350 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



Deeentbet 



roinute. Kvery thing's a-goia rouucl 

 an round, an I don't somehow feel 

 kinder ■well." — Chambers' Journal. 



THE TIPPING NUISANCE. 



Bow It Operates In L.o^ „ a, Paris and 

 New York City. 



The tipi)ing system has rendered 

 existence in Paris and London more 

 of a pain thrji a pleasure, but in 

 those cities the expectations of those 

 who are in the habit of receiving 

 gratuities are at least within mod- 

 eration. Even the harpies in the 

 shape of the old women who insist 

 on taking charge of a man's over- 

 coat or stick — "Voulez-vous vous 

 debarrassor, monsieur?" is their 

 monotonous chant — are got rid of 

 with a few sous, but New York is a 

 place of greater expectations, where 

 the lowest gratuity is 10 cents, and 

 a quarter of a dollar the usual con- 

 sideration expected for anything 

 like the delicate attentions crowned 

 by a finger bowl. The cabman who 

 sits im])assive on the box of the 

 coupe and has nu idea of getting 

 down to attend to the luggage, the 

 porter who brings the baggage or 

 parcels, the waiter who serves the 

 lightest refection or even drinks, 

 the barber who shaves one, the boy 

 who brushes coat and hat — each and 

 all are inspired by expectations fos- 

 tered by their employers, who rely 

 upon the public to help them iDay 

 wages. 



The barber shop nuisance is par- 

 ticularly exasperating, and ought to 

 be abolished through the adoption 

 of some such plan as obtains in cer- 

 tain old established shops on the 

 boulevard, such as Francois'. The 

 customer produces a franc, or 50 

 centimes, a half franc (10 cents). 

 The cashier keeps 5 cents (25 cen- 

 times) for himself, and places the 

 equal amount of change on the desk, 

 where it is apjiropriated by the bar- 

 ber. Thus the shop gets 5 cents, the 

 barber 5 cents — share and share 

 alike. 



The same sort of organized sys- 

 tem of "tipping" is adopted at cer- 

 tain hotels in Paris, particularly 

 those patronized rather by provin- 

 cials than by foreigners. When the 

 bill is presented, no "attendance" is 

 charged in the account, but a cer- 

 tain percentage is added to the sum 

 total, and this money placed on the 

 desk is equally distributed among 

 the servants. Thus the visitor is 

 spared the annoyance of being vir- 

 tually obliged to pay twice over for 

 attendance, for at other hotels, aft- 

 er having at least one franc per diem 

 attendance in the bill, he is con- 

 fronted with the following persons, 

 who expect, and* in some cases de- 

 mand, "tips:" First, the chamber- 

 maid, who has brought him hot wa- 

 ter and the tub; next, the masculine 

 assistant of the femme de chambre, 

 who has "made up" the room; next, 

 the bedroom waiter, who has served 

 the first breakfast; next the dining 

 room v;aiters in a body, from the 

 head waiter to the occasional attend- 

 ant; finally, the old established con- 

 cierge, who has seldom stirred from 

 her place to hand him letters and 

 the key, and, as a sort of an anticli- 

 max, her youthful and spry assist- 

 ant. 



Therefore, New York, in its "tip- 

 ping" complications, is not yet up 

 to Paris, where ladies without small 

 change in their purses are pursued 

 by irate coachers with vermilion 

 hued maledictions; but for a new 

 metropolis we are going it pretty 

 strong. The difference and distinc- 

 tion between the European tip and 

 the American one is that abroad the 

 individual who expects a gratuity 

 — and this is particularly true in 

 England — as a rule does something 

 to earn and deserve it, whereas here 

 at home the driver, who simply 

 drives, for which he is presumably 

 paid ; the barber, who merely shaves; 

 the waiter, who serves, etc., are on- 

 ly performing their duty without 

 extraordinary pains or service. Why, 



