Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-11-22

! on can make a Journey through Eng
/ land, Scotland, France, Switzerland,
Italy, Austria, Germany and Belgium
! speak of these countries because |
I have been there and not drink a drop
/ of wine or other Intoxicating beverage.
/ II you have any scruples, as you ought
TO have, there are always bottled wa
/ tiers, soda water, lemonade, or nom
alcoholic wines which you can choosel
and save money by it. You will gem
orally be asked If you will have some
thing to drink and il you choose soda
water or lemonade, costing about ten
cents, instead of bottle of wine at the
I cheapest about fifty cents, you will in
some cases not be asked again. 1t is
never very hard to refuse all drinks,
for all the large cities are supplied with
abundance of good water and in every
I country with the exception of Belgium,
/ plenty of good water is supplied at the
table. Numbers of travellers drink
nothing but water, others tea or coffee
with lunch and dinner. Tea, coffee or
chocolate is always served at YOUR
choice for breakfast
have been amused at the reasons
| given for drinking abroad. One Young
man, a teetotaler himself in England.
thought his sisters ought to take wine
because they had been little feverish
IN Switzerland Another lady had a
friend who took typhoid fever in Rouen,
and therefore she thought it wise 20
drink wine or cider abroad, as if typhoid
! fever could not be occasionally caught
anywhere. In Italy it is hard to get
good wine without. paying one to three
dollars bottle. for the duty on the
wine coming into the city is 50 heavy.
/ All cheap wines are adulterated and are
as likely to do harm as any of the good
water in Rome. Besides the variation
in the character of the wine seems
never TO be taken into account by those
who talk of drinking for health's sake.
One man in Paris about told the naked
truth. He said: II think drinking this
water on the continent upsets your di-
! gestion. | always drink beer | like
It." am satisfied whether they be,
business men, doctors, lawyers, pro-
| fessors or ministers that are in ques-
| ton, they drink wine abroad because
they like it, or out Of pusillanimous fear
of things no worse on the continent than
anywhere else.
Only in Belgium did meet with any
| discomfort because / refused to drink.
They need civiLziug on that question.
| At the first meal refused everything
when asked what would have to drink,
! supposing that as usual water-bottle
would be brought me. None was sup
| piled, but as there was plenty of good
water in my room didn't go thirsty.
/ At dinner | was asked again what
would have and called FOR half-syphon
of soda. This was the first time cold
water had not been promptly supplied
and | could see why. Ii was given to
those who wished to dilute their wines.
AT Antwerps the lodging part of the
hotel was superior. But again at the
first meal no water was supplied when
| refused all drinks except to ask for
| some water. After leaving the dining
room the head waiter followed me out
and laid claim to twenty-five confines
(5c) because | didn't take drink. "
That put me on my mettle and told
/ the head clerk to whom the lain was
laid that was going TO stay three days
and would pay nothing except the usual
gratuities on leaving. The next even
ing another waiter seemed astonished
( that refused all strong drinks and
asked for water, but complied within
request. He, however, also followed
me out and demanded that ! should pay
/ for the service because | hadn't had
drink. He also received his instruc-
ton. When left gave them the rate
per meal which they had asked, which
was really less than they would have
received had they kept themselves
in their proper place. If there had
been another hotel taking the coupons
which | had, | would have changed
my quarters AS ii is, intend to lodge
complaint in the hope that il may be
better for some other travellers. Now
that it is all over | am amused when |
think how out of date such conduct
shows them to be in hotels in Belgium.
In one hotel lin Cologne) which was
advertised as famous for It's wines, |
expected to be urged to drink, but it
was the only hotel in which was not
even asked what would have. was
curious to know just what the walters
thought, so ! remarked to the heat
clerk and chief waiter: Il suppose you
notice that do not drink wine?'' They
answered in chorus ooh that doesn't
matter"
That is the truth. 1t doesn't matter
If you choose to think so. If you do
have any trouble it should be pleasure
to do your part in showing these con-
tinentai peoples that it is a good thing
while learning their good points not to
yield to their bad habits as well. In
fact let them see that in some respects
the new nations stand for improve
ment on the old. Tourists have in the
past done too many thing for Europeans
simply because the Europeans have
thrust them at them in order to make
money There being 10 more unscrupu-
Ious money making evil in the world
than the drink traffic, it is little wonder
that it has taken time to get matters
adjusted as conveniently as they are for
| tourists
II in the future anything occurs to
me which is likely to be of interest to
your readers | shall send it along. For
I the present it seems best to cease
/ further writing, for l do not know
whether you are enjoying it or taxing
your patience, or are quite tired out
18th the voluminous product of my pen.
1 They have been hurried scrlbblings and
/ too often could have had more review
and correction. Till next time, fare
we'll to you and all Viroqua friends.
/ Yours as ever,
PERCIvAL D. MCCALLUM.
/ ST Cassell, Antwerp, Belgium, Octo-
Der II, 1911.