Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-04-07
Men Who Keep Hotels.
''Beg pardon, but you are mistaken In
he hotel You don't want to stop at this

''Beg pardon, but you are mistaken In
the hotel. You don't want TO stop at this
house."
These words wer: uttered by the proprie
tor OF a Detrsit hotel one day last week to
a stranger who had picked up 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 the
pen and walked out Of the house without a
word
'Rather cool, | admit explained the
hotel man, s'but that fellow is a beat
Five years ago come next month, he beat
this house out of three days board.
"And you remember him?''
. IN an instant. He has grown full set
of whiskers since then, and is, of course,
five years older, but | remember that nose.
| 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 Is
lucky" continued mine host, but if we
did not do better than that we should make
no profits. | take an inventory Of every
I face. Some are so peculiar as a whole that
they are never forgotten. Many faces have
the same general expression. In such
cases you must look for squint in the eye,
something peculiar about the nose and
mouth, limp in the gait, peculiarly in
( the speech, and even the teeth are not 10
be overlooked. can mark my man while
lie is registering. / can tell the moment he
begins to write his name whether it is his
own cognomen or one borrowed for the oc-
casion. Hundreds of men travel under as
suned names. Some do not want to be
published in hotel reports; others are on
private business which they do not wish ex
posed; others arc private detectives and
others still up to trickery of some sort, 1t
is by no means sign that man means 10
beat his hotel bill because he takes another
name, and il is seldom that we consider that
point against guest"
/ '.As to my memory of faces, continued
the landlord, 81 had test ease recently.
Some four or FIVE years ago stranger
jumped the house on two day s board bill.
lie returned the other day, greatly changed,
and to be remembered only by little red
scar on one side of his nose When he
] lOt his Oilt > blIl dINlIu o4Nl
account. lie looked the figures over, hesi-
tated, looked at me, and paid the whole
without q word. was prepared TO give
the number of the room he occupied, the
hour he came and the color OF the cont he
had on"
''ln the reading and smoking rooms and
the Office" said the host, us he looked
around, ''arc fifty strangers. More are
coming and going all the time. Now you
would think it very easy to sly up stairs or
come 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
In the Office most Of the time, and porters
and bell boys have their eyes about them.
Men do come and go and never dream that
their movements are noticed. They are
honest men and glance at them is enough.
Let a person not registered here come in
and 90 up stairs, and in two minutes we
will know his business. He has either
called upon friend or he is up TO mischief.
1t won't take thirty seconds for word to
come down here as to what room he has
entered"
''No, we hardly ever ask a person to pay
in advance" he replied to tie question.
at would be no insult on an honest man,
but yet it is not the rule, believe. do
not get mistaken in my inan more than
once in 5000 times. You or any other
man stopping here with money to pay your
bill have freedom of mind aad body which
cannot be assumed. You come and 60,
take everything easy, and call for your bill
when ready to leave. The penniless mar
who tries to assume that easy demeanor al
ways overdoes it. 1t is part which few
actors could play with success. A mar
coming here without baggage will generally
i tender his money IN advance If he has ii
! II he is penniless, he will most Away
| state the fact, ana give his excuses ant
! premises
a "The regular hotel beat is lot the penni
less man. 1t takes more nerve than mos
linen have got to walk into hotel witt