The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-07-28
IN MUMsea es.


Win all the other commercial tramps
lhave always taken two and two fifty
per day rooms In the hotels in the
various towns and cities on my route.
Arriving at Richmond the other day,
and being little over in expense ac-
count determined upon the pleasure
OF experiencing the best room in the
house for q change. =, q.
''Show the gentleman to 65, Sam, y
(which was first floor front at e5 per
day).t
'.This way, boss" said the sudden
smiling Sam, and was shown into a
really comfortable, cheerful-looking
apartment Now I had only carelessly
thought of the extra expense MS
amounting to $3.50 per day, but alas,
was mistaken.
When had not been too proud to
occupy rooms ut half the price I was
now paying had also been content to
pay the p0rters and bell-boys q few
dimes nowsand then and l occasionally
invested'in Bottle Of claret or sherry
at moderate prices, and in taking my
first moor room at first never thought
OF such a thing a. consistency, but
when the aforesaid mentioned Sam had,
bowling and scraplng and smiling,
shown me into 65, ''The best room in
the house. sure, boss" and had patron.
lied me with those many little tokens
OF respect and esteem, such as attend
ing to the Ice water, shoes, baggage.
etc., 1t struck me that q quarter would
be more consistent with room IS than
the amount I had previously donated
Sam and his coniederates; 50 to keep
up appearances and to prevent attacks
on the respectability of 65. sent Sam
off grfnning with a quarter. was
lost; for every half hour that morning,
a different porter came into my room
bringing an extra towel or something,
and inquiring after my health and
wants in tones of gentle but dusky
sympathy; one of thcm insisted on
brushing the wrinkles out of my
clothes. and he went off grinning with
quarter. IN
At dinner I said to myself, .'Well.
this waiter don't know I'm in 65."
thought of wine and was about to
write down clar,et when the idea of 66
taking claret prevented me- and cham
pagne went down in its place; the
waiter saw the number of the room on
my card and the order for the cham
pagne. Lost again! That waiter
picked up life and energy in an alarm
ing short space of time. He verify
flew and waited on me with SO much
attention that l almost became an OBJ.
ject of conspicuousncss during the
meal. I thought quarter would
satisfy the waiter. but when that per-
spring machine had waited on me an d
me alone for the space of nearly an
hour, had seen to my wine glass and
had treated me with that distinguished
air that all walters and only walters
can assume. I thought fifty cents would
be more apt to keep up the dignity of
65. He got It. Two walters assisted
in pulling my chair from the table, and,
as l walked leisurrly down the room
found the head waiter at the entrance
with head bowed low and hand with
tOoth-picks extended. l took tooth-pick
and in my abstraction dropped a quarter
in his hand. It was Saturday, and
a busy day for the merchants in my
line, 80 concluded to do no business
that day, and being in want Of some-
thing to relieve me of ennui. I thought
of drive around the reservoir. At this
moment little bell boy came up to me
breathless. with letter saying he had
been to my room with it, but
that l was not In. l thought
a dime would do for this.
put my hand in my pocket and pulled,
out some money; the smallest hal
was quarter. I couldn't disappoint
the boy; he got it; room IS necessitated
MY thoughts went back to the
drive; I was good driver, and if
IS went driving, 65 ought to 60
driving in q double team; 1t was or
dercd. 1t cost a V. l gave the man
who ordered it quarter. two porters
helped me in. while third held the
horses. a fourth the whip and the fifth
one put the robe around me. I started
off with five black heads bowing to the
ground. In rounding the fence on the
reservoir was SO unfortunate as to
scrape the wheels. knock the varnish
of and do some other little damage to
the hub; when arrived In town the
stable keeper demanded $3.50 extra.
1t would never do for 65 to dispute a
charge, SO I paid 1t.
i mhu8RCU bOmo0QW 10 0bC6pc INTO
my room that night without paying
anything else. ! slept late the next
morninS. Sunday. and did not get up
when was called. ] was. aroused later
by Sam saying breakfast would be over
in fifteen minutes. ''Should / have II
sent to mea" I replied "Yes." Sam
got quarter for doing something; l
forgot whether 1t was for anything else
besides sending the waiter up. The
breakfast came; / finished it.; the
waiter got quarter. was becoming
almost callous as to quarters. I sat
for short while thinking, and then
pulled myself together. 4. packed up.
had my bill sent to me which amounted
to $8.75. which paid. got out of the
hotel-leaving another quarter be ehind
me. Went to a cheaper hotel (and
considered good respectable onc) and
represented that would be in town a
week, and got room on the third
floor at e1.60 per day. I went into my
new room and made the following cal
culations for one days expenses:
HOTEL BILL.
ns Sns S fsse q & Ssd fESm Sss Eotsii g
Pt. Champagne. ........................... 2 o.
Meals 70 room. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. %
fOfte0. weitere, etc............ ....... 0v
Cetria8e ntre ................... .-.. 0u
AVtst '... ................... CAV 70
Concluded that nineteen dollars and