The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1885-01-03
The iiG = C.eGk.
New York IeraiC.l


A hotel clerks daily experience is like a
leaf from a romance or a police b!otter.
Every variety of peopl. PISS uu- !er his sciu,
tiny. lie has 81 d.Scrini lat, On the instant
Getween the chaf cn the wheat, AMI det r
nj ne Mt GlGncc whether the seei iy Old party
vita the sun-lrowned face is Millionaire,
CT tie natty young swell an impostor. He
must maze UP his minl w ,out delay If the
Tadies' aE!xad to the TameS of M.:srs.
Brown, jones and Robin ,on in the register
are really Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Jones all Mrs.
Robinson. He must determine whether the
we;ghty trunk is freishted with tones or the
light valie has anything i'll il. He must
learn at o3ce il "Col." Or Gen" CT Hon"
So-andSo, who have ju come in with q
lack of baggage, which is only moderately
atoned for by c.i.r, graphical dash IN !, fas-
cinat;ng melody of the gah," are TO be per-
mittel to remain through the week or are to
be tolerated only Oh c. o. basis. All
tEe5e thing tie hotel c.e:k must weigh and
pass UPON without inquiry or reflection
And then. t..ronging upon him, a thousand
other gue-tiors that appeal IS directly to his
judcmcnt AMI experience. Here are family
C, ming down by tie elevator who want to
stcrt right away for Chica 20 and must KIN w
at once just when aid ju t how they should
go. The young man with the favor in his
buttoIhole has his lew made bride i'll the
parlor and is awaiting suggestion about
the nice,t theatre. what is played and paid
ti.ere, and where is the lie t place to sit The
trio of lnff, Loud laughing mortals at the
ccuate" cre awaiting tip on an itinerary OF
the town, and the two youths with the in
solvent mustaches are inquiring the proper
ingredients fer satisfact' r.ly tresccing the
metroro.is in an c: sentiaily lurid way.
In addition are 4 hundred inquiries about
business. franco, the market, differences OF
time, latitude and lons itule, tie price of
bonnet% Gn bouquets, tle inadIquacy of
room No. 4G9 Cn tie NJ per floor, and t.. inn
pared light Of room lG On the lower TO r,
the ab:ence 'f tie Chambermaid, the iuso-
lence Of Tie le.l-bcy, the eSpan, i've charges,
tie lack of facilities-ail come pouring in
over. the counter lik, a food; bu5 staulch
and al unlisn:a,-ai by the onset, with his
perp etual smiie Oh hi, lips ant his solitaire
beanirg its refulseace upon the wide
dcluge of irtcrro cations, the h,tl clerk
stands, ,never-overp0wered and never dis
concerted. Suca man Ole coull well be-
leve must have the wide diversity of knowl-
edge possessed by an encyclopedia and the
control OF temper required t. pass with hy
ing colors through all eight-round glove
fight.
He has 10th.
ITS part of the business, sail down
town hotel Clerk to reporter, ito get posted
on everything. Most cf us have not great
deal Of school education. But we read the
papers closely, an above all, we listen.
Would you believe it! A big percentage of
the business Of the country is doEe at the
hotel counter Ali sorts meet there-mer-
chants, politicians, professional men. Each
has his hobby Gnd nowhere else he ventilates
it m ID. AS are, ut, tiny man with average
cars and ordinary understanding, who is
hotel clerk long must become educated. He
may net be up on ancient history or the dead
languages, although he has a shy at them
now and then too, but on all subjects that
concern everyday people he has tina biggest
opportuhties to be wei informea."
Hasn't he to study human naiur, closely?'
"More than any other ciass-more than the
detective or the attor. It is his constant
study, and indeed he has to play the detec-
tive and tie actor more than you would SUP
poe. You see tie city is beset with hotel
beats. The clerk has to spot them when they
"ppcar. If they were shabby looking fellows
or had worked the route before, OF course it
would be easy enough to mark them and FIRE
th. III as soon as they appear. But hotel beat;
are not that kind Of cattle They are always
dressed III the be>t. Sometimes they come
up with a coach and a big show OF finery.
Tuai's the most dangerous kinl. Tnose tel-
low, will wait for their remittances till you'ra
cleaned out of house AMI home. Well, tao
hotel Clerks business is'to be equal to those
fellows with all their devices and to penetrate
every disguise or subter.uge behind which
roguery may hide ITSELF"
ANY other detective workw