The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-05-07

cided to take sleSta, so that my voice
would be nice and smooth for the even
ing, Iput 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 loclsmith, who said that
he had come to put new lock on the
door and fit 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 q new and
more desirable lock- fell asleep again
then, for was worn out with the long
and weary miles of railroad travel Then
came 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 to 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 refer to was an aggra-
ration in another way. could not get
anybody to come when | rang. People
whom | did not care to see dropped in
every little while, but when rang no.
body came. Afterward | was told that
had occupied what is called a "theatri-
cal ROOM" 1--WE are annoyed very
much, said a hotel clerk the other day,
"by a certain kind of actor-the one
who plays the smaller parts on the stage,
and who tries to manage the universe
between times. lie 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 mil. 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-thougl
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 thu
thousand, and in 1889 it was only ten.
liked Austin very much indeed. There
is no malaria there, and the legislature il
restricted by wholesome sanitary regula
tions, SO that Austin is a very healthfu
and handsome place. The capital build
ing has a fame that is world wide. 1t il
a very handsome building, resembling
the Capitol at Washington, but built O
beautiful chocolate colored stone in
stead of marble.
The latitude Of Austin is the same a
that of Jacksonville, Fla, and the eli
mate is peculiarly copious even at thi
season Of the year. was told in Chica
90 that would lose fifty pounds Will
travelling through Texas, as the hotel
were exceedingly bad. | have gaineo
eight pounds, and the weight Of my ex
cess baggage has also increased Will
here now feel like new man. an
no longer afflicted with low spirits
dread of a violent death on the scaffold
night sweats, constant craving for food
ringing in the ears, repugnance to work
or moth patches.
The moclzing bird is quite common i
Austin. 1t is heard very often in tn
wild wood putting up a pecan at earl
morn or set of sun. heard one tn
other morning that could give yer
good imitation Of guinea hen. 1t wa
SO good that no one could tell the differ
ence. So she might about as well hav
been a guinea hen, so far as the hstene
was concerned We should learn froI
this to initiate only those who are worthy
Here was a sweet voiced songster of tn
woods who could have surprised and d.
lighted every one, but she had prostitute
her talents to an ignoble end, an
through the long hours seemed confer
to cluck and rattle with the morotonor
and metallic clatter which characterize
the vacant mind of the guinea hen.
, TIE railroads of Texas are very gooi
with two or three notable exceptions
They are so generally good that | wi
only refer to one Of the exceptions. Ths
is the narrow gauge road running frol
Houston to Shreveport, La. Here Hou
, ton is pronounced Hyoustun, and ne
|. Howstun, as the street in New York
called. Tho railroad from Houston
5 Shreveport has roadbed, q right of wa
and a receiver.
} When the train stops at station
t slight, bronze, razor back hog comes OF
) from under magnolia tree, backs up
the tracks and proceeds to warm his pc
son against a hotbox. Then as we pu
q out he goes back into the forest aga.
to brood over his wrongs till the ira
comes again on the following day. 1t
an exciting life.
Along this line one occasionally Sc
the noble Choctaw associated with q
Etruscan jag, The Indian and viii
/ man are quite different when sober, b
' exactly alike when drunk. Their aspir
, tions, hopes, fears, passions and ten
j encies are the same then The Cho
! taws have a village near the line of til
justly celebrated road. 1t is under Il
management Of a chief, who attends
everything. even to the nnnishment f