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Show CALL AMERICANS STINGY British Irmkeepers Lament Growing Economy of Tourists. Hotel and restaurant keepers of London Lon-don are complaining of the small sums which Americans touring Europo spend nowadays fo'r meals. The increase in tho number of American visitors and the growing knowledge of the time-honored time-honored British custom of charging 'high prices for the "scenery," has wrought roform in the spending achievements of the majority of visiting Americans, who dislike'to be looked upon as "suckers." .Three ladies and a gentleman -sat down to lunch tho other day in one of the latest and most expensive of West End hotels. They were Americans and gazed with much satisfaction at the rose-tinted walls, the expensive chairs, the rich carpets, the white napery and the chaste .silver and cutlery on the tables. Then they ordered a lettuce, a piocc of cheese a'nd a roll. Tho man had a x:up of tea and the ladies a bottle of soda water among them. The surprising thing is that they wcro served, though they certainly would have paid much less had thov, gone to a teashop. "Were tbero many or these economical economi-cal Americans about wo should soon havo to shut the placo up," said tho manager of tho hotel in rmestion. "Fancv having to pay for all this," with a wave of his hand, "from tho proGt on a lettuce and a piece of cheese." The bill came to precisely 25 cents a head. The dainty little meal was served a la carte and no more could be charged. In tho circumstances it was not dear enough, though on the face of it somewhat expensive. London is at present full of economical economi-cal Americans; it is tho season for them. Thev belong to the class who have relatively rela-tively little money nud have fixed the amount to be spent upon a European tour. The steamer fare and tho railway rail-way charges are irreducible. They must economize on food, and as a result thousands thou-sands of them stny at high-class hotels, pay big prices for rooms and iecd in ooho. . , ,, "Americans at this time of year, said one of the leading hotel managers, "tjconomizc on tips and their food. He told of a whole family who came to the hotel, the father impressing on tho chambormnid that, it she looked after aft-er his peonlo she would bp treated hand-somelv. hand-somelv. She assisted tho ladies to dress and otherwise did much beyond her normal nor-mal duties. Thov stayed a month and on lcaviu" the American pater lnmuias presentedhcr with 5 cents Chicago Chronicle. |
