Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 May 1891 — GOING ABROAD. [ARTICLE]

GOING ABROAD.

If So It 1b Important for Ton to Post Up on Tips. Detroit Free Press. ; The time is now rapidly approaching, indeed it is almost here, when the tide of summer travel to England and the continent, will v be at its flood. To take a trip nowadays, with all the modern improvements both in the art of navigation and in ship construction, has declined from the really serious undertaking of a generation ago, until to-day such an outing may be made under no more inconvenience than might be endured were the prospective voyager to remain snugly at home throughout the summer. But dismissing all the phases of the subject, consider how rich American* make voyages pleasant and comfortable. A life at sea has usually been depicted as something short of an inquisitorial death; and the funny man on his maiden visit abroad has long since penned that clever phrase, referringto the dreadful ‘ ‘Oh, my,” of Mark Twain, “first,” says the aforesaid f. m., “first I thought I would die, but soon I was afraid that I would live!” But, presto! all this is now a thing of the past, a mere historical incident of the past. What has been the open sesame to the luxurious life of the habitual sea rover? As an American you will despise it no doubt (abroad), but you certainly can not afford to overlook the potency of this sesame while aboard ship —in a word, ’tis tips! “Tips, sir?” said a gentleman who has traveled extensively. “No enterprising American now thinks of going abroad without making due allowance for the servants on ship board. Ido not mean that the cabin passenger will be subject to any open effrontery or malicious neglect if he does not contribute to the plate, while en voyage, but what I do mean is that by a carefully invested dollar or two his comforts will be more readily attended to. “A cabin passenger, as course, expects and will leceive very liberal attention en voyage from the servants about him. Indeed, the tips are not usually given until the close of the voyage, so that the servant often takes his chances on being repaid for his many personal services to the guest. Very often a gentleman does not feel disposed to tip a waiter, and, of course, all the waiter can do is to make a mental resolution to ‘get even’ on the return voyage should his victim patronize the same ship homeward bound. In this case the waiter has his man quite at his mercy. Without being specific, you can of course readily see that where a person is dependent on the will of a second party for ten days’ comforts and conveniences, en voyage, the water has the traveler in a serious position, especially should the man of plates and spoons choose to be inattentive, sour or vindictive. You may then depend upon it that, in some inexplicable combination of circumstances, you will always be served with the burnt end of the roast: your salads will not be properly dressed; your wine not properly cooled; your salads reeking with oil, or the ship may give a sudden and quite unexpected lurch and the poor, blameless waiter will accidentally spill a dlate of piping hot bean soup down your very collar. Oh, yes, these are some of the milder evils that attend the revengeful, tipless waiter or steward who is deeply interested in the adding to the harmony of your voyage. Of course it goes without saying that your boots will be polished mornings only on the tips; that your baths will be so frightfully hot as to cause you to roar out in pain; or that the ‘lee-scupper’ (or some such thing) will be accidentally left ajar some night when there’s a sea on, resulting in a dreadful midnight awakening, the voyager drenched to the skin even while lying dreaming of the gentle angels in his upper birth.

“But do not let me lay too much stress on the grotesque side of a disagreeable voyage. Happily for Americans (the greatest travelers in the world) such voyages are becoming more and more rare. On the contrary, with the improved service from year to year, a life at sea, tips or no tips, is one grand, long holiday. If you desire to be a king for a week, take an ocean voyage—and tip the; waiter. Then see what will happen. Your room will be in apple-pie order throughout the trip, your bath will neither be too hot nor too cool —just right; your boots will beas radiant ds the noon-day sun; your meals will consist of innumerable courses, all served as they should be, and everything keeping time with the music of the band in the grand saloon; in short, servants innumerable will fairly combine to kill you with kindness, leaving neither hand rior foot .unserved for ten long days together. “You ask what tips on the ocean usually amount to?. Well, the receipts of the steward can be compromised for about $5; the porter $2. and the rest of them about $lO or sl2; so that on an ocean voyage all extras may be covered by, say, from $7 to sls. The majority of travelers seldom pay more than $7, while sls is considered princely tipping, resulting in treatment becoming a prince or high official dignitary. “As I said before, there is no compulsion about the tips. A voyage may be made without them and be SjrfeotJy satisfactory to yourself. ut it is best to be on the safe side. Outside of the tips a S6O passage for p. single man, who doesn t want an

outside room, will be dR the expense of a first-class voyage. The bridal chamber on the ocean gbay hounds is in much demand during the summer season, and is often quoted as high as $5(10. As might be imagined, the accommodations, attendance and ex tras are simply supurb. The fittings of the chaffioer are regal, and all the service in accordance therewith throughout the voyage. “But to my mind the star accommodations on an ocean voyage are to be found in that rare resort, the cap tain’s cabin. The captain’s cabin is usually held at a high premium. It is given only as a favor, or through some personal arrangement with the captain. The captain’s cabin is seldom obtained for less than SSO. It will accommodate two persons. The cabin has its special steward, porters and waiters, so that your servants are ready to do your bidding at any hour of the day or night. The cabin is located high and receives all the oscillation of the ship. In this sense it is not a desirable place. But this disadvantage is more than counterbalanced by the regal service that awaits the occupant. The voyager in the captain’s cabin usually has the added privilege of the bridge. This of itself is a sufficient honor to warrant the extra expense of SSO. “On the voyage home one of the special features calling for a tip is unique entertainment of volunteer talent given in the cabin. All distinguished or talented people aboard are invited to participate, and, of course, they esteem it a privilege tc entertain their friends. The result is usually a very fine concert or dramatic entertainment. An admission fee is charged, and the money thus collected goes for the benefit of disabled seamen. Here ends the purely tipping features of the voyage?’