The Republican journal., 1872-11-21
Woman as a Hotel Clerk.

The IIolyoke, Mass, correspondent of
the Boston Post cells how Mr.. Davis, of
the Ingleside Hotel, suited himself with a
clerk
During the past summer the plcasantest
place Of resort in the house has been the
office. This room, usually appropriated
by the masculine portion of the commune
tv. and considered sacred to cigars and
turf and club gossip, has been invaded by
the ladies of the house, who have made it
a sort Of rendezvous, gathering there in
the morning after breakfast, looking in at
mail time, and quite taking possession of
the place in the evening. OF course there
is n reason for this, and it has an eXplana-
ton in that fact, contrary to all precedent
and following out an impulse of his own,
the original landlord has placed a lady in
the office rs clerk. The experiment has
proven most decided success. Tn place
of the airy young man who usually re-
| ceiveS you, and condescends to allow YOU
10 remain an inmate of the house at II
generous rate Of daily compensation, the
Avisitor to Ingleslde is met by pretty,
graceful, blonde-hared GIRL, who gives
| him such a cordial welcome and looks out
so earnestly and quickly for his comfort,
that he feels at home ut once. During
the first two seasons in which the house
was open, Mr.. Davis, like all other land
lords, employed q male clerk. but he
wasn't suited. People weren't met as he
wished them to be; things didn't work so
smoothly rs he liked: there was more of
a hotel and less Of u family air about the
place than he fancied, and he began study
| ipo how Ga ao,,1l off, C,,J
denly he was seized with an idea of plac-
ing woman in the position, and see how
that would do. There surely was no
didn't work, why the new clerk could be
set adrift rs the others had been before
her. Her sex should not save her. So
last May Miss lie Gallee was installed as
mistress of the keys at Inglesidc, and
there she remains yet and will remain Just
rs long as she chooses to stay With the
ladies of the house especially she has been
a great favorite. Occupying the position
which she did, she gave them the entree
to the office and reading-room, privi-
lcge they have not been slow to avail
themselves of. The duties are light, such
as a woman can easily assume, and this
girl, somewhere in early twenties. adapts
herself to them with the dignity of a much
older woman. In her whole summers
experience she says she has met with
nothing unpleasant; the gentlemen who
frequent the house have been as deferen-
tial and polite to her as though she had
met them in society on quite an equal
footing. To Mr. and Mrs. Davis she has
assumed almost the place of a daughter,
and they care for her rs il she really were
one of themselves. The guests of the
house follow her example, and of all the
inmates no one is more cared for and
thought of than she. In addition to her
office duties she has the charge of the
library connected with the house, and vet,
with all these responsibilities, she has time
for Il deal of pleasuring. and in all the
excursions from the house, Miss LIE Gal
lee is always counted in. Here is another
avenue of labor open to women, one that
has never been thought of before, and yet
one that they can fill satisfactorily, both
to themselves and their employers. Some
exceptions may be taken at first to the
publicity of the position, but Miss lie Gal
lee, who has had experience as saleswo-
man in a large city establishment, gives
the preference to her present mode of life,
as being much less exposed and far moro
pleasant. But then it is very true that all
hotels are not "Ingleside," nor all pro-
prietors like Mr.. Davis. Still woman
holds herself in her own hands, and with
a little tact can adapt the position to her