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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1878)
HOW TO THAVKf. UHKAVI.Y IN KWKOl'K VOL. VII. Jiaedeker is still classic. It will always be sin ud vantage to purchase the text, in tin: language of the country in which you travel, if you yourself are muster of it; thus you will find yourself in possession of the proper local designations for the ful statement of your affairs, public anil private, past, present anil future. No sooner iliil the eyes of mine host with whom 1 hail heretofore conversed in Gcr man fall upon the mngie word "A meriea " in my signature, than instantly his whole objects of interest. A. careful study of being underwent a change he had evi the guide-book, together with ugood map, will make you independent of all assist' ancc on the part of guides. On reaching a city, deposit your travel, ing-bag with the J'ortier, who, for a fee of live cents, will become responsible for it until you return. Thus freed from all luggage, launch forth into the heart of the town. Head over the list of hotels in your book, but be sure to avoid them all. Never patroni.e hotels; they ate to ex pensive for you. Search out a modest looking (hmthauK or Inn, and apply for lodgings. Won't he frightened by its exter nal appearance; you will generally 11 ml a neat, quiet room, a clean bud, and sub stantial consolation for the inner man, at one-fourth the usual hotel rules. Always bargain beforehand lor every.! thing, from a sheet of letter paper to your lodgings, and then pay for the latter in advance; lor even a distinct bargain will avail you but littie, without this latter precaution. It is amazing what poor mem. ories these people have, and a still more remarkable psychological phenomenon, that this versatile faculty alwuys wavers in favor of its possessor, who will demand thrice the stipulated amount, when you come to leave, with a blandness uurivuled by that celebrated heathen, Ah Sin. An incident in my own experience will illus trate this facetious humor of the average German Wirth. In Frankfort, recently, I applied for lodgings in a small Ga&lhuua, The terms being satisfactory, after supper I proceeded to register and pay the bill. The ceremony of registering in a Ger man Gaathnua is as formidable an ordeal now, as in the days of that sprightly Fraulein, Minna Von Barnholm. You are expected to present an abstract of your " genealogical tree," together with a cure- dcntly made a mistake in asking a for. eigncr the customary price, that cruelly shocked his every principle of good econ omy and business integrity. With an air of apology for not, sooner recognizing our dignity, lit! proceeded with admirable promptness to demand three times the amount agreed upon, and no amount of jogging of his memory could prevail up on it to rceogni.c our pievious conversa tion. It would be very unkind ami un grateful, however, to brand these idiosyn cracies with such harli epithets as " ly. ing" or "dishonesty." Heaven forfend! It is really intended as a hospitable dis tinction, paid to the foreign visitor, who is supposed to be seeking relief from the burden of his superfluous gold. Tht! English traveler is heartily hated lor hisselfishness,bul tolerated for his money. The euphonious title of "Golden Ass," with which the Italian hasciiiistened him, may not be altogether unmerited. The American traveler is less hated, and also less liked, than his r'uglish broth, er. He is pronounced a" queer one," and u somewhat parsimonious customer with, al He is commonly known as the '' dick ering traveler." The German traveler takes a trip for a fortnight of a hundred miles into some adjoining district, is yrceu and good-natured, boasts of his generosity and open handedness, and is, of course, beautiful ly fleeced, even by his affectionate coun trymen. The Yankee, on the othei hand, has a constitutional antipathy to being cheated; hence he shocks and annoys people horridly by his impudent and unconventional interrogations. This trait is really self-respect instead of stinginess; for the American spends six-fold more for hospitality and enjoyment tlutu his Gei- k t I''