The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1890-12-13
In PUBLIC WASH-ROOMS.
Men Steal Soap, the Bowls, Combs
and Towels.
A Cincinnati Hotel Bootbiack Chats About
the Queer Characters He Meets-Won.
derful Nerve Displayed BY Pio-
syunish Individuals.


ayunish individuals.
"What class Of men pay you best?"
was the query Of Cincinnati Times
Star reporter to Charley, the fat boot
black at the Gibson House. 'sWell, I
guess drummers. have had drummers
come In after making good sale, and
they would get cleaned up and shined
up, and hand me quarter and refuse
the change. tell you there's nothin'
too good for drummer when he's made
dandy sale. Some men the more they
get the meaner they get, but not your
commercial traveller. He's a dandy
every time. And then l have regular
customers of gentlemen about town.
Governor Foraker comes in. He wants
agood shine, pays for it, and goes away
satisfied. Sometimes we have a man
come in who objects to paying ten cents,
thinks nickel enough, and will stand
and argue the case with you. Why, It
takes nearly dimes worth OF blacking
to get around some mems feet
Sometimes men think this is in
cluded in the board, and insist on not
paying for it. I have had men come
in here, walk up to the stand, cock up
their feet. get out a brush, open the
blacking-box, and proceed to shine
their own shoes. When get over be-
ing paralyzed at their gall l tell them
to get up on the chair and I'll blacken
their shoes; that make my living that
way. l had a fellow do that on me one
day, and when saw he was about ruin
ing my brushes rubbing the mud off, l
told him to put it down, and he did, and
declared he would report me. l told
him to 20 ahead and report. was look
ing out for my own property. l guess
he changed his mind. Cincinnatians
are purity we'll shod as rule. They
wear purity nice shoes. How many
towels are used here in day? Three
or four hundred. Sometimes we have
to change them after once using
why, I've seen men come in here,
walk up and down till they saw good,
clean towel and then stand and wipe the
perspiration and dirt of their faces.
They will wipe and then look at the
towel, and then wipe again and look,
just to see how much dirt comes of. OF
course that towel has to come down.
No, they don't think OF washing
the dirt of; they want to see
how much dirt they can get off
on the towel. They take dry wash.
How many mon come in here 20
wash are guests at the hotel? Not half
Of 'em. Why, we've put men out of
here often. Regular loafers, you know.
These bum politicians about town are
the worst. Got gall? Well, haven't
they? We stand 'em as long as we can
and then run 'em out. Why, fellers
come in here who carry off soap. That's
done nearly every day. Before we had
the hair brushes and combs fastened
with rings, just hooked on, they used to
carry them away. Why, there are fellers
who come in here who would carry off
the wash-stand if it wasn't fastened.
There are fel,ers who never see any
soap until they cone in here, and then
sometimes we don't see it when they're
gone. Then good many men don't
half wash. They will just wet the dirt
on their hands and face, and then rub it
of on the towel. A man came in here
the other day, set down his sachel,
opened 1t, took out his brush and black
ing and proceeded to shine 'em up him
self. I told him could do it better
than he could. Well, he 'reckoned not
and finished the job-made good ono
Of it, too; and then he had me brush
him of nicely all over, and paid me just
the same as though l had blacked his
shoes, and then he walked away. Funny
fellow, wasn't he? But you ought to see
the towels fly when the races are on and
the hotel Is crowded, and especially at
night, when they come back from the
races all dusty and begrimed from head
to foot.
''Then we have to hustle up the clean
towels. But they're good fellows to
pay. I'll bet this is the most popular
wash-room in town. Bet more men
wash here in day than at any place in
town. It's right here on one of the
busiest streets, in the center of the
town, and no trouble to drop in. Then
there is hot and cold water, and they
can get good shine, and in five min
utes they can 20 out again like new
men. A good wash braces man up.
There, see that fellow. Wipe the dirt
of; never wash; that towel was just put
up, but down she comes" and SO
Charley and his partner kept going all
day long, taking down and hanging up
towels, rubbing of the splashed marble
wash stands, taking the soap out Of the
water, emptying the bowls and keep
ing the wash-room the ''slickest-look-
ing place in town." The reporter visited
the wash-rooms Of all the other leading |
hotels Of the city and found the same
conditions existing and the same order
of complaints.
Color Of Natural Wool.
There are certain fallacies abroad
concerning the proper color Of natural
wool, and Of natural silk, too, for that
matter, SO thas furnisher is very often
IL 4