The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-03-15


your Brockton made shoe. he will un.
errlngly single you out as a fellow
countryman abroad on pleasure bent.
therefore fish for his net He may be
working on one OF the three com
moner "lays"-the touch" the loan"
or the guide" In other words, he
may brazenly ask YOU for small sum
Of money with which he may obtain
food or lodging. he may tell you
hard luck story about a mythical de-
layed draft and ask you for loan 10
tide him over, or he may offer TO
guide YOU around and about Paris
al so much an hour or a day.
Grafters working the touch" plan
are easily got rid Of A small piece
of silver and decided refusal 10 give
more will usually suffice 10 send them
on their way, although your name and
temporary address will be passed
around sooner or later. together with
tip" as TO the amount you gave the
first begging countryman.
The pleas OF those after loan"
are in many cases both heartrending
and plausible. A cable message is
often displayed which may read: "Sor.
~ delay Draft for thousand first
mail" Who could refuse Cloan-Cut
young fellow from Milwaukee after
he had told you OF the clothing locked
up at his hotel. Of two sleeploss nights
passed in walking the streets OF
Paris? With tears in his eyes he as
sures you that not morsel OF food
has he swallowed in eight and forty
hours; then he exhibits the cable mes.
sage. and you part with 30 or 100
fraucs-rever 10 see II again.
The beCgars are a nuisance. the Dor
rowers are a pest but the so-cail'd
American guides" Of the great French
ci,y are most unquestionabl" the
worst Of the lot. in that their dealings
With American visitors. while appar.
ertly straightforward, are rs crooked
rs the prov crbial rams horn Graft,
uader q thousand different cloaks. en-.
tors into their propositions. They
toll not. nor do they spin, yet few
tourists eat better food. drink better
wine or wear more fashionable attire
than do these buccaneers Of the bJule-
wards
They pounCe upon you rs sou leave
your train at the Care -. Lazare,
they scan the columns OF the npwspa-
pers for the names and addresses OF
thc newly arrived Americans; they
haunt The yicinase Of the Grand ho-
tel: they hail you as YOU leave the
Credit Lyonnais after cashing n draft;
but possibly OF all places their favor
&c stamping ground is along the
northern side Of the Boulevard de-
Capucines Here, upon every hand.
particularly during the late afternoon
and evening. you will encounter the
American guide" airily swinging his
rattan stick, his shifty eyes looking
for the telltale American derby.
Naturally, If 1t be your first visit
20 Paris, you desire 10 see all Paris.
both before and after dark. He will
help YOU You hail with delight the
coming OF the Interpreter guide who
speaks your language. for are not the
sights and mysteries of Paris as an
open book TO him?
His rates are only a louis a day and
expenses. but even this sum can be
shaded should you plead your irabil.
fly 10 afford that sum. Should you be
unable 10 afford a halflCuis, or even a
measly fve-franc piece, II is more
than likely that the guide will yawn.
gaze up and down the boulevard, and
then deliver himself substantially as
follows
We'll. I'm sorry. Tines are pretty
slow over here and I'm not very busy
But look a.here-l'll tell you what I'll
no: I've nothing on today or tonight.
and seeing that you're from Little Old
New York-my home town--I1l show
you around for nothing. just for ~"
sake Of passing away the time. You
pay the cab fares, the lunch, the sup.
per, and I'll show you everything
that's 10 be seen. I'll save you money
and keep you from being skinned. tn
cost you less n | take you around
than II would II you tried 20 get
around alone---and take Il from me,
the Apaches are pretty bad this year
and il isn't safe for an outsider 10
pike around Montmartre without n
guide who knows all the ropes. What
do YOU say? VIII we start now"
Who could refuse such an invita-
! ton? Not the average American tour.
! ist ypcn his first visit. True, with the
aid OF a guidebook he might find his
gay TO the Louvre. His boarding