Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-01-22
GUESTS WHO DON'T PAY.
A PROBLEM THAT HOTEL KEEPERS
HAVE NOT YET SOLVED.

Opinion the subjeet-
Il has long been an unsoIyed problem
among hotel keepers bow to avoid being
imposed u pom by very large class Of per
sons who habitaally make use Of various
eouyenienGes of hotels without in any way
compromising the propTietors- II IS, for in
stance, ceily occurrence for those who
are not guests 20 make use of the parlors
OF hotels for places OF meeting, 70 use the
toilet roor :, 70 lo1nge about the smoking
ROOMS, 70 Use the hotel stationery, and in
other ways 70 appropriate to their own
use, without payment, facilities which are
intended fer tie accommodation Of hotel
guests. Tie subject has been much talked
about among hotel proP-ietors, and many
expeiIeaJs have been either proposed or
adopted a. 4 remedy for this growing evil.
In a nUmber OF well known hotels in New
York the evil has grown 70 enormous pro-
portions As FAR as the toilet rooms are
concerned. Il wsts az one time proposed to
adopt sch=Ine Of charge for admission.
and one inventive genius even went so far
a. to propose a machine on the principle of
Pct a nickel II the slot"
CHECKING TIE Evil
IL Is. however, true that, after much
elaboration and consultation, and com
hotel prcprieSOrs have generally come to
the conclusion that these evils must in
some measure 5e borne, although they
may he prevented il degree by various
sxpedieuts. Ii i, therefore, now the Gus
tom in the larger hotels 70 post various no
tlces about Tie public places indicating that
they are rese ryet FOR guests OF the house
Such notices arr posted n the toilet room
a.ld IN the smoking nom, and over the
chairs in the billiard rooms, and even the
seats that are placed near the hotel Offices
for the accommodation Of the bell boys
awaiting the summons of the hotel clerk
to answer the call of guests.
X Is also al essential part 81 the equip
ment az al hotels TO have one OF more per
sons constantly On tae lookout TO warn of
these unpToft able visitors Such OF these
unwe!coL1e guests As are ooviously IN
clean or crooked" are unceremonioasly
bounced There is, however. a very large
class Of well dressed and cenJlemaaIy ap
pearing persons who do not scrupie TO thus
impose on hotel propristors day after day.
With such persons a gentler. but quite as
effective, method OF warning of l. adopted
Sometimes the gentleman VIII receive a
delicate intima ton by word Of mouth that
his presence i not desired Sometimes he
viii be asked if he has any particular bust
GeSs IN the house. Il may be thai a note
Viii ie slippec into dis hand su1-,--.ag
thar he bas been accommodated for q san
cjeDt time
Speaking OF this subject Nj Z / Ner-
rj.;-33, president CT the Hotel Keepers ~
ISOLATION, recently said. TO certain ex-
tent hotel keepers recognize tlzt their
houses Are public. They are aware that
from many reasons persons who do not
patronize their hotels may find occasion 20
Use these facili les They know. for in
stance, that their own guests during their
stay in the city may find occasion to visit
other hotels AMI use their conveuiencss
They are quite willing to permit fair
share of their own couveRiences 10 be used
by the guests Of other hotels, bat they
have found it absolutely necessary to pro-
tect themselves ty constant watching and
by the prompt election OF habituai offend
ers.
\ STEiSG TIED To IT.
1T Is surprising how some men viii per
sist in little meat inpostures of this kind
There was a nice little well dressed old
gentleman who some time ago, although
not a guest al the Continental hotel, was
in the constant habit of spending a portion
OF the morning in the sitting room He
would seat himself in the most comfort
able chair and watch for any morning pa
per which might De left Inomentarily IN
guarded by guest This thing went on
80 long that it got 70 be matter of merri-
ment among the bell boys and walters to
watch the cid gentleman as he daily
bounced upon his free reading One
morning one OF the bell boys laid a trap
for the old gentleman, and baited 1t with
newspaper to which a string was invisibly
attached. and when the old gentleman
stopped down 70 pick up the paper it WAS
mysteriously whiSked away. he saw at
once that he had been watched, and ne i'm
mediately picked up ms hat and left the
, hotel, and we have never seen him since
An imposition Ct more serious kind is
the use of the toilet rooms by strangers
/ The more connections and comfortable
they are, the greater seems to be the rush
OF unauthorized strangers to use them In
our own hotel this IS q source of inconve-
ence to our guests. and notwithstanding
our notices, and the fact that we station a
servant in the toilet room to warn off IN
authorized persons the evil continues.
/ But, so far as have known, no adequate
I remedy has vet been proposed by the most
experienced hotel proprietor OF course il
I would be Impractical bic TO charge a fee of
! admission 70 the toilet room, because il
would be petty annoyance to the guests
! Some hotel proprie-ors look upon these
/ public conveniences n the light of adver-
| tisements. They say it brings people TO
/ the hotel; that, although they may not be
bOarders they patrunize the bar or the
/ cafe or the billiard room, and that in one
way or another tine establishment viii re-
ceive compensation"
! Mr.. Charles Spragl lie, chairman of the
| executive committee Of the Hotel Keepers
association, said: "Of course we are inn
! posed upon. 1t seems to be a well settled
/ opinion, however, among hotel proprietors
| that the most that ca be done Is to check
| the evil and that there is no possibility of
preventing it altogether. New York Sun.
| Lost Art Rediscovered.
Ii IL. tl.a. L..