The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-12-08
CARELESS HOTEL GUESTS.
Broken China and Glassware That
Costs Thousands Annually.


The hotel business is not all profit
aid the proprietor of one of the largest car
.vansaries within half mile of the City
Hall. 1.-THE breakage In this establishment
,osts me from 81, 900 to $8, 900 every year,
and most of this sum is dead loss. Water
glasses, water bottles, cups, saucers, water
pitchers for the rooms upstairs, vinegar
Tuets, pepper castors-bless your soul,
here's no end to the items. I draw check
ior 5000 every month to pay for new
supply of these things. Why, there are
hundred dozen of water glasses alone, at
one dollar dozen, and suppose every hotel
keeper has to go through with the same ex'
perience. The walters do not do all the
smashing up that occurs. Perhaps the
greater part of the damage comes from the
washing and handling, when the dishes
Jet cracked or Clipped so badly that we
annot use them longer. Half dozen
arrels of broken things are carted away
rom here every month and go towards
filling up the Back Bay or the River Park.
II dish becomes Clipped it is of no further
would think themselves insulted if such
thing were set before them. It is taken
downstairs and broken up with hammer
n order that it may not fall into the hands
'f some cheap restaurant keeper, who
would be very glad % feed his customer
On dishes bearing the name of this hotel
When waiter is to blame for breakage
he cost of the destroyed article is deducted
rom his pay. This method is necessary
in self defence, otherwise the hundred
dozen water glasses might become 500
dozen, and for one cause or another, my
breakage bills might, for want of some pre-.
yentive system, double in amount. But
The employees cannot always be detected
Guests are often the cause Of accident
A gentleman arising from the table TO pu,
IN or take of his overcoat will sometimes
mock off an article. 1t may be only cut
glass stopple from vinegar cruet, but tina
cut glass stopple cost me just seyenty-fv
cents, and If the bottle is broken that taket
$3 out of my pocket. But 1 never ask
guest to pay for any accidental breakage.
Willful breakage, of course, is another
natter. But if I ask guest to pay fol
accidentally breaking any of my ware he
would probably become indignant and
iever patronize my house again. 1t il
common habit for gentlemen to read thei
newspapers between the courses, or Will,
waiting for their order to be served, and
these newspapers often knock things upon
the floor and take all the profit away from
that particular dinner. Upstairs, in the
private dining rooms, where the table ware
Is superior to that used in the cafe, aud
generally costs me from I'll per piec,
Upward, breakages are very frequent. Nor,
han once have given dinners, the prof.
.pon which tumbled to nothing along Will
4. few choice bits of service, and more thar
once has such a dinner been real loss tt
me for the same reason. The hotel men
ton't like to think of these things, but we
awe to face them, can tell you. Every
Year. aftar the dinner party season has
closed, so upstairs and take account OF
ne stocA --S@lAt.ia- ware f-.,stha private
rooms, and make up new order to replace
he articles destroyed. All these things arr
made for me abroad, and my bill for break
age in this part of the house alone never
runs below 81 900. Boston Herald