Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-20
GREAT MEMS BAGGAGE.
The Women Always Have Trunks-An
Ushsr's Observations,

The Women Always Have TrUnks-An
Ushsr's Observations,
Herbert, the veteran head usher Of the
old st. Nicholas Hotel, which has just
been closed up in New York, says of peo-
pie who carry baggage: 'As a general
rule, have observed that women have
more baggage than men. When a man
travels he wants as little baggage as pos
sible, and he will get along without any
if he can. Drummers are excepted. OF
course. They will fill a hotel with bag
gage if you will let 'em. Porters never
like to see a drummer come to the house,
because that generally means heavy
trunks. We never had a baggage
elevator at the St. Nicholas. and
the carrying of trunks was always
big job. / have seen great strong
men give way. l have seen four porters
struggling with one trunk. 1t almost
seemed the rule that the more important
man was the less baggage he would
have. Take GOV. HOratiO Seymour, for
instance, who was a steady patron. l
have often seen him come with a little
carpet bag. Senator Conkling carried
very little baggage, but his wife, deli
cate woman, had plenty of baggage when
she came with him. Senator John j.
Crittenden used to come with no more
box, when he came alone. But when
Mrs. Crittenden came with him the pOrters
would stagger under thirty or forty
trunks. Mrs. Crittenden was very fond
OF dress and entertaining people, and all
OF the trunks had to be taken up stairs.
when the Canadians came the pOrters
trembled. Sir Charles McNab would
keep the pOrters busy three hours getting
in his baggage. Sir Charles Grey, Cover
nor General of Jamaica, brought a cart
load of baggage. Presidents of the United
States were common visitors to the st.
! Nicholas. Matty Van Buren, used to
come with baggage that looked like a
lady's reticule. He was a plain man,
with no such airs as his son, Prince John,
as they used to call him. President
Buchanan was another plain man, who
did not carry much baggage when he
came alone. But when Miss Harriet Lane
came with him there was baggage
I enough to fill an express wagon.
Miss Lane dressed a great deal and
had a great deal of company. When she
came to or left the hotel the pOrters
/ generally got tired carrying her baggage.
| think l can see them now putting on the
stairs under the load of her big trunks.
After the boys had rested they all said
she was a dear, nice young woman. Gen.
McClellan's father-in-law, Gen. Marcy,
used to be a frequent visitor at the hotel
He did not have great quantity of bag
gage, but his daughter, Gen. McClellan's
wife, like most of the lady visitors, had
I plenty of it. | shall never forget the day
she fell sick at the reception Of the news
| of the battle of Antietam. 1 thought the
poor lady would die IN the house.
The biggest lot Of baggage l ever saw
in the hotel was when Gen. Wool and staff
came there during the draft riots. The hotel
! looked like military camp. We fed 400
persons in a day, most Of them without
/ baggage, on the day of the great cable
/ celebration. Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. But
/ Ter came often to visit us, and always
| carried moderate baggage. The man
whose baggage grew most after he came
was the famous Marquis of Waterford,
! who went on a spree with our head porter,
Tom Adams, and was locked up in the
station house for breaking lamps in
Broadway. The nobility took a great
/ fancy for Tom"