The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-20
TLlE LOST iona Err.
The Surprising but True story Told BY
Hotel Porter.

Hunting ND facts about the hotels Of New
York. ran across a waiter, rray-haired and
solemn looking, who told mo he had been
"servln' folks" for over forty years, and knew
hotels from stem to stern. Seated on couple
Of trunks IA a long hallway, we began talking
or rather he begin talking and this Is the
information derived from him.
YES, sir I'll tell YOU all about hotels. You
couldn't have met a better man; cause I've
served In 'em all. from the highest TO the low
est. ANY strange experlence7 Let me see
Well, knew a man once got lost In a hotel.
You see, 1t was this way, SIR He comes
walking In about twelve o'clock at night-a
little. 1ord man. brsk-like In bis move
ments, with an immense nose and small
carpet-bag; and he steps up to the clerk, and
says he, registering OF his name. says he. A
room on the fust floorl' The clerk. he smiles
on him, and hands him kew, and then calls
to me to show the gentleman up.
II never asks gentleman now under no DIR
cumstances whatever II he II prefer to walk up
stairs go up In the elevator, since almost loses
my situation by 1t once. let's EN- act their
pie lsure. You see a gentleman, a English gent
he was too, same as myself, be took room,
and asks him quite polite II he'll prefer To- be
elevated. You never see a madder man IN your
life. He goes straight back to the clerk, and
says he to him: / have been grossly insulted.
Your walter alter, asks me wpuldnt rather nlsSe. De
Sir, do not prefer to be elevated And he
walks on in great anger. / carried him up etairs
many night after that-aud well he paid me
for 1t, too-and took him Of mornings quarts
and quarts OF cocktails; but comes near
.oh' y" about o.p the lost iodgerP Yes You see
takes him up the first flight OF stairs, and then
| he stops and says, which room Is II, waiterT
! / looks at his key and sees his room is numbcr
| 9895, and gives my right hand flourish Ike,
sne say IL D s rhsn TS s S' G
! bit angry, that he asks the clerk for a room on
the 0rst floor and slys, quito cheerful, In-
! never gets what you asks for. II you tells EN-
room In the lower part of the house, they sends
! YOU to the roof, OF whereabouts and, contrary
! wise, II you want to sleep high up. they are
sure TO give you accommodating low down
flights further ana there, just at the top Of the
stairs he sits down, MS supposes. to rest htsself.
But no; nOthink whatsomever; because right
away he says to me;
My friend on second thought, think as bow
I'll do my slumherne right here cause I'm
ever so tired and wants TO get away early to-
morrow morning. by the time reaches that
$685. room, unless starts directly back will be
too late for breakfast. This hotel owes me two
dollars worth OF quiet peaceful slumber and
will wrestle with 1t here. am not an explorer
feels certain that room 1896 Is situsted on the
top OF some lofty mountain. Let the HeIdld
send stanley out 10 discover 1t II II VIII nut as
| for me, will court the drowsy god Tar from Its
bugs and other uncertainties. Good night
And he reaches out his hand and shakes me
good by. and settles hi-self for a nap.
1T was trying moment. but was calm. sir 4,
and collected, sir and disnined. explains to
| him that the thing couldn't be done nohOw
whatever. No first class hotel would allow IL.
Not on account OF the stairs, I hastened to say,
but the example. Just think says to him {;
| lust think what an awful thing 1t would be IL.
| through you. society In general should take 20
sleeping on stairs az "A permanent tningV Well,
| sir after "a deal Of argumenting, | gifts him on
his feet again, and off we goes up more stairs.
| lie sets plump down atop OF the sixth hight,
and says as how really he couldn't think %. 81
around In the morning for him. lie asks me the
most curiousest questions, such as, Was GER
danger Of getting lostY Did have compass
aud a chart with me, for iustancef How many
feet did think we had got above the level OF
the scar Was there snow on the roof all the
year rOundl How many regular balloons DID
tho proprietor send up TO s,pS dayf And did
| come up this hiah oftenf He really would
prefer to sleep where lie was, because beds
never did agree with him anynow; they makes
him nervous. and they gives him CRAMPS stairs
was his weakness and had always been; never
slept anywhere else when he was home. never,
neverl Couldn't anchor hin, or attach buoy
to him, and leave him some Kind OF steam
whistle to blow OF IN the morning so some
body would be able to find him, and show him
outf Was there any difference in the price OF
sleeping on the stairs OF IN bedl He'd cheer.
fully pay 1t, he says. as also for the anchor, and
the buoy, and the steam whistle. And then ht
II shakes him up and tells him that thi
sort Of conduct won't do. Says I, NY duty q
you w to room 9,y5.. wouldn't be rude SAY,
for 9Pa5, and 50 up to 1895 must you co. HI
gets up. then. withouta word, anu follows M
but when | turns around to kinder encourage
him a blt he was gOnel
My heart comes plump M In my m outh, a cole
sweat breaks out all over me. and tremblo like
leaf from top to toe. calls To him, first low
and then loud, but nobody answers. was dis
tracted and almost feels my hair on end.
looks for him up and down ia the corTidors and
on the stairs, but never nnds him. He WIS
lOstl
wen, sir, never passed such miserabl,
night in my life. ] couldn't rest quiet IN any
one place | goes NJ STAIRS and down stairs
through all the halls. peeping ia aud out ever
where, bat do sn't see a hair u him. | goei
down at last ana sits on n trunk aud feels guilty
Ike AMI terribly frightened because bad los
| him and was accountable for him. Every m o.
ment ] expects a policeman to lay his heay'
hand onto my shoulder and say. What have yol
done with that lOdgyr? Where have you hid
his bodyT' never says nothink to nobody abou
IL at all. For three uays-and three such days
i searshe d.lhathotcl from cellar to roof for tn,
last man. but It's vi no use whatever. With that
thing ON my mind | grows pale and thin ant
starts up AT every little noise. The face Il the
lost lodger haunts me day and night. and actu
ally gets afraid To 20 up stare alter dark fol
fear Of meeting his ghost
"Just about dusk on the third day had oc
caslOn TO 20 up to the top lOOr-up the yefl
stairs he and went together on that fata
night, and 1t did seem 20 me "a II nv lost mar
WAS illlowing me along Just behind, step o'
step don't know whatever Induced me u d.
II, but happens To look up to the ladder lea
ing TO the lOof, and there sees u par Of leg
you WANT saws |, scared like and all IN a breath
Ihen down them legs comes slowly then
pody. and then, by Jove, SIR, M 4 minute, m
lost ledger stands before me. as pale as startled
aud thin rs myself. sly friend says b
feehly and yacantly, can you tell me whore III
mad room 0.M1T-
That's ny bell: excuse me, sir. for Leaving
you. but any information you wants about no
tells, como TO me, cause N tull OF IT,
4 GIIMPNE or MISERY