HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1969-04-10, Page 13THE BLUE THUMB
FMG. MacLEOD ROSS.
2. Fritz the Concierge
And so in due course weltre
arrived" to be greeted by the
doffed cap and sweeping bow of
Monsieur le Concierge. The hotel
is within walking distance of the.
Bahnhof. I am immediately
relieved of rily "hand-gepak"
and led proudly up the stone
steps of the pension into the
low-down pulpit, : containing
letter rack, directories, maps, ,
unwieldy pen. Jetzt! Ile even has
time for a little pleasantry with
one of the many children who
throng the postcard rack, th
colours of which shame the
rainbow. There! It is done! He
dives deep into a -trouser pocket
for change; counts out at legt
•
five francs in ten centime pieces.
A kip? "Danke vielmal!" and the
guest' recedes, prevaded in a
cloud of description of the,
guides and postcards and it is
here that he is permanently in
session, save only when he has to
meet the train. Around the
corner, but just inside the,
Vestibul, stands a 'glass chvered
desk which contains his stock of
tabac, cigarren upd cigaretten;
carefully locked away, but most
enticingly displayed.
His .prime joy is undoubtedly
the maniptilation of the mail.
5;o him the letter rack is sacred.
Should you help yourself to
your own letters he _will not
rebuke you, but plainly Ile is
grieved. Though you may see
yournewspaper staring you in
• the face, he will search every
furnishings consist of a small pigeonhole most laboriously,
open office, rather like - a before lighting upon it and
O pressing it into your hand with
great warmth. I have still to
decide whether he is more
pleased when there is definitely
"nichts" for you, as usually
occurs on Mondays, or when
yl,ur hOle is staffed
to-
overtlowing with Sunday and
Monday's papers, when you are
asked to identify each packet
separately. •
As he comes to know you
better, you appreciate that he is
'a businessman "erste klasse;"
and rightly so, since he probably
gets a percentage on his
successes in this direction. Very
eatty- in your stay he produces
for your entranced gaze a highly
coloured -map of the surrounding
district, which shows .each and
every "spaziergang and
fussweg." These are marked in
different colours 'and in, huge
Vestibul, (pLainly labeled as
such) a source of blatantly
ill-cOncealed speculation to all
the assembled pests. Whispers
• follow my entrance:
g'Englander." I proceed fiirther.
An awkward pause Whilst the
concierge enters the Bureau,
where mine host hurries into his
jacket, to issue forth all smiles to
welcome me in his best English.
•English..
But onr immediate study is
M.le Concierge. He is a busy
little man in his frock coat with
the golden crossed keys, and he
is terribly anxious to please. My
first requests and enquiries are
answered with a positive
maelstrom of "augenblicks" and
"bittes." Just a modicum of
patience and he will turn the
whole place inside out for my
greater convenience. His
0
0 •
12 suggestions
1. Alwaysread the label
before using sprays or dusts.
Note warnings and cautions each
time before opening the
container.
2. Keep sprays and dusts out
of the reach of children, pets
and irresponsible people.-4They
should be stored outside of the
home, away from food and feed,
and under lockand key.
3. Always store sprays and
dusts in original containers and
keep them tightly:closed. Never
keep them in anything but the
original container.
4. Never smoke while
spraying or dusting.
5. Avoid inhaling sprays or
dusts. When directed, on the
label,' wear protective clothing
and maks.
6. Do not spill sprays or
dusts on the skin or clothing. If
they are spilled remove
contaminated clothing
immediately and wash
thoPoughly.
7. Wash hands and ,face and
change to clean, clothing after
spraying or dusting. Also wash
clothing each day before reuse.
c' 8. Cover . food and waste
containers when treating around
livestock or pet areas. Do not
contaminate fish ponds.
9. Use separate equipment
for applying hormone -type
herbicides in order to avoid
accidental injury to susceptible
plants.
10. Always dispose of empty
containers so that they pose no
hazards to humans, animals or
valuable plants.
11. Observe label directions
and cautions to keep residue on
• edible portions of plants within
• the limits permitted by law.
12. If symptoms of illness
occur during or shortly after
spraying or dusting, .call a
physician -or get -the-patient-to-a
hospital immediately.
• •
IC*
Holiday on the tCt)rttitiong'
please'?" He carefully fingers off
each of ten twenty -centime
stamps in exchange . for a
two -franc piece; then does a
major calculation on his blotting
paper with a pencil stump,
should you ask for mixed values.
You wish to ['lay the tennis
no? Come, he will show you the
••
crosses and in gigantic noughts.
(Be warned in time. They are
painfully inaccurate): One of
these you MUST possess,. NO?
You already have one? You have
deprived him of one of the joys
of his life.
"Has a cable come forme?" I
ask, "Cable? Augenblick" and
he scuttles off, threading.his way
through the throng of guests
awaiting the return of the
elvator. First he searches his
cabinet de tabac; then rushes
into the Bureau. Your request is
to be dealt with at a higher level.
Meanwhile I dared to peep into
pigeonhole No. 99, to find it
empty. Then, exuding radiance
from every pore, Fritz emerges
wit4rrb1ank cable form. With a
.1 danke" I gravely accept the
blank form, for I cannot break
his heart. .
But now "morgen fruh" has
arrivedk,gskfr elaborate notice on
the blackboard informs us the
hotel waggon, which mercifully
is none other than an aged
"Acht Zilinder Packert" is going
to set forth on a "grosee
Tourfahrt" at .71/2 Uhr. Now
watch with me and we vjt1 see
how Fritz bides his time to fall
upon the unsuspecting guest
patrolling the passage, now
crowded with the efflux froth
dinner. He makes the approach.
"Has the Herr his ticket for
tomorrow's wunderbares,
• schonsten, gross-artigsten
Aussfluge? He has 'not? How
can .he have gone so long and
• come so near to missing this
opportunity of a lifetime'?" The
elaborate ritual of making out
the ticket begins. Fritz settles
himself comfortably—onto, the
stool of his constricted office.
Ile beams his delight. Papet is
produced. A hunt • for th
•
need to worry. He will arrange it
all. Is he not M.le Patron's right
hand?
Now that you have refused all
offers of his wares, there. is one
last scene you must not miss.
beauties and wonders which will
be his on the morrow. Then
Fritz can relax for a' few
minutes.
The cabinet de tabac has
already been mentioned. You
must not miss the sight of Fritz
turning over his stock withla
loving hand; inentally writing
down the value of the cigarren
which have become a bit frayed
at the ends; counting his
"Splendid Habana," so "leger
und licht," in case you had
doubts. Nor can that elderly can
of Edgworth •fait to cusea,
flutter in your breastAMolds
it before your eyes; a certain.
bait in a land which specialises in
long skinny ,cigarrenwith a bit
of quill stuck in one end and a
straw down the centre, and an
odour, when smouldering; that is
capable of clearing any public
room in seconds.
So our Fritz, like all his kind,
works very hard;.has long hours;
meets every train and answers
innumerable questions. AlTv-ays
merry, he has a distinct sense of
humour; he even has time to
improve his English during the
occasional breathing spaces
when he is not smoothing the
ruffled feathers' of fleshy:
mountains • from the northern
border. •
"Stamps? How many
SEE
"IN DAYS OF
CAMELOT"
• BY STUDENTS & STAFF OF
G.DC.I.
THURSDAYI, APRIL 10th
FRIDAY, APRIL. llth
AUDITORIUM
.
8:30 P.M.
Adults 51.25
Students 75c
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14 to 20b
What sacrilege, with the smell of
pine .trees on the ar! But Fritz is
such a simple little soul.
little book in the Bureau in
which each player can inscribe
hi.,pane and the hour at which
he desires to occupy the court.
You play today? Tomorbw?
So! At! You want a partner
too? Naturlich! Does Monsieur
le Patron play? That wonderful
high -lobbing game, accompanied
scrams, so der to the,heart
bf the fastnesses of the
Continent? But you have—no
fl
"
Let ine close therefore with the
look of triumph in his eyes as he
finally produces for Madame la
Contessa's delighted
consternation his absolute piece
de resistance. ,The Chinese
oil -paper sunshade. It is
absolument the .T.HING on the
Swiss Lido's this year. See! For
five franc fifty. But he will open
for Madame la' Contessa to see.
His eyes sparkle. "You would
like?" Madame gazes, but her
amused Interest, turns to steely
resentment. •"Made In China,"
EXETER
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Nal AND IMPROVED VARIETIES OF
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The hard earned estate you leave behind is
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But not here, because at Victoria and Grey Trust,
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. Don't le.te your estate to chance. Leave it in the
competent care oi Victoria and Grey.
VG
VICTORIA and GREY
TRUST COMPANY SINCE 1889
W. R. Curry, Manager 52.4-7381
Elgin and Kingston Streets, Goderich
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