The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-01-21

be The Value Of Good Manners in Ho
lit teis, Cars end Public OficeS.
al One Of the growing evils Of the pre-
ent DAY, and one which causes more Al
noyance and discomfort to all clssss
OF people, than any other, is the war
OF pohteness Of certain employees II
IN subordinate positions in almost ever
description Of public business. Tosuc
d. an extent has this evil grown, and 5
le widespread and universal is the result
ing dissatisfaction, that it IS time. ful
s. time, thst leading business men. head
IA OF departments, managers Of raiIroa,
Is companies, prOprietors Of first clas
a. hotels, and the owners and chiefs O
v every grade Of Institutions intende.
'e tor the beneht or amusement OF thl
u people, should begin at once and sneed
= lly consummate q thorough reform,
T. reform under which the whole eommu
!, nifty may be permitted to enjoy Ia,
s blessings and comforts Of our country
e without being subjected to the super
1 ciliOus treatment OF those who are Sc
b lected to discharge the duties Of com
$ paratiyely inferior positions.
i It IA as easy 70 be courteous and 10
p hte as to be rude and unnannerly, ana
1 certainly much more sgreeable and
? pleasant It, collectively aRd individ
|, ually, we studied much more 70 please
= each other, We would be mutually vast
+ ly benefited by the result How often
p have men OF high character, who have
risen 70 eminence in public positions,
and enjoyed the esteem aad approbs.
ton of thousands Of their felloW-oit-
! zens, been mortified beyond measure
BY the impertinence and naughty over
bearing demeauor of that most ImpOr.
tant OF all personages, in his own esti-
mstiOn-the clerk Of a leading hotel
The good Old-lashioned landlord
the Bonliace Of ancient days, who stood
on the steps Of his porch to welcome
the advent Of the stage-coach-Who
took his guests by the hand, personally
superintended the arrangements for
their comfort, and entertained them
with all the manners Of a well bred and
eouFtly gentleman, became renowned
for his hospitality In those days, the
hotel clerk had, Of course, his own re
sponsible duties 70 perform; but, under
/ the immediate direction and superVis-
ion Of the proprietor, he assumed a
much more gracious demeanor than his
representative OF the present day.
Nowadays the traveller approaches
the clerk and quietly asks for accom-
mOdstions for few days Nine times
out Of ten this formidable character is
yersation with some ooncaitsd coxcomb
Of his own calibre, and returns you g
scowl on account Of your ilttimed in
teTruption. You are then surveyed in
one sweeping glance from head 10 foot
The temper and disposition of the man
IN whose power you then feel yourself
to be, will have much TO do in deter
mining the quality of the sCoommoda- I
tions you are to receive. First impres-
sions are said 10 be the most lasting IL l
you have created q favorable opinion I
in the mind OF the man behind the /
counter, you can obtain a wellfgrnished /
and desirable room On the second or
third door; il you have not, he spends
some minutes ia peering in the little
pigeon holes at his side, and after
long and careful meditation, while your
heart trembles al the prospect of being /
turned adrift, and compelled, probably, !
10 undergo the same treatment az an /
other place-ostensibly provided for /
the "entertainment' Of guests-hc rings I
for a servant and desires him % show 1
you to q room with g nGmber ranging ]
in the hundreds. The prospect Of as,
cending FIVE pair Of stairs, especially IL 4
that useful and modern contrivance /
entitled an elevator has not been in.
tFoduced into theest1blishment Is any
thing but inviting By this time, how
ever, you feel yourself under many OBJ
legations to lhe gentleman who con
ducts the establishment, and who has
thus graciously offered you the shelter
Of his roof for the night; and the line
Of march Is taken up, and you congratu-
late yourself at last ~ having safely ac-
complished the psril0us ascent
Reoollect, you are informed that the
house is crowded TO IFS fuile1t extent, .
but hours afterwari you are surprised, /
upon the arrival Of other trains, that !
some who are acquainted with the mon |
arch behind the counter are readily in |
stalled in well furnished rooms, which ]
have been reserved for the emergency |
First come, first served, is not the |
motto at many CT the leading hotels /
The pleasure OF travelling, never so gen
orally INDUCED in as at present, is |
almost entirely destroyed by these pet /
ty annoyances
And how difficult it is tc obtain the /
90 -
cler.;s g 10 the whereabouts Of friends
who may be stopping at the house
Although you may have made previous
engagements 70 meet them there at
certain hours, il is almost impossible to
ascertain positively whether they are
not at that very moment waiting your
arrival ip their rooms. Without deem
ing it necessary 70 send and inquire,
you are almost invariably informed
that they are mot in II you insist
upon it. occasionally. gs q great favor,
you are permitted 70 accompany the
servant TO the room in order " satisfy
yourself
There aTa, OF course, exceptions 10
the general rule. The extensive trays
eler once in a great while meets with
polite and kind attendants, and he ev-
er afterward holds in grateful gomem-
brance the courtesy he received and
pleasantly contrasts it with the 4 lnoy-
ances TO which be has been subjected.
Conductors on railroads aud persons
in charge OF ticket Offices are generally
the mOst unoommunicatVe Of any
class OF public servants; aud yet there
are none who can, BY few words, inn
part more desirable and satisfactory in.
formation. The answer 10 a simple
question ia uttered in such obscure Ian
guage and muihed tones that he who
asks it fnds himself no wiser than be-
fore, and the fOrbidding manner In
which the reply is given is sufficient to
make another attempt in the ssme di-
recton too hazardous &c repeat
Conductors, however, are much more
eXcusable than the class above referred
To- Their business necessarily prevena
them from paying much attention to
their guests, aud their services are
brought into constant Eequisition in va
riOus parts Of The train, ia order 10 10.
sure the comfort and safety OF those in
trusted % their care Bat a. We have
stated, they are celebrated for their
Teuoenoe. Even ordinary matters con
nected with the departure OF arrival
Of trains 81 various points along the
line, they seem . be unfamiliar With,
OF determined not 10 impart 10 anxious
inquirerz The responsibility OF one
OF these conductors ia immense. the
lives Of hundreds and thousands of
useful citizens depend upon his de-
pertinent and hatits
INVENTIONS N0T YEr PATErED Some
genius, whether mechanical or not re-
mains 70 be determined By oxperi-
ment has applied 81 the Patent otice
Tor protection Of the following inven-
tons.
J. A powder proof female
. A wedlock which can sot be pick
{ II l. l.