The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-04-27
Mon Who Keep Hotels.

''Beg pardon, but you arc mistaken In
the hotcll You don't want to stop at this
house."
These words were uttered by the proprie-
tor OF Detreit hotel one day last week to-
stranger who had picked up q pen and
started to register his name.
The man stepped back, looked first as
tonished and then Indignant, and after the
two had stared steadily at each other for
twenty seconds, the stranger laid down tho
pen anf walked out Of the house without u
word.
"Rathcr cool, admit" explained tho
ho,cl man, "but that fellow Is beat
Five years ago como next month, he beat
this house out Of three days board"
"And you remember hm?"
'ln an instant. He has grown a full set
OF whiskcrs since then, and is, Of course
five years older, but remember that nose
l never forget face, and can call 5000
travellers by name.
"If detective strikes three cases out OF
five where he has to identity faces. he IA
lucky, continued mine host, "but If wo
did not do better than that VIC should make
no profits. l take an inventory of overy
lace Some are so peculiar as whole that
they arc never forgotten. Many faces have
the same general expression. In such
cases you must look for squint in the eve.
something peculiar about the nose and
mouth, limp in the gals, pccuiarity In
inc speech, and even the teeth arc not TO
DC overlooked | can mark my man while
he IS registering. | can tell the moment he
begins TO write his name whether it is his
own cognomcn or one borrowed for the oc-
cnsion. hundreds of men travel under as.
sumod names. Some do not want 10 he
published III hotel reports; others are on
private business Which they do not wish ex-.
posed; others arc private detectives, and
Others still up to trickcry OF some sort. 1t
Is ny no means II sign that a man means to
beat his hotel bill because he takes another
name, and 1t is seldom that we consider that
point against 9 guest" ",.r
cas- to my memory of faces continued
the landlord, 81 had test case recently.
some 1our or I've yenrs ago a stranger
jumped the house Oh two days board bill.
lie returned the other day, greatly changed.
and to be remembered only by q little red
scar on one side of his nose When he
called for his one days bill added the old
account. lie looked tho figures over, hesi-
tated, looked at me, and paid the whole
without word. was prepared to give
the number OF the room he occupied, the
hour he came and tho color of tho coat he
had OH" :.
"ln the reading and smoking rooms and
the ollice," said tho host, as he looked
around, 'are fifty strangers. More are
coming and going all the time. Now you
would think 1t very easy to sly up stairs or
como down and go out and not be seen by
any OF the employees, but many have tried
1t to their cost. There are three of us here
Nrnt <>E %I,1 Al I
and bell boys have their eyes about them.
Men do como and 60 and never dream that
their movements are noticed. They arc
honest mon and glance at thom Is enough.
Let person not registered here come In
and go up stairs, and in two minutes wo
will know bis business. Ho has either
called upon friend or he is up to mischief.
1t won't tako thirty seconds for word to
come down here as to what room he has
entered"
mo, we hardly ever ask a person to pay
In advance" he replied to the question.
'lt would be no insult on an honLgt man,
but yet 1t is not tho rule, believe. do
not get mistaken In my man moro than
once In 5000 times. You or any other
man stopping hero with money to pay your
bill have freedom Of mind and body which
cannot be assumed. You come and 90,
take everything easy, and call for, your bill
when ready to leave. The penniless man
who tries to assume that easy dclneanor al
ways overdoes 1t. It. Is part which few
actors could play with success. A man
coming hero without baggage will generally
tender his money IN advance if he has It.
II he Is pennilees, he will most always
state the fact, and give his. excuses and
promises.
''rhe regular hotel beat is not tho pennl-
less man. 1t takes moro nerve than most
men have got 10 walk into hotel with
empty pockets and register as guest. That
Is, men who cannot give good references or
reasonable excuses for being dead broke.
We have guests here every day who have
been robbed or lost their money or been
swindlcd or something of the sort, but they
can send home for funds or give security.
No, the out-and-ou hotel beat has money,
but tries to beat us on general principles.
He goes on the theory tnat every hotel owes
HIM living, and he is hard bird to catch.
llc drcsscs well, seems to have plenty OF
money, calls for the best, and Is gone before
you even bccome suspicious Few Of thom
ever come back on tho second visit, and our
only revenge is to give them away to sone
other hotel men. The system of passing
dead-bcat from nun TO man is now 80 por- s
feet that the professional dcad-beat has al
most becn driven 10 the wall" ."a}
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