The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-05
A CURIOUS SORT OF VANITY.
One Kind of Crank Who Makes Bother
for the Hotel Clerk.
From the Netu York Sun

One Kind of Crank Who Makes Bother
for the Hotel Clerk.
From The NetO York Sun.
"Is Henry w ilson int"
The man who put this question to the
clerk at the Fifth Avenue hotel the other
night was attired in evening dress, and
had thrown open his overcoat 80 as to re-
veal his expansive shirt bosom with its
twinklIng diamond studs He affected the
| elegant in his attitude, also, and swung his
Silver-hauded cane with an air Of impor>
lance. His physique, voice aud face were
| designed TO aid him in his attempt to create
| an impression. lie was tall and broad
shouldered, had big features and an aggres-
! sive black mustache, and his voice W as deep
aud sonorous. He looked like a man
who might try to bulldoze another of lesser
| frame.
The clerk looked up at him with bland
! smile, but made no pretense OF looking at
the key rack, as is his custom when he wants
to learn whether a guest is in his room or
not. Neither did he look at the register
nor at his list OF the days guests. He
simply said:
"henry Wilson. did you sayi There
is no such person stopping here"
| The inquirer looked a little taken aback,
and frOwn passed quickly over his face
! When he spoke the tone Of his voice sug-
gested that be felt the clerk had estimated
him properly, but he was impelled to make
al attempt Co change the clerks theory.
as that soF' be asked in surprise that was
evidently assumed; "when did he leavep
| 81 don't remember his having been here, "
said the clerk, in tone full Of meaning.
20, pshaw; you must be mistaken" said
the man fretfully. "Why, l am certain he
was here a week ago. l have a telegram
ON him asking me to meet him on last
| Wednesday. Unfortunately, / was out of
town when the telegram arrived, aud it
was not forwarded. Wilson is the big
millionaire contractor from Chicago, you
| know
The last sentence was spoken so loudly
that the men standing around, and even
those OH the settees, heard it and loo led at
the speaker.
"He did not stop here,n said the clerk,
in a monotohous, oh-you-nake-me-tt tired
tone.
"You are quite sureF said the man.
switching from the confident TO the con-
cilliatory.
Positive" said the clork, turning away.
The man concealed the fact that he was
Disconnected very cleverly. He picked G
toothpick out Of the box on the counter and
Of one lost in thought Then he turned
around and leaned with his back against the
clerks desk. His attitude was studiedly
elegant. He seemed unmindful Of
his surroundings and TO be looking over the
heads Of the men on the settee across the
lobby. The clerk looked at him occasionally
in mingled anger and amusement. Presently
the man walked out into the center Of the
lobby, glanced slowly around aud walked
dslibera ELY out OF tho hotel through thu
writing room and the ladies' entrance.
II wish somebody would invent q sure
crank killing maohine," said the CLERK after
the man had disappeared. That fellow
was the sixth tonight"
What do you meant asked the reporter.
81 mean" he replied, THAT that fellow
knew " hen he came here that no such man
as he inquired for had ever stopped here.
In fact, the name he mentioned was all
there was OF his pretended friend. When
he came here and asked for the myth of his
own creation, ne knew that he was simply
botheriug me. What was his objecti Oh,
| simply to create an impression on the people
standing around. Did you notice how his
voice rose when he talked Of the myth as
the big millionaireP Don't you know there
are men who are constantly craving the
notoriety that is associated with richesl
| Haven't you heard men in restaurants,
elevated trains, hOrSe cars, barrooms, and
elsewhere talk about big deals, bonds, vast
| sums OF nlodeY. their social position,
intimacy with great men, aud all that
sort OF things or course yu have,
| and have known all the time that they were
| merely taking. Well, tat sort of man
comes In here nearly every day and annoys
the life out Of us. This fellow you saw has
been here SO many times / am dead on him.
He wants TO sho " off his clothes and imita-
ton diamonds and make people think he ia
big gun. Most OF them are not so well
dressed az be is. Some are countrYmen
| who have heard q good deal about our lobby
and the men WHO frequent it, and ask ques-
tions about persons who don't exist az an
excuse for coming here They seem 10 think
that being seen In conversation with the
clerk gives them a sort OF right to stay here
and satisfy their curiosity. They have an
idea the detectives will come around and
order them out unless they do something of
| the kind. / frightened one OF these fellows
nearly out OF his wits one night. he was a
perfect jay and suffered. He asked il
Howard Johnson was In.
YES 1 said, there he is. and pointed
out our detective, who was standing close
by MIR. Johnson said, here's a man
wants to talk to you l winked to the de-
tecsive and he tumbled. What did you
v ish OF me, sirT he said crowding b IN up
in this corner. The fellow turned blue
with fright. i g-g-guess l m-m-ade a
m-m-mistake,' be suffered. You asked
for Howa d Johnson | said, severely. And
the hint. 'Y-y-yes,' said the fellow, BIB
but z g-guess y-you air a different H
! H-Howard.' He kept edging of as far as
he could and finally bolted.
Some of the cranks get up great cock and
bull stories. One fellow called the other
night 10 know If q Mr. Harris had left a
pair Of opera glasses for him. There had
been no such guest here. During the last
campaign, when the papers were full of
| stories about the big men here, we had as
many as thirty aud forty cranks pestering
US every day. A favorite trick with some
OF them was to wait until the papers an
nounced the departure Of big gun, and
then come here and poster US with questions
about when he was 70 return. They always
pretended surprise when told he had gone
without leaving messages for them, and
| would try to talk confldentially with us, in
tones loud enough TO be heard fifty feet
away. about their intimate relations with
the big man. We were overrun with them,
and found 1t difficult TO attend to our bust
ness, for they stuck like leeches. 1t was a
great relief TO see them drop of after the
| campaign, but we are Sill ANNOYED by