Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1911-08-31

AANO ~
Americans make their initial
trips across the Atlantic to tour
Europe. All bad sailors know
the moment when it is best to seek
a chair and keep still, il the stu
alton is to be saved. The man in the
picture has reached this stage. All
would probably be well had not the
woman with the baby dropped the
feeding-bott1e. 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 he1
chambermaid rush after her as she
carefully deposited the key of he,
room in her beaded reticule, and ex
claimed:
But, madam! Please leave your
key beside the door. l must have II
to go In and do your room"
But where is your passkey?" she
demanded.
II have none," the maid replied
"See," she said. pointing to the hool
at the side of the door, the same hool
dedicated to skirts and trousers, "yo,
must hang your key here when yol
go out"
An E~nglishman who was sailins
from Boston not long ago was reduced
to one pair Of really comfortable
boots. These he placed outside hi,
door to be polished on the eve of hi.
departure, and he woke in the COLI
gray dawn to find his boots gone ant
not a porter in the hotel who coult
trace them. He was forced to descend
In his slippers and buy a new pair O
stiff, uncomfortable boots to wear t,
the steamer, and to this day he ha,
not ceased to curse American hotels.
In Germany one of the up to, dat,
hotels has a little locker in ever,
guest DON between the bedroom an,
the corridor. with a door on eithe
side. He opens the door in his room
puts in his trousers and boots or what
ever clothing needs attention. Th,
valet passes along the corridor, open
each door with his own pass key, an,
removes the clothing to brush It, re
turning it and locking the door carr
fully upon 1t, and when the owne
awakes he has only to open his Httl
door. and there are his clothes al
ready for him.
The European bed always strike
the uninitiated American traveller as
huge joke. In France they commenc
to impress him with their height an
narrowness and he looks obviously
the enormous Turkey-red cotto
"~couvre-pied" Of eiderdown whic
looks something like a mountain; an
he wonders how he is ever going t
bear all that extra weight on his pc,
SON. But when he has slipped b,
tween the sheets and the gratefg