Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-05-23
TWO CASES IN LAW.

venient opportunity. The term "to
down" means to lay man on his back
walk Oh him-make him sorry
strip him of all his cash-send him to
the poor-house-make him feel so
miserable that he will steal piece of
a clothes-line and go off and hang him
self to death. l know these two men
have made these vows because | heard
them, and they added on great deal
which would not look well in print,
even in Greek.
And there are two other men in this
world who have observed that they
wanted to be on hand when the afore-
said vows were ripe and take hand
III the row-on my side. 1t all came
about through the law, and because
the law stood by me instead of the
plaintiffs.
One August night a couple of years
ago 1 stopped at a certain hotel in Gin
cinnati. 1t was rcd-hot, and as there
were no screens at the windows and no
netting around the bed the mosquitoes
came in by the thousands. There were
also bugs in that bed, and they were
there for business. When 1 paid the
bill it was So. l asked the clerk to
knock off $2.9S for the discomforts,
but he refused. Last November |
stopped at the same hotel for night.
The weather was cold and raw, the
room like an iceberg, and ordered
fire. Next morning the Gle. k had me
charged fifty cents extra for the fire
and pulled back in the harness. He
said must pay or he'd hold my trunk.
L refused to pay and he held it accord
ingly. Then l went out and got writ
of replevin, made returnable the same
afternoon, and how do you suppose
that justice held? He didn't look bit
like philosopher, and yet, after had
told my story, he said:
"Thc rates at this hotel are adyer-
tised at 50 per day the year round.
Nothing whatever is said about fires
in winter or fy-screens in summer.
On very hot nights the plaintiff takes
no steps whatever to do away with
any nuisances, as mosquitoes, gnats,
millers and other insects. He doesn't
advertise that he will, and guests must
figure accordingly. AS an offset, how
ever, his guests must not be obliged to
suffer any more from the cold than
from the heat, and it is the duty of
the plaintiff to furnish fires without
cost"
''But no hotel does it," protested
the plaintiff.
''That makes no difference. Your
rates are 50 per day. There are
seven months IN the year when you
don't have to furnish heat, and only
five when you do, if called for. You
are ahead by month. You are
bound by common law to make your
guests as comfortable as possible.
The defendant was recommended to
come here as a guest, and was told
that the rates were 50 per day. He
arrived here to find that such was
the case. An elevator in hotel is
to make it more convenient and COM
Portable for guests. Do you charge
eack one for riding? Why not? A sta
tionary washstand may be consid-
cred an extra, but do you charge for
it? You may have had to pay more
for your meats and vegetables yes
terday, but did you charge the de-
PENDANT extra on that account? The
coal for his fire was worth about
five cents. The services of the man
VINO built it cannot be charged for,
as he works by the month. You not
only attempted TO collect an illegal
charge, but you attempted to extort
money. l shall advise him to prose-
cute you"
A madden or more astonished land
lord you never saw. He became SO
! pialH-spokeH tnhC MS nonor threatened
to fine him for contempt. For twenty
long years he had kept hotel, and it
had never occurred to him that the
comfort of the guest was included in
the common charge. When he got
me out doors and around behind a
foundry he said:
"Now listen to my remarks! I'll
lay for you and make you sweat for
this if it takes thousa years. I've
camped OH YOUR traili Pm there to
stay until have had satisfaction"
got my trunk and departed, and if
he means to keep his word he is keep
j ing very still about it.