The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-05
HOTEL CLERKS CARES
SOME THINGS THAT WORRY MAN
ON THE DESK AT NIGHT.
An indianapolis Hotel Man Tells OF
some interesting Things Under
HIS Observation.

the morning sharp" said big man, as he
leaned heavily on the desk OF an Indian
apois hotel late the other night "And, say
] want fire I'm the room and, by the way.
you might take up a pitcher or Ice water"
This to the negro lad who approached at the
call. Front" Then the big man scowled III
naturedly IN the face OF the clerk and fol-
lowed the boy to the elevator
That's only one OF the things night
clerk has to contend with" observed the
dapper gentleman behind the desk. Then he
posed so that his diamond would catch the
glare OF the electric light at the proper angle
and proceeded to ruminate.
"Oh. wei, they say It takes all kinds OF
people TO make a world, and guess we set
NEST every kind In hotel. Everything that
happens around big hosiery comes at
night. you know. IL mans going to COM
NIT suicide he's bound TO wait tin night to
do 1t, and it's the night clerk that has to
first see the CHASTITY sight. And. by the way.
did IT ever occur 10 you how superstitious
people really are. Suppose we have suicide
IN this hotel and IT gets out The travelling
public hears of It. and IL there's supersu-
tious set on earth. it's the travelling public
For months after the thing happens We can't
get anybody TO occupy that room Travelling
men get hold OF the number some way, and
we can't fcol them We have to change the
number, and then lots of them win ask:
THAI Amt the suicide room. Is itT Well.
we hotel men haven't the heart to lie to
people. and We Tess up. Then there Is the
number 1s.' which nobody win have Why
II is ! don't know, but it's true We haven't
a number 13' in this house. and IL we had 1t
wouldn't be used. Oh, there are a thousand
and one annoyances that night clerks have
up stairs Is a pretty fair specimen of the
night traveller. They come in here off the
road. tired and sleepy. and out Of humor.
OF course, the night clerk gets the worst
of It.
electric button in every guests room. All he
has to do is to push it and there is boy
ready to attend his wants. You have no idea
how that little invention is abused People
seem to think that 1t has bell boy attached
TO 1t, and that this boy works automatically.
They ring for everything, and at all hours OF
the night Theatrical people are the worst,
and particularly, theatrical women. One
woman can cause more hard work than ten
men, Theatrical women seem to require
more attention than any other class Of peo-
pie. too. Two or three members Of an opera
company stopped here few weeks ago, and
chase. One OF the women had to have her
room changed three times in one day. We
gave her the best in the
house to start with, but she didn't
like the style OF the furniture. We
finally suited her without buying a new out
at entirely. You see these gray hairs in my
head2 Well, I got them all in one night.
You see this cabinet here at the side Of the
safe? We use that for packages OF value that
are brought in by the guests. The cabinet
stands just back of the desk and, Of course.
j can keep my eye on 1t. One night this
winter jewelry drummer came in here late
and swung his sample case onto the desk.
STORY OF LOST TREASURE.
g There's $1,000 in that CASE he said.
'and want you to take mighty good care
OF 1t for me- sent the gentleman to bed,
and instead Of placing his case in the cab
met where it belonged. slowed it under
the desk at m~ feet. was busy just at
that moment. and thought it would be safe
there until 1 had time 10 lock 1t up. After
a while the rush eased up and sat down
with my back to the cabinet. Suddenly 1
thought Of that $4,000 jewelry which
had been left in my charge. Now. 1t didn't
occur TO that L had put it under the
desk. and / opened the cabinet mechani-
about a minute felt like a man who has
been hit with sandbag. imagine. didn't
Just remember having put the case in the
cabinet, but supposed, Of course, had done
30. Then I made UP my mind that one of
two things had happened. Either the case
had been stolen, or the owner had come
down and got II. called porter and tod
him to set into that mans room without
any cost and find out IL that case was there.
The porter did his work well, and I sweat
blood while he was gone. OF course he didn't
find the case. and L sat down to think. L
never want to pass through the same ex-
perience again. sat there for three hours.
and at last made up my mind that had
been robbed also made up my mind that
i had better get out, and was on the point
or making my preparations for fight when
the whole thing came to me like a flash.
There was the case under the desk just
where mad put it. In all my twenty years
experience as hotel man that night was
the worst I ever had.
There are some pleasant things in the
life OF a hotel clerk and once in a while
something very funny turns UP. About the
most ridiculous right experience i ever had
was in Louisville two or three years ago.
had the night trick in one OF the biggest
hotels In town. This affair happened during
the week of Y. NJ. c. a. convention, and
the secretaries OF nearly all OF the South
ern Y. NJ c. AS were in town. During
the same week a prominent opera company
was performing at one OF the theaters, and
we had a dozen or more OF the members
OF the company in the house. My room was
on the second floor. and next to it was a
room occupied by three OF these theatrical
ladies. think one of them was the wife
OF the manager There was door between
the rooms, which always kept locked
and bolted. but the transom was open. The
house was filed up early in the week, and
we were turning people away. On Tuesday
night. think 1t was. fine-looking man
Of about forty walked into the hotel and
introduced himself as Mr.. -. State Sec
rotary OF the Y. NJ. c. A. OF a State down
near the gulf l told him that the house
was full but II he cared TO accept 1T he
might use my room for the night. He
thanked me courteously. and went up TO
the room. This was early in the evening,
and later on the theatrical folks came in.
The women in the room adjoining mine de-