登陆注册
5395000000281

第281章

The price at these hotels throughout the union is nearly always the same, viz., two and a half dollars a day, for which a bed-room is given and as many meals as the guest can contrive to eat. This is the price for chance guests. The cost to monthly boarders is, Ibelieve, not more than the half of this. Ten shillings a day, therefore, covers everything that is absolutely necessary, servants included; and this must be said in praise of these inns--that the traveler can compute his expenses accurately, and can absolutely bring them within that daily sum of ten shillings. This includes a great deal of eating, a great deal of attendance, the use of reading-room and smoking-room--which, however, always seem to be open to the public as well as to the guests--and a bed-room, with accommodation which is at any rate as good as the average accommodation of hotels in Europe. In the large Eastern towns baths are attached to many of the rooms. I always carry my own, and have never failed in getting water. It must be acknowledged that the price is very cheap. It is so cheap that I believe it affords, as a rule, no profit whatsoever. The profit is made upon extra charges, and they are higher than in any other country that I have visited.

They are so high that I consider traveling in America, for an Englishman with his wife or family, to be more expensive than traveling in any part of Europe. First in the list of extras comes that matter of the sitting-room, and by that for a man and his wife the whole first expense is at once doubled. The ordinary charge is five dollars, or one pound a day! A guest intending to stay for two or three weeks at a hotel, or perhaps for one week, may, by agreement, have this charge reduced. At one inn I stayed a fortnight, and having made no such agreement, was charged the full sum. I felt myself stirred up to complain, and did in that case remonstrate. I was asked how much I wished to have returned--for the bill had been paid--and the sum I suggested was at once handed to me. But even with such reduction, the price is very high, and at once makes the American hotel expensive. Wine also at these houses is very costly, and very bad. The usual price is two dollars (or eight shillings) a bottle. The people of the country rarely drink wine at dinner in the hotels. When they do so, they drink champagne; but their normal drinking is done separately, at the bar, chiefly before dinner, and at a cheap rate. "A drink," let it be what it may, invariably costs a dime, or five pence. But if you must have a glass of sherry with your dinner, it costs two dollars;for sherry does not grow into pint bottles in the States. But the guest who remains for two days can have his wine kept for him.

Washing also is an expensive luxury. The price of this is invariable, being always four pence for everything washed. Acambric handkerchief or muslin dress all come out at the same price.

For those who are cunning in the matter this may do very well; but for men and women whose cuffs and collars are numerous it becomes expensive. The craft of those who are cunning is shown, I think, in little internal washings, by which the cambric handkerchiefs are kept out of the list, while the muslin dresses are placed upon it.

I am led to this surmise by the energetic measures taken by the hotelkeepers to prevent such domestic washings, and by the denunciations which in every hotel are pasted up in every room against the practice. I could not at first understand why I was always warned against washing my own clothes in my own bed-room, and told that no foreign laundress could on any account be admitted into the house. The injunctions given on this head are almost frantic in their energy, and therefore I conceive that hotel-keepers find themselves exposed to much suffering in the matter. At these hotels they wash with great rapidity, sending you back your clothes in four or five hours if you desire it.

Another very stringent order is placed before the face of all visitors at American hotels, desiring them on no account to have valuable property in their rooms. I presume that there must have been some difficulty in this matter in bygone years; for in every State a law has been passed declaring that hotel-keepers shall not be held responsible for money or jewels stolen out of rooms in their houses, provided that they are furnished with safes for keeping such money and give due caution to their guests on the subject. The due caution is always given, but I have seldom myself taken any notice of it. I have always left my portmanteau open, and have kept my money usually in a traveling-desk in my room; but I never to my knowledge lost anything. The world, I think, gives itself credit for more thieves than it possesses. As to the female servants at American inns, they are generally all that is disagreeable. They are uncivil, impudent, dirty, slow--provoking to a degree. But Ibelieve that they keep their hands from picking and stealing.

同类推荐
  • The Thorn Birds

    The Thorn Birds

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 耳门

    耳门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • THE EVIL GENIUS

    THE EVIL GENIUS

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 友古词

    友古词

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 香山县乡土志

    香山县乡土志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 你知道火影吗

    你知道火影吗

    当拥有火影系统的主角穿越到另一个世界将是一个怎样的情景?什么?这个世界和原本的世界不同?竟然是武侠的世界?也不是,在这之上还有修真者。主角扶着额头:我应该何去何从?…………且看主角带着火影忍者系统在修真者的世界里如何闯荡。
  • 飞翔在绿茵场

    飞翔在绿茵场

    从三江县考入A市升学率最高的三中的楚格,本身没有接受过正规的足球训练。但是进校之后就和足球结下了不解之缘。因为种种原因不能再在球场上实现自己梦想的韩春阳,想要一个能拯救自己的理想的足球天才李天,如流星一样陨落的曾经的足球天才郭栋……一群人在楚格身后,帮助着楚格慢慢的成长为了一个实力不凡的球员。在接触足球的过程中,一直只知道学习的楚格发现爱上了足球。
  • 一场世界性争论

    一场世界性争论

    身材高大、相貌英俊的地铁维护员危滔负责巡查地铁车辆,给铁轮上油。干这份工作,他每天只需要花上两个小时,给进站的地铁加上一点机油,薪酬是一个月两千块。
  • 鼓之舞(中国好小说)

    鼓之舞(中国好小说)

    小说的明线是讲述一支城市锣鼓队在艰难生存中获得成功。作为主人公的敏枝和她的小姑子叶枚围绕锣鼓队的指挥发生了很多故事。另一条线索,是敏枝的情感纠葛。她怀念着抛她而去的诗人,对处处照顾她的队长心生好感,而自己的有些猥琐的丈夫,却让她无所适从。随着丈夫叶涛的离去,她的感情似乎也获得了新生。
  • 神秘现象(自然瞭望书坊)

    神秘现象(自然瞭望书坊)

    每一朵花,都是一个春天,盛开馥郁芬芳;每一粒沙,都是一个世界,搭建小小天堂;每一颗心,都是一盏灯光,把地球村点亮!借助图书为你的生活添一丝色彩。大自然美丽而神奇,无论是广阔的天空,还是浩瀚的海洋,无论是遥远的地球两极,还足近在身边熟悉的土地,总有那么一些现代科学努力探索却又无法清楚解释的未知事物和神秘现象。这些扑朔迷离的谜团既令人惊奇,又引人深思,勾起人们探索的兴致。
  • 佳人如玉卿思飞

    佳人如玉卿思飞

    人生淡如水,如果我不曾遇见你,如果我不曾爱上你,生活于我,却是寡淡无味。颜如玉,爹娘不甚详的女娃,天不怕地不怕有钱花,不爱学习,却爱走街串巷,时不时打架斗殴,是全市有名的问题学生,没有之一。不知何时起,发现自己竟喜欢上养父母家的哥哥,七团团长战神项飞。想嫁给项飞的高干姑娘,随便拉出来就能编几个连。颜如玉知道了自己的心意,也发现了危机,为了能站在他身边,便开始了学霸之路,顺便灭灭情敌。
  • 快穿迷局:恶魔宿主,刀下留人

    快穿迷局:恶魔宿主,刀下留人

    【1v1悬疑向】【女主黑化预警】【无虐渣无逆袭,反套路预警】“叮,好感度已达到要求,宿主可以进行灵魂收割!”一朝诈死,林阡陌金蝉脱壳,摆脱了上界头号通缉犯的身份,终于能够穿梭于三千位面寻找已经尸骨无存的他。循着灵魂碎片的感应,她需要在一个个小世界里收割他的生命......集齐万千残魂妄图将他拼凑完整。可是在任务世界里,一遍遍挥起死神镰刀的她,真的懂得,他于她的意义么?而因他而起,导致她所真正对抗的,又是怎样一个可笑可悲的天道法则?
  • 拐角漫漫来

    拐角漫漫来

    李漫不过是碰上了家族人的暗杀趁机消失在墙角而已,谁知道会遇见一个喝醉酒的无耻兼流氓的男人?躲了两年终于被发现之后,李漫终于忍不住冷声申明不会跟他回去当他的小妾的。南宫琉硭无奈又宠溺“乖,本少主带你回家当寨主。”
  • 世界最具影响性的文坛巨匠(2)

    世界最具影响性的文坛巨匠(2)

    我的课外第一本书——震撼心灵阅读之旅经典文库,《阅读文库》编委会编。通过各种形式的故事和语言,讲述我们在成长中需要的知识。
  • 二娃难求

    二娃难求

    卢初阳是个普通的女人,有个疼爱自己的丈夫和懂事的女儿,一家三口过着普普通通的日子。自从二胎开放以来,公婆逼迫她二胎,公司因她是结婚女士不给予升职。卢初阳不光要承受来自公婆的压力,还要负担房贷的压力和女儿的学习费用。家庭和事业,哪边更重要?生活不过柴米油盐,她又该如何抉择。