The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-15
HE'S ALWAYS ON DUTY.

HE'S ALWAYS ON DUTY.
The hotels Of Gotham have characteristics
| OF thoroughly unique nature If Won
should chance into one of them, day by day.
| and should take a comfortable seat in the
window, where you could observe the pass
ing show on the avenue, you would notice
by and by that there was a youag fellow
| wearing SLOUGH hat who would come IN
to where you we're sitting occasionally. cast
you sharp glance and then retreat. pulling
his hat closer over his low retreatinq fore-
| head. and, may be, grunting softly TO him
self in very suggestive fashion, but
exactly OF what you would be puzzled to
| tell.
He is harmless Do not fear him. He ia
the hotel detective, and as such is one of the
| features of New York hotel life. His duties
no man has yet determined other than
| changing his disguise every few hours and
then standing in the lobby and trying to
look wise. HIS change of disguise consists
mainly of appearing in different coats and
hats At night, sometimes, he may even
venture in the lobby with false mustache.
As each guest registers you will see the
regulation hotel detective spying at the
strangers elbow, or perhaps even au-
daciously peering over the mans shoulder.
The detective is in his element when he
sits between couple of good fellows aud
begins to tell them tales of how he de-
from the hotel sneak thief, and how billie
the Bitter" is now serving a ten years sent
ence IN Ohio, somewhere, as a result of his
ability as a sleuth.
"Well, let's have a drink"
This is a loving sound to the ears Of the
hotel detective, who then takes the arm Of
his newly found friend and permits the boys
to steer him into the barroom.
BELLS" TELLS HIS TALE.
There's hardly a fellow who has more
ups and downs than does "Bels" in a big
New York. History hotel, with fireproof
ceilings and ropes in every room. 1t is
| BELLS" duty to answer all calls of the clerk
to lug parcels up and down stairs to saw
''yessir" aud "nosir," to the old gentlemen
who ask for information, to read a dime
| novel when the clerk amt DOCKING, to firt
with the cha nbermaid, to keep his eye open
| for tips. TO wear felt shoes and to lie about
the fellow in the room upstairs when you
| send up your card, but who tells "BeIls"
TO tell you that he is out or sick or engaged.
| This "Bells' will always cheertu!ly do for
q consideration, be having a CONSCIENCE like
india rubber. He uses this form when
standing Off the mau with the card, alwa s
speaking to the clerk and never at the
guest
"No3issick sir OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
| to-dayallrightsirlwil ltakeice waterto33}3ri1
htawayuosr ldidntslipon thestairsit wastbec-
ooksdoRs Observation-Disclosures ~
This is only one Of a string of bells. The
bell boys all sit on a nice hard plank in full
view of the audience in the Gotham hotels.
They are in full uniform. They are not al
lowed to swap jack knives or play old sledge
during business hours, although they may
do so after O'clock in the morning and be-
fore sunset at night. The chief bell boy is
the man who has stripes on his arm and who
comes out once in ever 80 often and roers
out:
"Where is No. l1n
Then, in few minutes he SAYS again:
"Where is No. llF
Meanwhile the dying man upstairs, watt
ing for No. IL to bring the doctor, is out of
his head aud one foot in the grave
BELLS" is a great institution in the New
York hotel.
BEHOLD THE HOTEL CLERK.
No American or foreign novelist has vet
attempted TO describe the hotel clerk in all
his glory. He is rule unto himself. His
smile is winning, his diamonds are large,
though presumably not expensive. He is
the man who knows all about everything
Next TO toe fellow who says: 81 told you
So" after election. the hotel clerk takes the
| whole bakery for Information.
II the boys wink and say they are out for
a time the Motel clerk smiles, and whisper