Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-08-25
OLD HOTEL REGISTERS.
Why they are Usually Kept Careful
ly, but are In some Cases Destroy

"What becomes OF the old hotel reg
isters?" inquired Su1 reporter of
Jerome Leland of the Sturtevant
House.
"Got'em all in big safe down stairs.
Come and take look" said Mr.. Le-
land. Then he led the way through
subterranean labyrinth of cooks, ranges,
laundries, stores, and wine cellers to
vault under the sidewalk next to a room
where the thermometer would have
registered 2000. if the register had per-
mltted. The hot room contained the
stove where irons were heated for the
laundry.
"You see, had this vault built on
purpose to keep these books. No dan
ger of their getting damp or mildewed
here"
''Do you ever have to refer to them?"
every often it becomes necessary t.
establish the fact that mann was here
at a certain time. 1t is common oc-
currence to fix the dates of business
transactions by these registers, and
they are frequently used in court"
"But that must be trouble to YOU"
"Ges, of course; but we don't mind
taking little trouble for friend.,'
'Are you bothered by getting your
clerks subpepnaed to produce the books
in COURT"
Sometimes; but it is very difficult to
be certain that any of us was here at
any particular time, if We can't spare
the time to go and testify
"You must have great many valu.
able autographs in these registers"
"LJts of 'em but we never allow
them to be cut out. There are all the
registers just as we have had them for
eleven years"
Chas. Stetson of the Astor house has
preserved all the old registers of that
famed resort. He has in them a series
of autographs of the most distinguish
ed public men of the last half century.
These books he has kept religiously,
never PERMITTING them to be multi
lated by autograph hunters. They
were taken away by him when he left
the Astor house. On their pages may
be found the names of Clay, Webster,
Calhoun, and long line of presidents
whc visited the Astor house during the
many years that it was the chief host
elry of the city. The Leland family
have generally preserved their registers
in the various hotels they have kept
throughout the country.
At the Brevoort house the old regis
ters coEtain many of the names of
distinguished foreigners VINO have
visited this country and made the Bre-
WORT their headquarters. The late
Mr.. Hawk of the Windsor. one of the
oldest hotel keepers in New York, had
many old registers whose names COM
prise some of the most noted profes-
sional men in the United States, as
well as leading wealthy citizens. 1t is
generally the rule that when a hotel
changes hands the old proprietor takes
away the register. When the Hoffman
house recently changed hands the
old registers disappeared. There are
great many registers at the New
York hotel. Here, during the many
years that it was kept by Hiram Grams
ton, the leading men of the south
gathered and left their names. Mr..
Cranston always kept his registers.
His son, Hiram Cranston, jr., does the
same There was a very interesting
set of registers in the Metropolitan
hotel when it was kept by Tweed and
Garvey, but they have disappeared.
Mr.. Henry Clair, the present manager,
keeps the hotels owned by the Stewart
estate. The Metropolitan uses about