The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-04-22
THE HOTEL CLERK,
How He Sizes up His Guests and Assigns
the Rooms.

How do you manage when assigning
rooms to your guests to locate one on the
fourth or fifth floor and the other on the
second, when each pays the same rate per
diem ?" was asked the landlord of one of
the hotels by reporter few days since.
You had better ask one of the clerks"
replied the boniface with smile. "They
know all about such things and will doubt
less communicate the secret to you"
The reporter sought out the clerk and re-
peated the question. His reply was laeonic
and to the point
We size 'em up"
"But do you never make mistakes ?"
asked the reporter.
Seldom" answered the clerk, and per,
ceiving that the reporter would not be chok,
cd off, he continued; Zone reason why we
seldom make mistakes is that we can Judge,
in measure, by the way man registers of
what he has been accustomed to ut home.
If man will be contented with o small
room in his own house, he is not likely 70
make any very decided objection to the
same accommodation at hotel. This is
more especially true in the case of those
who, like merchants from the interior, come
to the city but once or twice year to buy
goods. They are too full of business to
think much about the kind of room they
are occupying, and so long as they have
place to sleep they don't care whether it is
on the first floor or whether it is next to the
roof. Besides, they don't like to have any
trouble. They would rather put up with
few inconvenience than raise row. This
Is all the better for us, for we can save the
best rooms for guests who will be willing
to pay higher figure. The successful hotel
clerk is not only able to do this, but he can
almost invariably tell at glance just how
much mai will stand, and he is very care
full not to oyer-stop the line. Again, look
at the way some people register. The man
who Is unaccustomed to travelling and stop.
ping at hotels picks up the pen as If he was
afraid of it, and is singularly precise in this
formation of the letters composing his
name. He writes plain John Blank, Blank
town. as nicely Us he is able, and is per-
fectly satisfied if the clerk takes him by the
hand and says, as clerks always do: Mr.,
Blank, I'm glad to see you.'
"The full-fedgsd drummer or tourist is
sasily identified. He will waltz up to the
desk, dash off his name in careless fashion,
toss his overcoat and grip to the bell-boy,
and try to talk with four or five people at
once. He must have fair room, or there
will be trouble at the Office. A young man
ON his first trip will demonstrate his Spen-
cerian education; country lawyer will
write his name SO that neither he nor any.
body else can decipher the hieroglyphics
while the rural legislator will be anxious to
lot everybody know that he has the right to
prefix honorable to his name. These char
asters are universal, and almost invariably
we can get at a mans character and posi-
ton in the world by an inspection of his
chirography.
:" In small towns hotel clerks have prac-
tice of giving the most desirable rooms to
| PortieB Who claim 70 eoiuv frvIn suIue large
city, for the reason that they should have q
better knowledge of hotel life than theil
rural brethren. Travellers are beginning "a
realize this, and will register as from New
York or Boston, in order that they may gel
good room, and they win the trick. The
most essential thing in the makeup of a
hotel clerk is to be able to fill the house
from the top down, and ct the same time
make everyone believe they are getting the
| best rooms"