The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-03-30
THE BALDWIN HOTEL.
Anew System of Bell Boys, and a Hun
dred Clocks Run by Air.

Anew System of Bell Boys, and a Hun
bred Clocks Run by Air
The following is an extract from an
elaborate description of the new Bald
win hotel at San Francisco, written by
a correspondent of the Chicago 1ri-
bune: The call system is great I'M
provement over the old method, and
| wender why some Chicago hotel has
not adopted it, as it is economy OF
help, time, patience, end profanity.
At "The Baldwin" the " bell hop
per's occupation is gone, and you hear
no more Of the oft-repeated shout Of
% front" The system Is very simple.
Every floor has two bell boye, in a
service room, especially provided for
them, and an electric indicator con-
nected with each room on the floor.
The service rooms are each and all
stocked with pens, ink, paper, ice, hot
and cold water, and the dozen or more
small things which comprise the usual
wants OF the guests, so that the calls
are promptly answered and attended
to. The call to the floor boy also IN
dicates to the office that there has
been a call on floor No. ,. If the
floor-bov Is not attending to his bust
ness. the second call, which is also in
dictated at the Office, shows it: the
third. fourth, fifth an six confirm it,
BY setting an alarm-bell ringing which
rings until the call Is answered. The
clerk then must stir up the fioor-bov
through the speaking tube, or send
one Of the otfice-boys, a number Of
which are always kept for an cmer-
gencv. to see what the matter is. The
fioor-bov can't loaf long without being
detected, but usually there Is little in
centive for him to loaf. for, being re-
ouired to answer the calls Of but one
floor, his duties are not onerous. II
the guest wishes something from the
office or the bar, the hoor-boy commu
nicates the fact to the office through
the speaking tube, and the article Is
sent up by means Of 4 small package
elevator which runs from the office to
each floor, and works by electricity.
If gentleman steps into the office
and wishes his card taken, say 10 room
No. 212. the clerk sends it to that
floor by the elevator and gives the
hoor-bov directions through the tube.
A reply Is obtained in the same way,
and the visitor is on his way to 212 in
the time which, BY the old system,
would be required for the bell~boy to
get up stairs.
There are one hundred marble
clocks, some very large and elegant,
in the vUri0us rooms, costing about
$4,000 all regulated and run from
the office by Il system which | must
mention. They are run, not by cleo
tricity, but by air-a method and in
vention of Mr.. II. Wenzel, of this
city, who furnished the clocks for the
hotel. They are all connected by rub
Der tubes with the regulator in the
office which is arranged so that every
minute Il force pump sends the air
through the tubes and communicates
with the one hundred time pieces scat
tered throughout tie building. No
battery Is required, and very little
mechanism about the only thing being
a couple Of inverted glass cups, work
ing on an equi-poised lever into two
jars, partly filled with glycerine, this
liquid being chosen on account Of its
insensibility TO heat and cold. As one
of the inverted cups is lifted from the
jar of glycerine, the other is descend
ing, thus gradually forcing the con-
fined air through the tube which con-
meets by a small aperture with the top
of the glass. The next moment, as
the other glass descends, this one is
raised from the glyeerine, and gathe-s
more air for its next plunge. The sys-
tenn is very simple, and works to per
lection.