frmichelin1-2, Exercise 2: Testing the table story

Model answer (check the details):

The story: André Michelin saw a pile of free guides propping up a workbench in a tyre dealer's workshop, decided that "a man only respects what he pays for", and began to charge for the guide in 1920.

What supports it: it is repeated in books, articles and the company's own materials, and the guide did begin to be sold in 1920.

Who told it and when: it appears mostly in later accounts, many of them from the company or based on it. I have not seen a contemporary source from 1920 that records the incident (check). It fits the character of a man who liked clear lessons.

Alternative explanations: the guide had grown in size and cost, postwar inflation and a drop in company income may have made free distribution hard, and a priced guide could carry more restaurant listings and attract a wider public. These explanations do not exclude the story, but they weaken the claim that one visit caused the change.

What to want to see: a letter, diary entry or press report from 1919 or 1920 about the decision, the company's accounts for the guide, and an account by someone present.

Conclusion: the outline (the guide was free, then sold) is documented; the story of the table is plausible and unproven in its detail.

Care: a story repeated in many places may come from one source.