The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-08
A HEAD WATERS SECRETARY.

How "Cornfeld Hand" with a Pri-
vste Secretary, Got a Position at the
| De Soto.
When Proprietor Baker was arranging to
come to Savannah to take charge of the De
Soto he received stacks Of letters from
/ head walters all over the country applying
| for positions. The most of them were
written as head walters would be expected
to write, and Mr.. Baker wanted to see the
| applicants before he engaged any Of them.
While he was in New York with the hotel
COMMITTEES, buying the furniture and carpets,
| he received a well-worded and elegantly
written letter from Rchfield Springs, n
| Y. The applicant said that he had been in
the Richfield Springs house and numerous
| other large hotels in the country. Mr..
Baker had written before receiving the let
ter from the Richfield applicant to Frasier,
the head waiter at the Kimball house in
Atlanta, asking him what help he could
| bring, and telling him to come TO see him,
but Frasier's reply did not reach Mr. Baker
until after he had arranged with the Rich
field applicant, who said that his name was
| Pulley.
Attracted by his letter, Mr.. Baker wrote
| Pulley TO come to Grand Rapids and talk
the matter over. When Pulley walked into
Mr.. Bakers Office his shape attracted as
much attention as his letter had. A great,
stalwart man, double-jointed, black as tar,
with the queerest head that ever hung on
giant shoulders.
Pulley was good-natured. He was kind.
He talked in common-sense manner, and,
aside from his ''shape," he left the proprie-
tor of the De Soto feeling very kindly
toward him.
Not receiving the reply from Frasier, Mr..
Baker considered Pulley the next for con-
sideration, and he was notified that his appli-
cation had been acted upon favorably and
that he would be expected in Savannah at
the opening Of the hotel with sufficient
force to manage the dining room. PULLEY
came at the appointed time. He
had managed affairs in the dining
room few days when some of
the young walters began to whisper
around that he was a "cornfield hand" and
all except one of them ran rough-shod over
him. Pulley had one friend. That friend
was small yellow waiter who stood by
him. He resented insults offered the head
waiter in his absence, and he was a friend
indeed.
In the confusion which raigned during the
first few weeks that the De Soto was opening
MIR. Baker was unable TO give that part of
the hotel as much attention as he desired.
and he was kept ignorant of the slurs cast
upon his big head waiter One day he went
into the dining room to get the head walters
OoiJ ,ioPOLOs ouO ulley was zoo busy 10
attend to the little matter then, and Mr..
Baker left the report with him to be made
out and sent to the Office. Pulley
promised and was coed as his word
The report was in the Office the next morn
Ing and 80 with the succeeding mornings
The beautiful handwriting attracted the
attention Of the clerical force, and they
began to look upon the "black giantn as q
veritable prodigy.
If ia a oustotl1 with Mr. RI ~ holJ 49, =
head waiter personally responsible for all
the silver which goes into the dining-room,
and whom he gave out the silver be went
into the dining-room himself, and, counting
it, put the number in the receipt book, and
handed it to Pulley to sign.
Il can't write, Mr.. Baker, Jest write it for
me and let me make my markn
1t was smothered sentence, but quite
enough to upset Mr.. Baker Pulley seemed
to be mortified, and his employer, feeling
sorry for him, wrote tine name and Pulley
made his mark Mr.. Baker said nothing.
but he went to the steward and asked him
who was doing all the pretty writing for
the head waiter.
why, he's got a secretary" replied the
steward, and he pointed him out to Mr..
Baker. He was the waiter that did not
laugh with the others when they made fun
of Pulley, and he it was who resented the
insults to his friend.
BE was the private secretary.
When the dining room was cleared the
secretary was called into Mr.. Bakers pri-
vate office, and he told the whole story. He
was college graduate and spoke auently
German, good French and fair Spanish.
and wrote a remarkably pretty hand. He
said that all the letters that Proprietor
Baker got from Pulley were written by
himself
Pulley, he said, engaged him as private
secretary in all the big hotels where he
waited, and guaranteed him a position of
waiter and private secretary. He was never
compelled to hunt for place. If Pulley
got one by his fine handwriting he always
got position as waiter, and he served as
private secretary too. With this informa-
ton Pulley was bounced He worked only
short time longer, when he resigned by
request
His secretary sobbed as he gave Pulley's
| hand a good-by shake, and said he was
sorry be couldn't go too, but the De Soto
was good enough for him, and he is still
hanging on.