CURIOUS HOTEL CUSTOMS.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, 18 September 1912, Page 7

CURIOUS HOTEL CUSTOMS.

Abroad, -where many quaint and curious hotels, taverns, and inns of respeqtable antiquity abound, it i s natural to find-many, odd customs followed to this day by the patrons of these caravanserais. There is an inn in a town on the Rhine, wherein, wherever a patron liTTieard to swear, he must place a coin equivalent to the value of one cent, on the bar of the counter.

■ Until recent years there was an old inn in Warwickshire, the proprietor of which was accustomed to invite all his patrons to accompany him and his wife on Sunday mornings to a church directly opposite the inn. On returning from service each customer was expected to partake of refreshments offerad by the hospitable landlord free of charge.

Those who put up at one hotel in Edinburgh obtain, if they are accustomed to the ways of the place, a first-hand knowledge of the Scottish disposition. Patrons of this hotel must remember to keep their shoes or boots in their rooms overnight, otherwise their footwear will be blacked regardless of their original color.

There is a public-house in Dumfries where may be seen an old armchair, alleged to have been invariably used by the poet Burns when he visited the place. All who sit in this chair are required to "treat" all who may be in the room at the time. There is a.tavern in the South of France where an almost incredible custom prevails. Patrons are allowed only one. drink Should this prove insufficient to quench their thrist, they must leave the inn and take a walk before they are permitted to have another.

The Austrian proprietor of an inn in Hungary evolved a quaint idea for providing funds for charitable entertainments. A patron in this inn, seek> ing refreshments, is expected to knock on the table or counter before drink? ing. Any violation of this rule is penalised by a small fine, and the money thus obtained goes to provide funds for the relief and entertainment of the poor of the village.