Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-21
HE HUNG UP HIS HAT.
Then There Was Ruction I'm a Lead.
ing Washington Hotel

A well-known young New Yorker, whd
was visiting Washington a week or twd
ago, has been spending a large portion Of
his income and encroaching somewhat on
his patrimony by purchasing large cold bot
ties and various sizes of hats, in order to
secure immunity from number of friends
who Know what happened to him here at
the Riggs House. 1t appears that the
young gentleman is acquainted with quite
number of well-known young Washing
tonians, and when he comes to this city he
invariably endeavors to make his local
friends have a good time. On the occasion
of his last visit, accordingly, he invited a
number of them to his apartment at the
Riggs House one afternoon, and for two
or three hours very pleasant symposium
was held When his friends departed for
their several city homes their entertainer
concluded that he would take little nap
before dinner, so, taking off his coat and
throwing himself upon the bed he was
soon slumberirg. When he awakened the
shades of night had fallen, and sitting up
on the side of the bed, he pulled out his
match safe, lit a match and proceeded to
light the gaSlight at the side of the bureau,
where such fixtures in hotels are usually
found. In a few moments his nos trils be-
gan TO be assaulted by a series of the vilest
smells possible to imagine. He threw up
the windows, but there was no relief. At
last, grabbing up his coat, he pulled 1t on
and rushed down to the hotel office. With
each step that he struck coming down
stairs he grew angrier and angrer and at
last. when he appeared before the calm
and genial clerk, Mr.. Charles Lambert, he
was almost frothing at the mouth. AS he
was volubiy and Indignantly attacking the
hotel and everything connected with 1t,
Manager De Witt came I'D and incurred
what the matter was.
Matter" calculated the irate New
Yorker, why. you've put me in a room up
stairs thsts over a sulphur factory and
next door to a rubber melting shop. 1t
smells like it, anyhow. 1 never struck such
an Internal place in my life
Mr. De Witt, with that suave and COM
placent manner which has made him ia
nous among bonifaces, suggested to his
angry guest that they should go up to his
room together.
''PIl go with anybody" said the visitor.
And while were up there you might get
out search warrant and try to find my
nat, because I've not only been pretty near
suffocated with that burning rubber and
sulphur perfume of yours, but some son-of-
a-gun came into the room and stole my
new hat"
Mr.. De Witt thought the occurrence was
very singular, but he said nothing prefer
ring to await an investigation. When the
apartment was reached he was convinced
that the guest had good grounds for COM
paint The room did, indeed, smell as
though the rubber boots of an army had
been laid on the warmest side of an ener-
getic stove. He entered, nevertheless. and
turned on the electric light in the center Of
d greater iSHt broke upon
MIN. From the globe on the gas let by the
side of the bureau he lifted the remains of
brand-new latest-style hat and handed it
without G. word to his guest. The latter
looked at the tile and then at the globe, and
then at De Witt
Just keep this quiet" he said to the hotel
man, land I'll pay for the wine whenever
you are thirsty"
But the story leaked out, and now all his
friends know 1T. 1t turned out that when he
was entertaining his Washington acquaint-
ances in the afternoon he had hung his hat
over the top of the globe in the way men
nave Awakening from his nap in the dark.
he had lit the gas under it, and in his anger
at perceiving the sudden and ineXplicable
smell in mis- apartment, he had not taken the
time to make an investigation before MAX
Ing a row.