Morning journal and courier., 1885-11-05
The Passing of the Hotel Clerk.

The Passing of the Hotel Clerk. [Charles Dudley Warner in the November Har-
 perS.l
 The hotel clerk has disappeared or is dis appearing The faithful chronicler must note this significant change in American life, for it means the passing away of a whole order of things. And he notes it with certain sadness; for, though this clerk was feared by the general public, he was the admiration of the hunorist. There was never anything in the world before answer Ing to this resplendent aatocrat of sleeping accommodations, this darling of the flashing pin, perfumed locks, impudent eye and lofty condescens;on. He was the one being in ex- istence before whom ths free-born American quailed. We have so little real aristocracy in this country that this dominating person stood out in relief; he had power to abase the proud and to make the humble crawl into hole. But his hour has struck and he is passing away, not absolutely, for the trav- e1er can still find him here and there, gene rally only in those gorgeous palaces where civilization is new and has the appearance of a lacquer, and is not of the substance of the life.
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 In fact, the kind of civilization that pro- duced the hotel clerk is gone, or is going also. He belonged to an era of smartness and pretension which the foreign traveller did not recognize as a growing development of character, but mistook for vulgarity. He belonged to what might be called the steam boat period, when the steamboat was as gor- geous and as beautiful barber's saloon, and it's clerk had the fine manners and the striking attire of the gambler. He belonged to the era of the table in the hotel dining IL walters were all drilled to move like clock work at a signal from the first officer, who stood at the head of the table. We can sec them now facing the table in shining line half wheeling at the signal stretching out simultaneously oyer the head of the sabnia, . of the vegetable dishes, and then, tramp, tramp. with the step of the soldier going down the eehoing floor, disappearing through swinging doors, and anon returning with the same military precision to deposit plate that weighed two pounds, with a bang, be- fore each awed occupant of seat. As a military evolution it was nearly perfect, and the American people were rather proud of it. IL was magnifcence which somewhat crushed them, but they felt they were some how part of it, and it is doubtful if any foreign potentate was ever served exactly in that way. It was very cheap at five dollars a day, and if there had been any dinner to match the evolutions, we might still be in that showy period of our national develop ment. The hotel clerk had so subdued the spirit of the traveller that be had not perhaps much appetite, and rather preferred magnif- cence to comfort. But in time, with other standards of taste, this pageantry vanished, and the traveller began to assert his man. hood.
 Of course there are still traces left of the old civilization, and when the traveller finds II, IL, ,E the singular development of democratic life in America.
 Fife Wilson, 15 years of age, daughter of A. B. Wilson of sewing machine fame, and Lampson Scott, IT years old, eloped on Mon day in the absence of the girls mother.
 The Bache, coast survey steamer, arrived in port at New London on Tuesday, having completed @ survey of the coast of Maine. She will go to New York and be refitted fo1 a cruise to Florida.
 Joseph Hatfield a weaver in the Baltic mill in Sprague, has just received word that by the death of uncle in England he comes into one-ffth of an estate of $125, 900. He sails for England next Saturday.
 Joseph F. Platt, of Southington, on last Thursday missed an Alderney COW. Sunday the COW was found dead, mired in Misery swamp, and only the cows head appeared above the muck. The animal was valued at sixty dollars.
 Thursday morning in Hartford after o'clock Officers Phelps and Gavin discovered burglars in the store of Dow Brothers on Main street, under the St. Johns hotel. The officers entered the place and captured the burglars. They took them to the station where they gave the names of William Brad ley and Thomas Cuff.
 The annual meeting of the Southingtor Water company was held Monday. Diree- tors were elected as follows: R. A. Neal, T. H. Mckenzie, J. F. Pratt, J. B. Savage, Anon Bradley, H. D. Smith and Charles Hitchcock. The officers elected are J. B. Savage, president; R. A. Neal, vice presi- dent; T. H. Mckenzie, secretary and treas urer. The cost of the construction of the work to date is $S8, 766. The company have paid three and one-half per cent. dividend for the first year after paying their interest, taxes and operating expenses.