Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-10-30
SOME HOTEL HAWKsHAWs.
The rlcn Who Have Become Inlispsns'
able to Our BOnifaccs.

"Oh, he's a hotel detective, is he?
Well, wEgt " earth good is hotel de-
tcCgiycl What do hotels want with de.
tcciiycs, anyhow
This remark, madesn a pctulant tone.
was uttered in the corridor Of the Non'
man house the other afternoon toy n
western uun who WIS on q visit 10 the
metropolis and had b.pn looking a the
ART treasures of the cgic, lie eyed in a
contgur,uous way the vel dressed little
man, With d slouch hat who was lean
in; a~ruir.r u lil" 81 trunks near the elc-
water. 4 friend showing the western
man the cay a.. hts had happened Incl
d.Urrly to ro.ul out Detective Jacobs us
one Of The i],atIros OF \ BIZ metropolitan
hoi,L.
Tpu rjirul.5 later the wrstrrncr saw
tho liril, IvJnCtiyc step up TO a well
dressed uan in a group Of three who
had ivs. aauntorcd INTO the art gallery.
IN have TO ask YOU Ia move on, sir, ~
The detective said.
WHO are yuu;" CROWDED the man,
anGrily, "what do You mean by talking
To me that wayln
Just what | say, and ! mean it," the
little man replied, undaunted, ''and
here's who | am, and ! know you per-
fectly WELL"
The little detective threw open his
coat and showed his glistening detective
shield. The well dressed nan cut short
his bluster instantly, and walked quickly
out into the street.
He was a local bunko man, who had
casually dropped into the hotel cafe with
two out of town crooks. The converse
ton with the little detective was anima-
ted, but not S o loud that anybody in the
art gallery could understand it. The
Gothamite who was showing the west
erner around knew what was up, though,
and turning to his friend said playfully:
That's some good a hotel detective is.
That was a confidence man that he
talked to. Maybe he'd have caught on
to you if it hadn't been for the detec-
tive"
1t was an apt illustration of one of the
duties Of the hotel detective. In the
marvellous perfection of the equipment
of a metropolitan hotel in the last few
years the private detective has come to
be an indispensable detail, and today
there is not a hotel in town that enjoys
any select patronage at all that does not
employ a guardian, who is empowered
10 make arrests if necessity arises. Some
of the detectives are men specially as
signed from the police force, and whose
salary is guaranteed by the hotel in con-
sideration Of the policeman's exclusive
service. Often, however. the special
guardians are regular private detectives.
They are men well trained in detective
methods. and enjoy the advantage of -
wide and varied acquaintance with tie
iaCcs Of metropolitan rascal, and the
confidence operators Of the country.
Keeping ia, hotel cl,aroi this class Of
crouGS,howrycr soAly a .mall part Of Tho
hotrl detectives WORK. Upon them de-
wolves in most CASES the supervision oi
the portcrs and hall boys, aud all the
AMY Of help That a biz Gotham i'm has
to employ. Ii 4 guest loses anything in
the hotel. or outside Of 1t either. lie is
G n AZ once to the hotel detective o. con-
suit about its recovery and if chamber
maids or porters find ARTICLES that have
been mislaid or lost, they are expected To
bring them direct To the hotel detective,
and he, in turn, hands them over 10 the
hotel proprietor, or his representative, 10
be delivered To the owner.
Ii is also the detectives duty TO pro-
tect his employers from the numerous
and persistent army Of pests known as
the hotel beat. and it is due to the pres.
ence Of detectives. in every well regulated
city hotel. That New York has ceased 10
b. q spot where this peculiar gentry can
thrive. The petty thievery Of guests
valuables has also come L be Il rarity,
and nowadays the man If means. stop
ping at any well regulated New York no.
I'll, can feel Us secure as If he were tray-
cling with a private station house Of his
own in tow. More than all. however,
the old time harvest Of victims that Hun
CRY Joe and lis pals used to gather from
hotel corridors is all cut of.
All this the detective has to do for the
regular salary, but lac has legitimate per-
q~ui,ites. These are the more or less lib
cral fees that good natured out-of-
tpwncrs, who want 10 see what the life
If a big city really is after dark, pay for
straight tips IN the places where the ele-
plant cuts up his most lamboyant and
startling shindIgs.' 1t is worth n hand.
some sum to the hotel detective who
pilots a party Of strangers through the
multitudinous and more or less pictur.
esque maze Of after dark spectacles
known u the experienced man about
town US 1.-THE sights And there are
few more experienced men about town
than your quick witted hotel detective
New York Sun.