The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-04-01

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| amusement. Presently the man walked
out into the center of the lobby, glanced
Elowly around and walked deliberately
out of tho hotel through the writing
| room and the ladiessentrance.
II wish somebody would invent a
sure crank-killing machine" said tho
CLERKS after the man had disappeared.
THAT fellow was the sixth tonight -
"What do you mean?' asked the re-
| porter.
II mcan," he replied. that that fell
low knew when he came here that no
such tnan as he inquired for had ever
stopped here. In fact, the name he
| mentioned was all there was of his pre-
tended friend. When he came here
and asked for the myth of his own
creation, he knew that he was sim ply
bothering me. What was his object?
Oh, simply to create an impression on
| the people standing around. Did YOU
notice how his voice rose when he
talked of the myth tho big million
aire" Don't you know there are men
who are constantly craving the noto.
riety that is associated with riches?
Haven't you heard men in re staurants,
elevated trains, horse cars, barrooms
and elsewhere talk about big
DEALS bonds, vast sums of money.
their social position. intimacy with
great men, and all that sort of
thing? or course you have, and have
known all the time that they were
merely taking. Well, that sort of man
comes in here nearly every day and an
noys the life ont of US. This fellow
you saw has been here SO many times
am de ad on to him. He wants to show
off his clothes and imitation diamonds,
and III AXE people think he is Il big gun.
Most Of then are not SO we'll dressed as
he is. Some arc countrymcn who ha 60
heard a good deal about our lobby and
the men who frequentit it, and ask ques-
lions about persons who don't exist as
an excuse for coming here. They seem
to think that being seen in convcrsa-
ton with the clerk gives them 4 sort
OF right to stay here and sntisfy their
curiosity. They have an ides the de-
tectivcs will come around and order
them out unless they do som etf.inc Of
the kind. I frightened one Of these
fellows nearly out of his wits one night.
lie was perfect jay, and suffered
lie asked If Howard Johnson was IN.
YES l said. there he is and
pointed out our detective, who was
standing close by. MIR. Johnson I
SAID, heres a man wants to talk to
you. I winl1ed to the detective and he
tuubled. What did you wish Of me,
sir?' he said, crowding him up into this
corner. The fellow turned blue with
fright. Il g-g-guess m m-adc n n1-n-
mistake, he suffered You asked for
Howard Johnson ! said, severely.
And that's my name said the detec-
tive. taking the hint. 'Y-y-ycs.' said
the fellow. 'b-b-but I g-g-gucss y-you
air d-d-diffcrcnt H-II-IIoward He
kept cdging Off far as he could, and
finally boited
Some Of the cranl1s got up great
cocF-and-bull stories. One fellow
called the other night to know if d
MIR. Harris had left u pair o: opera
glasses for him. There had been no
such guest here. During the last cam
Palgn, when the papers were full of
stories about the big men here. VIC had
as many as thirty forty cranls pes
tering us every day. A favoritc trick
with some of them was to wait until
the papers announced the departure of
n big gun, and then come here and
poster us with questions about whoa
he would return. They always pre-
tie nded surprise when told he had gone
without leaving messages for them,
and would try to talk confide ntiallv
with us, in tones loud enough to be !
heard fifty feet away, about their init
mate relations with the big men. We |
were overrun with them, and found it !
to attend to our Business for |
they stuck like Iecchcs. 1t was a great |
relief to sec them drop OFF after the |
but we are still annoyed hv |
enough to make us sore at tines. N |
" Sun.