The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-02-14
IN PUBLIC WAsH-ROOM
Men Steal Soap, the Bowls, Combs
and Towels.
4 Cincinnati Hotel Bootblack Chats About
the Queer Characters He Mects-Won-
1erfui Nerve Displayed by Pic
ayuniSh Individuals.


serfui Nerve Displayed by Pic
ayunish Individuals.
"What class OF men pay you best?'
was tho query of Cincinnati Times
Star reporter to Charley, the fat boot
black at the Gibson House. well, |
guess drummers. have had drummers
come in after making q 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 tho moro they
get the meaner they get, but not your
commercial traveller. Hos a dandy
every time And then l have regular
customers OF gentlemen about town.
Governor Foraker comes In He wants,
good shine, pays for it, and goes AWAY
satisfied. Sometimes we have u man
como in who objects to paying ten cents,
thinks nickel enough, and will stand
and argue the case with you. Why, 1t
takes nearly a dimes worth Of backing
to get around some mems feot.
Sometime mon think this is in
Guided in the board, and insist on not
paying for it. | have had men come
in here, walk up TO the stand, cock up
their feet, get out brush. open the
backing box, aud proceed to shine
their own shoes, When get over be-
Ing paralyzed at their gall tell them
to got up on tho chair and ri blacken
their shoes; that J make my living that
way. had a fellow do that on me ono
day, and when saw DO was about ruin
ing my brushes rubbing the mud off, |
told hin to put it down, and he did, aud
declared no would report NC. told
him to go ahead and report | was look
ing out for my own property. | guess
ho changed his mind Iincinnatians
are purity we'll shod as a rnic. They
wear purity nice shoes. How many
towels are used hero il a day? Three
or four hundred. Sometimes We have
to change them after once using.
"Why, I've seen men come in hero,
walk up and down till they saw u good
clean tower and then stand and wipe the
pcrspiration and DIRT of their faces.
They viii wipe and then look at the
towel, and then wipe again and look,
just to SEQ how much dirt comes oil. OF
No, they don't think OF washing
tho dirt OF; Lhoy want to SOC
how much dirt thoy can get Off
on the towel. They tako u dry wash,
How many men como in here to
wash are guests ut the hotel? Not half
of EN-. Why, we've put men out Of
here often. Regular loafers, you know.
These bum politicians about town are
tho worst. Got gall? Well, haven't
they? We stand 'osn as long as wo can
and then run en- out, Why, fcllnrS
como In here who carry of soap. That's
done nearly every day. Before wo had
the hair brushes and combs fastened
with rings, just hooked on, they used 10
carry them away. Why, there arc folders
who come in here who would carry OF
the wash stand If it wasn't fastened,
"Thnre AFRO lellcrs who never soc any
soap until thoy cone in here, and then
sometimes We don ( soc it whom they're
gone. Then a good many mon don't
half wash rioy Will just wet tho dirt
OH thuir hands and f;tcO, and then rub it
Off on the towel. a man came in hero
tLo oth0r day, set down his sachcl,
opened 1t, cook out his brush and black
ing and proceeded to shino en- up him
self. | told him | could do it hotter
than no could. Wen, he 'reckoncd not
ana finished the job-lnadn good ono
OF it, too; and then no had mo brush
him off nicely all over, ana paid me just
tho same as though had BACKED his
shoes, and then he walk cd away. Funny
follow, wasn't lac? But You ought TO 500
tho towels fly when the races are on and
the hotel is crowded, and especially at
night, when they come back from tho
races all dusty and begrimed from head
to foot.
Then wo have to hustle up the clean
towels. But they're good fellows to
pay III bet this is the most popular
wash-room in town. Bet moro men
wash hero in Il day than at any place in
town. It's right hero on one Of tho
busiest streets, in tho center OF the
town, and no trouble TO drop in. Then
there is hoC and cold water, and they
can get IL good shine, and in five min
men. A good wash braces II man up.
There, 500 that fellow. Wipe tho dirt
off; 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 OFF tho splashed marble
rash-stands, taking tho soap out Of tho
s"nter, emptying the bowls and keep
ing tho Mushroom tho 'slicliesc-lool-
ing place in town" The reporter visited
tho wash rooms Of all tho other leading
hotels of tho city and found tho Same
conditions existing and the same order
of complaints.
Color Of Natural Wool.
There are certain fallacies abroad
concerning tho proper color OF natural