The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-12-01
A COUNTRY TAVERN.
PRENTICE MILFORD GIVES BITS o.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Keeping "a RnraI Hotel Thirty Five Years
Ag" Types nf Transient Guests and
Permanent Bores - CleanIi-
ness and Cooking.
Icor san francisco chrontclel


Country iIotel-kee ping thirty-Gvo years
ago had more of the family character than
now Many OF our transient guests WHO
had stopped with Us for years, OF visiting
the place. we regarded in sense as NOM
bers OF our family, and this feeling
reciprocal The hotel was for the village a
sort of center Of communication with the
outside world The stage drivers, the
Steamboat captain, the express agent,
stopped with U.s. These people were by
birds. They beiongeI half abroad, half at
home If q guest canIe who related
acquainte with any village hubitant, he
draw t. our house for the tine being that
part Of the village.
Balls and dancing parties took place at
the house.. 50, often did the shows and en-
tertainuionts travelling about the country.
Special trials, referees courts, militia
courts martial. also occurred there The
hotel was the center for every thing going
on" 1t could never sink into the staid rou-
tine Of the private family. Fresh lively
people were always coming, and these i'm
parted t. the atmosphere about some of
their life and ne wness. The city landlord,
with hosts Of servants at hand and servants
for everything, can walk about all day
without disturbing the purity OF his wrist
bands. But it is difficult for the country
landlord, oscillating as he may be obliged
to oscillate from pig pen to stable and from
bar to table, to keep up much dignity, I'M
less It be inherent in his composition and
very plentifulat tnat-one OF those few men
who can rinse bar tumbler as if they were
polishing a $40 600 diamond
CLASSES OF GUESTS.
We had two prominent classes OF guests,
"Yorkers" and yankees" The Yankees
came from across Long Island sound. Our
hotel was in a Long Island village. The
Workers were of course from Now YORK.
We preferred Workers TO Yankees York
ers never found fault with prices AMI seemed
to think everything cheap. Yankees vera
more inclined to beat down and find fault
i have had thom labor hard with me to
have the rate reduced from 81. to 81. %
for q single days accommodation. That
extra quarter seemed an agony to them. II
was even painful to me to feel their men
tai writings and contortions while they
were 50 begging off. The closest-fsted
Yankees came from the banks of the Con-
necticut and from the numerous Haddams
on that stream. We came at last to dread
them. They wanted moro of everything
for nearer nothing than any guest we had
Ministers also oppressed US in this regard,
especially New England ministers They
wanted board always at "cut rates." and
they generally had large families and tray-
eed with them. It seems to ms u great
pity that the "cloth" can not be paid enough
for their services to enable them in fuan-
cial matters TO keep their oni up, as appear
aaces go, with merchants, spectators, stock
brokers' well, yeS-and gamblers Every
man in the world know that it never adds
but rather detract5 from any mans stand
ing AMI reputation with tho masses TO be
always wanting things at a few cents less
than anybody else Il kegets species of
contempt
CIRCUS FOR THE HOUSE.
There were two Wholesale peddlerS who
used to stop with =. Who were each circus
for the house. TIE drove spanking teams"
and came round about once III three months
One sold cigars and the other motions" in
the dry goods line Exclusively to the
trade They Travelled much together.
While they were with u, the bar-room was
full every night. These two men poddleI
stories "a we'll as other wares, ami could tell
them Their range OF travel extended from
the east end of Long Island almost to
Albany, and on each OF these long dry-land
cruises they returned with q lot of fresh
yarns. In addition, they were always
ready for horse trade.
Now horse trade in a relatively small
village is a big thing and no sooner was
one moote1 than everybody got wind of it.
1t was, in fact bit of every boiy's bust
ness, AMI between the principals it was in
those times a sort of modified prize-fight
TO which shoGll get the best of the
other When horse trade was in full
blast at our house the stable yard would To
full of men, boys and negroes, aud an ad-
journment to the bar every fifteen minutes
for drinks wa in order. People often ini-
agine in passing througu that those small
towns are dull AMI stupi1. The trouble lies
that they don't know where aud when to
look for the life in them Let them drop in
at fire, winter revival of religion, q
drunken darby just found frozen to death,
or n horse trade.
CLEANLINESS AND COOKING.
Eternal vigilance is the price of cleanIi-
ness in any hotel Bells, above all taiags
need the NJ s. careful watching Guests
sometimes bring obn NouS insects in their
baggage and then lay the responsibility on
the house. An old sea captain imp9rteI
cockroacbes to our house in his chest, and
we fought them for months ere they were
all de troyel. The cook is a most impor-
tant part OF the hotel The good cook has
generally a bad temper, is touchy irritable.
and apt to fly eff his or her handle at the
least touch
don't wonder at this, for cooking is one
OF the most exhaustins of all occupations,
and the person who prepares toothsome
dishes for others is often without appetite
for tnom himself. Cooking is an appetite
robbor Some people are bound to grumble
no matter how we'll they are served or how
much done for them They can't help it;
it is bora in them. The bent of their mind
Is to iini something to grumble at With
out finding it they are unhappy, They are
unhappy anyway, but more unhappy when
not faut-finding"