New-York tribune., 1922-01-29

|
| and remaining extremely blasc
after her experiences in the rab-
bits burrow could step into Europe
to-day as a respectable American trav-
cler she might work up considerable
interest in the paradoyes Of European
exchanges. The characters in the rab-
bits duRout, their strange appearance
| and conversation somehow drift into
obscurity beside that gymnastic gentle
man OF American origin known while
ou tour in Europe generally as do
lair" and his remarkable power for
throwing the European lucre family
| into mathematical gyrations that make
| your head whrl.
| European experts within their yarl-
Gus borders have been trying to disci-
| plinc the mark, the lire, crown, the
two-franc cousins-Franch and Belgian
and others, to keep their feet when
the American gentleman draws near.
80 far without little success. They
suffer everything from aggravated pep
TO palpitation Of the hcart, sleeping
sickness, locomotor ataxia, jropcy,
spots before the eyes and all the mala-
dies contained in symptoms Of in7a-
tion, dcfation and reaction.
Printing Press Remedy Fails
European specialists are performing
operations around the clock, usually
With a printing press, but they have
yet to fix the patient 80 that he doesn't
every time the "do-lair" comes to town.
AT home the ''do-lair" is fairly doc
lie. even though carrying such obi
ous aliases as 'berrv," "plunk," :"
"bcan' and "buck,' but bring him to
Europe and he is so full Of jazz tnat
he can't hold still. In some European
localities he is fair imitation 90
whirling dcrvish.
To Americans travelling on the Con
tinent Austria is the prize paradox,
though topsy-turvy conditions prevail
most everywhere. A dollar expands
to the pre-war equivalent of between
$500 and $1,000 in Vienna, or be-
tween 1000 and 5000 crowns. Ac-
cording to the fuctuating rate OF exx
change it requires between 40 and so
crowns to count the once we'll known
American penny.
An American business man recently
paid oneeiehth Of cent for a shave
in Vienna, tipped the barber a penny,
then sauntercd down the street to
large fur shop, where the proprietor
asked him 100000 crowns for q coat
he was interested in for his wife.
The American bought copy Of The
Ne~ York Tribune on 4 newsstand
for 700 crowns-less than Is cents
and read that st. Louis fur manipu-
lators were boosting the price of furs
at home. lie then returned to the fur
store with an idea of buying the exquis-
ite 100000 crown article. The pro-
prictor apologetcally informed him that
ne had made mistake in the original
price and that the coat in question
would cost 100000 crowns.
Perhaps the furricr had read The
New York Tribune, too.
The American paid his bill at VIZ
ennas best hotel the following day, 4
matter of $5 for a weeks lodging in
an excellent room, and departed. A
few days later in Paris he read that
\ large mob of Vienncse workmen of
reddish tendency had sacked the
business center of the Austrian capi-
tai, including the fur shop with its
marvellous coat Of performing crowns.
Meal Hours Close Together
In Europe meals are served table
d'hotc in dining cars in three stages.
Those with early hunger may eat
luncheon, for example, at 1880 O'Clock
Other sittings come at 1890 and 1880,
respectively.
The first series is not popular with
travellers en- route from Switzerland
into Austria, via the Zurich Vienna
line. 1t takes ravenous hunger to
drive a passenger into the dining car
while the train is still rolling on Swiss
territory. 1t usually crosses the Aus
tro-Swiss boundary about time for the
second series. 1t costs money to avoid
the rush, and it is the late bird that
captures the worm. Luncheon in
Switzerland costs five Swiss francs-
about 81. Once in Austria the dining
car steward demands 900 crowns. To
a Swiss this is 60 centimes, or about
slx-tenths Of one of his francs. To an
Austrian it is rank prodigality in any
case and to an American it is about -
cents.
1t is not only Americans, Swiss and
hollanders whose moneys expand be-
yond all reason when they enter Aus
trla, seen with money to burn. Ger
tain numbers OF Vieuncse themselv.x
are observed occasionally lighting =
l'oo0-crown cigar with 1,0o0-crovn
note. This species Of Viennesc make
tnelr money il sort of presto fashion
oy speculation. They start out for the
evening with 100000 crowns or so in
thcIr largest oyercoat pockets. Thev
dine at the Bristol or at Sachcr's for
e'ooo or 5000 crowns a plate, spend
few thousand crowns on automobile
riding after dinner and wind uu at tho
opera with 1,5OO-crown seat r..~