Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-27

clded to take a siesta, so that my voice
would be nice and smooth for the even
ing. put the bureau against the door,
and, taking down my hair, was soon in a
profuse slumber.
At this moment the door was rudely
burst open by locksmith, who said that
he had come TO put new lock on the
door and fit a key TO it. This did not oc-
cupy over an hour or so, and after that
he went away with the old lock, leaving
the door ajar while he got a new and
more desirable lock. fell asleep again
then, for l was worn out with the long
and weary miles of railroad travel. Then
came a bright young chambermaid with
a fresh porous towel for the room. She
put her pass key into the door and
turned it two or three times. They al
ways do that whether there is any lock
on the door or not. Even when the door
isn't locked they most generally sock a
pass key into the late keyhole. and rattle
two or three pounds of brass KEY checks
on the outside. They do not knock-un-
less they have peered through the key
hole and observed that the guest is dead.
Then they knock timidly, shrink and go
away
The chambermaid cannot understand
why great big man should desire TO &C.
cupy his room at the hotel during the
day time. That he should want to
write or rest in his room seems very
morbid to most Of them, and a man
does have TO be pretty well worn out in
order 70 stay contentedly in the average
hotel room; but he does sometimes get
where even a second hand grave with a
lock on it would be welcome.
But the room l refer TO was an agra
ration in another way. | could not get
anybody TO come when l rang. People
whom l did not care to see dropped in
every little while. but when l rang no.
body came. Afterward was told that
had occupied what is called ".theatri-
cal ROOM We are annoyed very
much said hotel clerk the other day,
''by a certain kind of actor-the one
who plays the smaller parts on the stage,
and who tries 70 manage the universe
between times. He generally plays the
part of the associate villain, or the death
bed, or the unsealed doom. or something
like that, and at the hotel he appears as
its first mortgage. Well, we give him
a room that has an electric bell wire,
but it does not connect with the Office.
1t is attached to the coffee mill in the
kitchen. so that when he imagines he IS
ringing his bell he is really grinding the
coffee for breakfast. By some mistake
you were supposed to be an actor-though
any one who had ever seen you on the
stage would know better than that-and
| SO you were given the theatrical room"
And yet the death rate in Austin is very
highly spoken of. In 1887 it was fourteen
per thousand. In 1888 it was twelve to the
thousand, and in 1889 it was only ten. 1
| liked Austin very much indeed. There
| is no malaria there, and the legislature is
restricted by wholesome sanitary regula-
| tions, so that Austin is very healthful
and handsome place. The capital build
ing has fame that is world wide. 1t is
very handsome building. resembling
| the Capitol at Washington, but built of
beautiful chocolate colored stone in
stead Of marble.
The latitude of Austin is the same as
that Of Jacksonville Fla, and the eli
mate Is peculiarly copious even at this
| season of the year. l was told in Chica-
90 that l would lose fifty pounds while
travelling through Texas, as the hotels
were exceedingly bad. l have gained
eight pounds. and the weight of my ex-
cess baggage has also increased while
here. now feel like new man. am
no longer afflicted with low spirits,
| dread of violent death on the scaffold,
night sweats, constant craving for food,
ringing in the ears, repugnance to work,
or moth patches.
The hooking bird is quite common in
| Austin. 1t is heard very often in the
wild wood putting up "a pecan at early
! morn or set of sun. / heard one the
other morning that could give very
good imitation of a guinea hen. 1t was
SO good that no one could tell the differ
ence So she might about as well have
been a guinea hen, SO far as the listener
was concerned. We should learn from
this to initiate only those who are worthy.
Here was sweet voiced songster of the
woods who could have surprised and de-
lighted every one, but she had prostituted
her talents to an ignoble end, and
through the long hours seemed content
to cluck and rattle with the monotonous