St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-01-11
RULES VERSUS LAW.
Two Instances In Which They Got
Decidedly Mixed.

HSTt stfe tnO men III WOTlU wiz
have taken VOWS as big as barrel t.
down me at the first convenient oppOr
tunity. The term Ito down. means t.
lay a man on his back-walk on 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 a piece of clothes-line and go off
and hang himself to death. I know
these two men have taken 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 in
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 couple of years
ago ! stopped at certain hotel in Gin
cinnati- 1t was red-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 paid the bill
it was S3. l asked the clerk to knock
of S2.9S for the discomforts, but he re-
fused. Last November l stopped at the
same hotel for a night. The weather
was cold and raw, the room like an ice
box. and ordered fire. Next morn
ing the clerk had me charged fifty cents
extra for the fire and pulled back in
the harness. He said I must pay or he'd
hold my trunk. 1 refused to pay and he
held it accordingly. Then l went out
and got a writ of replevin, made re-
turnable the same afternoon, and how
do you suppose that justice held? He
didn't look bit like a philosopher. and
yet. after had told my story, he said:
''The rates of this hotel are adver-
tised at 81 per day the year round. Moth
ing whatever is said about fires in win
ter or fly-screens in summer. On very
hot nights the plaintiff takes no steps
whatever to do away with any nui-
sances, as mosquitoes. gnats, millers
and other insects. He doesn't advertise
that he will. and guests must figure ac-
cordingly. As an offset. however. his
guests must not be obliged to suffer any
more from 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 S3 per day. There are seven
months in the year when you don't have
10 furnish heat, and only five when you
do. if called for. You are ahead by a
month. You are bound by common law
to make your guests as comfortable as
possible. The defendant was recon-
mended to come here as a guest. and |
was told that the rates were 3 per day. |
He arrived here to find that such was
the case. An elevator in hotel is to |
make it more convenient and comforta- |
bic for guests. DO you charge each one |
for riding? Why not? A stationary |
washstand may he considered an extra,
but do you charge for it? You may have
had to pay more for your meats and veg |
etables yesterday, but did you charge
the defendant extra on that account? |
The coal for his fire was worth about /
live cents. The services of the man who /
QUILT It can not be charged for, as he
Sorks ny the month. You not only at
-cmpted to collect an illegal charge, but
you attempted to extort money. shall
advise him to prosecute YOU"
"A madder or more astonished landlord
you never saw. He became SO plain
spoken that His Honor 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! Ill Law
for you and make you sweat for this if il
takes thousand years! I've camped on
your trail. I'm here to stay until have
had satisfaction
got my trunk and departed. and il he
means to keep his word he is keeping
very still about it.
The second case was in town in Ken
tucky last fall. I got a horse and buggy
to ride out and view the country. The
livery man said it would be two dollars
for three hours. was gone ten minutes
over the time, and he demanded an ex-
ira dollar.
THAT doesn't seem hardly fair" I
said In the one case you give me
ninety minutes for dollar, and in the
other only ten"
Its my rule, sir. !" he brusquely re-
piled. i