Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-06-14
A TALK WITH A IloTEL CLERK.
The World as Seen From His Point of
Observation-Disclosures of the Newly.
Elected Rural COngressmen The
Commercial Traveller and Bridal COu-
pics-Se.y England People Considered
Model Gsuests-f2Oiel Thieves, &c.

The most troublesome guest in the world"
said a well-known hotel clerk to aSTARreporter,
lis the new Congressman from the rural dis
trict- He will come on here and order q suite
OF rooms for his family, All Office for himself and
reception room for his constituents. He will
then ask the price and when he finds out that
1t costs him something, he will finally conde-
sceHd to take back room on the fourth floor or
90 tc q boarding house. The trouble with him
Is that he don't know that heis not SO BIG a man
here as lie is at the Four Forks cross roads He
Is the same individual who never sat at dinner
OF courses in his life and don't know how to
live like civilized being. He comes here and
gorges himself on rich food, guZzles whisky and
wine, and then. when he becomes sick, he curses
the climate of Washington. There is another
class almost as bad, who are not used to
travelling and who do not know good fare or good
service when they get it. and are continually find
ing fault with the servants. the location
OF their rooms, with this. that and the other
and in nearly every case these people are those
who have nothing at home. The commercial
Traveller Is eXacting. knows what he wants and
when he gets 1t, and he will take every privi-
lege he can; but as a rule he is easy to manage
because he knows how to take care of himself
He is usually bright man. jolly and good-na-
tured and makes the best of everything. As q
class New England people are the incest guests
we have. They are self-reliant, quick, under
stand themselves, are accustomed to travelling
aud are neither too familiar nor too backward
towards the other guests. The bridal couples
are the easiest TO attend TO. for usually they are
too happy to realize the difference between good
food and indifferent. They all want the best
rooms, though, and are mostly willing to pay
for them. The old plan OF a bridal chamber has
played out, as it was little too conspicuous.
but an old hotel clerk can spot a bride and
groom "a far as he can them. There
is something in their manner that an expe-
rienced eye can catch at once; it suggests
lack OF experience, want Of knowledge OF
how they should carry themselves, and many
youthful couples give themselves away by en-
deayoring to appear Independent and by over
doing the matter. A common trick of a BRIDE
groom Is for him to telegraph ahead for a room,
or suite of rooms for himself and wife and
when he comes he will neglect to register prop
erly. Then he gets red In the face when the
clerk tells him of his error, and some times he
squares the matter by saying lets have drink
on that"
''Are hotel thieves active? Yes, indeed, and
we have to keep constant watch for them, but
the Increased wisdom Of travellers who have
learned to leave their vauables at the Office in
stead OF In their rooms prevents many losses
which would otherwise occur. You can't pre-
vent O smart thief from seeing chances to enter
room. but you can prevent his finding any,
thing portable when he does get In. The dead
beats are numerous, but the Hotel ProprietOr's
Association Is on Its guard all the time, and the
skinner don't have chance to jump more than
Two orthree board bills The hotels Of the cOun-
Try are now much better than they were ten years
ago, and are constantly improving. We have,
thlnk, the most luxurious and elegant hotels In
TINS country that there are In the world and the
table fare Is far ahead OF that which Is found In
the usual European hosiery" At this point
guest stopped to ask some questions Of the
clerk and interrupted the flow Of confidence,
when gave THE STAR reporter q glimpse of the
world from the hotel clerks point OF view.
Tillie Goodwin, young woman OF great
beauty, In Philadelphia, IL at the point of death
in that city, having been poisoned with arsenic.
She accuses of the deed former lover named
Van Roden, whose mistress she was for some
tina.