NEWS OF 150 YEARS AGO
September 1862
From The Missouri Democrat, Friday, September 12, 1862.
ONE of the latest bits of Paris gossip turns upon the custom of giving a sou to the waiter. The Parisians having “inaugurated” a revolution against further compliance with this system, a customer at one of the fashionable cafes lately paid his reckoning without adding thereto the ordinary copper compliment. The waiter said nothing, but regarded the customer, who was an old habitué of the establishment, with a look of blank remonstrance tacitly enforcing explanation. “Alphonse,” said the customer, kindly but firmly, “I am very sorry, but I belong to the society for giving nothing to waiters.” “Oh, Monsieur, ne dites pas ca,” cried Alphonse, “you are an old pratique, and in that case I may hint to you that I, and Eugene, and Louis yonder, all belong to the society for accidentally spilling hot coffee over the trowsers of stingy customers.[”] The member of the society for giving nothing to waiters immediately pressed ten centime into Alphonse’s hand, and went on his way a sadder and wiser man.