The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-07
Caused Him to Dislike the clerk.

I've met some remarkable hotel clerks in my
time" said D. A. Browne of New YORK, to me
yesterday, "but the funniest snap of the sort
ever heard of came within my experience at a
big school In the south last winter. 1t was one
OF those big caravanseries that are springing up
all over the south, but especially on tine sea
board of Florida, and would give you the name
OF the hotel if were not sure to be going there
again next winter. Well, when walked up To
the desk the day of my arrival man with i'm
mense whlskers and a voice to match handed
me pen and said, You'll want a $50 ROOM
and we engaged In the regulation scrap over
terms and so on. My wife was with me,
and for that reason / had to take what
l could get and be thankful. The man
with the big whiskers, whom
afterward found to be the proprietor handed
us over to the bell boy. While my wife and the
trunks went TO the room tarried behind to
attend to several matters. The proprietor had
re ired into door behind high desk and
across the register from me was young man
OF middle height, and anywhere from 25 to 80
years OF age, whose prominent features to
woman's eye we're blue eyes, curly yellow hair,
and fair mustacbe with twisted ends, and to
mans cold, impudent stare and a sneering
upper lip. disliked him at first sight. But he
was the only man behind the desk within reach,
SO asked him to look and see if there were
any kilograms or letters for me. He flung out
pile OF mail matter upon the desk, but he
for that clerk growing. noticed
that he was dudishly dressed, that two dia-
mOnuS OF large size spanked on one or his
hands, and an odor of cologne emanated from
his neighborhood. When l had concluded an
unsuccessful search for correspondence, it
seemed to me that suspicion Of a sneering
smile lowered about the clerks upper lip /
didn't want to know very badly, but just to
make the supercnious beggar talk, asked him
what time dinner was served He looked calmly
through me as if I'D been sheet of your
Pittsburg plate glass and made no reply. l
repeated the question. think / was really
glad that got no answer 1t gave me a chance
to resent the Sneering mouth and CLASSY eyes of
the man. With studied cslmness said: is it
customary in this hotel to refuse to give the
guests information for which
they politely askl' He never moved
upon me in cold, hard stare. mad dollar
It upon the marble counter, / repeated the
question with a few added words of profane
character. 1t hadn't the slightest effect upon
the frozen blonde, but the noise brought out
the man with the big whiskers. told him very
plainly what thought Of such treatment as l
had received. and was about ready to sail in
and wipe up as much of the floor with the pair
of them as l could, for l was red-hot mad,
when the proprietor said mildly: My dear sir,
Mr.. Blank is dumb. absolutely speechess; and
his hearing is affected also.
what in thunder do you keep him for,
them asked.
30! he is very useful in his way replied the
hotel keeper, and that is all the explanation ne
would make. But there s no doubt that the
deaf and dumb clerk was a superb instrument
OF torture TO the gueSts-and when he was on
duty front was deserted"