The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-15
WHERE HOTELS PROSPER.
Travellers HuatIIng for n Place to Sleep Il
Booming Texas.


is not always sure to find the best room in the
went to Fort Worth in May found the city
crowded. The Texas Spring Palace had just
been opened the Convention OF the Southern
Baptist Association was In session. and tho
State Prohibition Convention and the State
Sunday School Teachers Association also met
In the city the same week. To say that the
city was crowded seems like juggling with
words. for that expression conveys 30
faint an idea OF how full the city really
was. At the hotel whore the reporters mail
was to come. and wkere he had expected to
stay himself. every room was taken and every
available space was fllled with cots. all taken.
The office and the sidewalk in front Of the
hotel were crowded all day and half the night.
The situation was the same at other hotels.
At one OF them Information was given OF n
lodging house where perhaps room might be
had. but inquiry discovered only two or three
cots In room holding twelve altogether. and
the reporter decided to look farther.
An hour later. while eating dinner in res
taurant the reporter was addressed by a tall
gentleman with brown beard. whom he had
met In Austin. but who lives In Fort Worth
The Fort Worth man learned upon inquiry
that the reporter had not yet found lodging
and with characteristic Texan hospitality he
undertook to provide shelter for him. If we
can't do any better" he said. II can give you
bed in my house, but 1t would be in room
with somebody else and you ought to have a
room by yourself. Como and take a
ride and have a look at the city and
we'll find place for you to sleep"
His house. like many others in the city. was
filed with visitors attending the Baptist Con-
vention. He got his team. picked up two lay
delegates from Atlanta, and the party drove
about the city. Late in the afternoon he
stopped in front Of bank building. The up
per floors OF this building" he said, were
taken by lady who has furnished the rooms
for lodgings. There may be a room here"
There was-a good room. newly and comfort
ably furnished. The price seemed somewhat
bulky but 1t was not exorbitant. considering
the circumstances. The areporter took his
meals in restaurants. He had occasion to go
daily to the principal hotels, and notwithstand-
ing the constant crush. the clerks were always
calm. level headed. and courteous. and In these
qualities they were like all the hotel clerks
that the reporter met in Texas.
Wichita Falls Is a small but growing city. In
a thriving county. Whom the train on the Fort
Worth and Denver City Railroad stopped there
one night q few days after the experiences Just
ofii5e Of the principal hotel and wrote their
names on the register Then the clerk made
sb little a T At IL only Se
bedsNa cot In the house and two double bed :
ded rooms in a dwelling house near by; that
moaat DAFT for ali, but be would be Obliged to
give the Ave beds to the five first, Registered.
a word the three last men picked up their
grips and went In search OF other quarters.
The cot IN the hotel won't to the frat man MAJ OF
| OF tho safe and started for the door. with the
| four men after him.
1t was very dark outside, but the travellers
| kept close to the man with tho lantern and fol-
lowed across the rail- Dad track TO q house about
gate and the others followed him through the
door and upstairs. Two OF the guests were
tod who were o snd taes
one OF the rooms together, They were
numbers two and three of the party and
the man who got, the cot All four
men went with the porter into, the
s fsG Sne
a comfortable room, and the tired drummers
begun 10 get ready for bed before the other
! ing were WOO! buyer from St Louis and a
SuN reporter. They followed the porter into
was good 1e ' fRe
said: This is your, room. gentlemen" Ths
his S grip s on Of the
this isn't pad, but he had scarcely spoken when
the lady Of tie house looked through the open
This room is already taken: you will have to
take these gentlemen down stairs" The two
the They knew they were
ing a comfortable certainty; they could only
guess what sort OF a room the very last one
door and said This is the room. gentlemen u
The wool buyer said nothing this time, He was
| a traveller OF e1 perience, who accepted without
! growl whatever was allotted TO him. provided
always that he got the best to be had. and
| who at the same time was not caTelessly pro-
| fuse in commentator: his remarks concern
| ing the room upstairs was the expression OF
man who felt that it was only lair to say some ne
come upon comfortable quarters; but. under
| the circumstances. he was not likely to repeat
ample and drs %,
further friendly comment did exist. and
the reporter knew, that at the proper
true expression to the common sentiment re-
gardinR the room in which they had now been
house. a large and we'll furnished room, with
a Brussels CARPET. easy rocking chairs pictures;
and other ador6mehhis ana WIN t%" a{se ana ana
| corners. hut each with Its headboard across
the angle OF corner OF the room giving the
make things look attractive. ,...
The wool buyer opened bis grip and took out
h hs s on lis sapsr% Then he drew The
rockers over by the bureau, upon which the
lamp stood, and near another rocker that
"@' %Ha lGr nq s%G asked the reporter. ,
am going to sm9ks said ~ the Wool 61yer
Amarillo is not n large town. but. like nearly
| every place In Texas. II Ia growing. 1t Is on
| the Stak ed Plain. auout in the centre OF the
| Panhandle, In a who esome and delightful re-
gion: and although is small town, II has
an excellent and well managed hotel. Twelve
passengers. Including three ladies', left the
train one midnight. They, Just filed the hotel
omnibus. six on side and The ehinks between
their feet on the floor Were ed up sS %So VIII
were registered at the hotel the clerk said
for all: that rooms would be given to
the ladies, and that he would then begin at the
ton OF the list OF new arrivals and assign tho
gentlemen in their order on the register as
long as tho rooms held out. and that those for
! whom there were no rooms would be provided
| with cots Tor the might, and that In the morn
ing there would he departures enough to
| make 1t possible TO furnish all the new Corners
with rooms. This was fair, and while. Of
course, everybody would have, preferred q
| room nobody was dissatisfied though one Of
the men assigned to cots said he thought thai
In the march on the register OF hotel In q
| crowded town. as In other walks OF life. Il
was not q bad iden to be somewhere near the
| head OF the proc ess!on.