll brush my
own"
Wouldn't Leave Her Key.
Miss Clarissa Blythe of Vermont
was perfectly astounded at having her
chambermaid rush after her as she
carefully deposited the key Of her
room in her beaded reticule, and ex.
claimed:
But, madam! Please leave your
key beside the door. l must have 1t
to go in and do your room"
But where is your passkey?" she
demanded.
"I have none," the maid replied
"See," she said. pointing to the hook
at the side of the door. the same hook
dedicated to skirts and trousers, you
must hang your key here when you
go out"
An Englishman who was sailing
from Boston not long ago was reduced
to one pair Of really comfortable
boots. These he placed outside his
door to be polished on the eve Of his
departure. and he woke in the cold
gray dawn to find his boots gone and
not a porter in the hotel who could
trace them. He was forced to descend
in his slippers and buy new pair OF
stiff. uncomfortable boots tc wear to
the steamer, and to this day he has
not ceased to curse American hotels.
In Germany one Of the up to date
hotels has little locker in every
guest room between the bedroom and
the corridor. with door on either
side. He opens the door in his room,
puts in his trousers and boots or what
ever clothing needs attention. The
valet passes along the corridor, opens
each door with his own pass key, and
removes the clothing to brush 1t, re-
turning it and locking the door care
fully upon 1t. and when the owner
awakes he has only to open his little
door, and there are his clothes all
ready for him.
The European bed always strikes
the uninitiated American traveller as a
huge joke. In France they commence
to impress him with their height and
narrowness and he looks obviously at
the enormous Turkey-red cotton
"couvre-pied" Of eiderdown which
looks something like mountain; and
he wonders how he is ever going to
bear all that extra weight on his per-
son. But when he has slipped be-
tween the sheets and the grateful
warmth communicates itself to his
cold bones-if 1t is winter they are
sure to be like icicles-he discovers
that 1t is deceptively light and deli
ciously comfortable. In Switzerland
the beds attain little more height,
but it is in Germany that they become
Of such an altitude as to necessitate
pair of steps to mount them.
Tricks Played on the Traveller.
Sometimes in European hotels the
tourist is taken solemnly to one side
and told that by paying few francs
or lire more he can have the royal
bedchamber. A certain hotel in Sor-
rento, where a dozen or more royal
heads have lain in one season, is even