River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-08-31
OLD HOTEL REGISTERS.
why they are Usually Kept Careful
Nv, but are in some Cases Destroy


OLD HOTEL REGISTERS.
why they are Usually Kept Careful
~, but are in some Cases Destroy
"What becomes of the old hotel reg
isters?" inquired a San reporter of
Jerome Leland of the Sturtevant
House.
"Got'em all in big safe down stairs.
Come and take a look" said Mr.. Lee
land. Then he led the way through a
subterranean labyrinth of cooks, ranges,
laundries, stores, and wine cellers to a
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 to
establish the fact that mann was here
at certain time. 1t is a 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. "
Eyes, of course; but we don't mind
taking little trouble for friend.,'
care you bothered by getting your
clerks subp@naed to produce the books
in courl?"
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 a great many valu-
able autographs in these registers"
"Lots 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 Aston 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 Aston house. On their pages may
! be found the names of Clay, Webster,
Calhoun. and long line of presidents
who 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
ers contain many of the names Of
distinguished foreigners who 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 q 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
two registers in a month. The St
|
served all the old registers. The st
Nicholas, now one of the Oldest hotels
in town. has big pile ofregisters, con.
tanning a generation of distinguished
names. At the Everett house the old
registers are kept, and frequently re
ferred to by old customers.
But there is one hotel where the old
registers are not regarded with much
reverence. That is the Fifth Avenue
hotel, now under the same proprietor
ship that it was when started more
than twenty-one years ago, that OF
Hotchkiss & Darling. For many years
the old registers were kept, and often
referred to. Time and again they have
been logged into court and clerks with
them under subp0nas, Duces Tecunt,
Finally the proprietors got tired OF
furnishing so much testimony to courts
without adequate compensation. Ii
was found that by keeping the regis
ters often couple who stayed but one
night and paid so into the hotel treas
ury might entail $50 worth of bother
by legal proceedings in proving the
register. Therefore, about six months
ago. orders were given to burn the
registers as fast as they are filled. As
the urbane light-haired clerk expressed
it, ave don't let 'em get cold, but get
'em out of the way az the earliest pos
5ible moment. People can now look
! elsewhere for testimony. We can't
afford to keep che clerk hunting for
books and another on the witness stand
! all the time"
! A Brief Romance
Edward Davis and his wife, of Chi
cago, did not live happily. They
agreed, verbally, to quit and each 60
| his or her own way-never to see each
other more; never to speak to each
other again; never TO love, and never
to caresS. She agreed to it; so did he
they separated in opposite directions.
Mrs. d. picked mp man on the street
and asked him to 60 to a dago shop
with her, and he consented. He called
for the beer, and the two tipped to each
other. They were having jolly time
! when the old man came in. He -four
ished gun, and the man who was with
| Mrs. Davis made himself very scarce
at that hour. The woman left about
the same time and called for police
man. The latter arrested Davis, when
it was found that the gun he had was