The sun., 1897-09-07
THEY HOLD THE HOTEL.
Congress Hall Servants at Cape May Demand
Their Fay and Refuse TO Budge.

CAFE MAY. y. j.. Sept. 6.-under the leader
ship OF the head waiter, Robert America. and
the chief cook Edward Harris. fifty sc wants
hold the servants wing OF the closed Congress
Hall Hotel against all strategic attempts to
coax drive them out.
The hotel closed on last Monday without pre-
vious warning or subsequent explanation. The
wages OF the servants had not been paid for
several weeks. They declined TO accept Man
ager Cakes proposition that they should go TO
the Girard House In Philadelphia and get their
back pay.
1--WE decline to rccede." said Mr.. America.
I'VE will stay here until reduced TO ndefensi-
bic starvation. But We want our money
In this determination the negroes have the
support of Mayor Iiildreth as well as Of eN-
Judge Wescott. who has been retained as their
counsel. The sympathy Of the townspeople is
with them.
The hotel has always borne an excellent repu-
tation for sound business methods, and 1t is be-
lieved that the company which owns the place
will pay the servants rather than endure the
scandal mach longer. In their restricted
ness ness with erorts to remind Manager Cake who
has retained lodgings in the hote!. that they are
stil with him; They sing i9ad tho t sort To- ana 40
accord with their feelings.
A big fellow with n face like the full moon In
eclipse and Il irillcd shirt front like n pillow OF
supporting cloud came out on the yernnda to-
day. He snt heavily down on the bottom step
and henved a sigh. He mopped his sorrow-
:" 60 on. man. he said. waving tho questioner
my sentiments. No. I did not como out
here MAKE ate%eni s..ro Of any
speak Ill just bust right out and tell you.
Honest. I came out here wondering whether
any gentleman out here was waiting for me to
dinner with him"
The despair in his face gathered intensity as
he looked In the countenRnCes OF those who had
gathered to listen to him ami saw IN them sign
that the dinner would be forthcoming He got up
and walked "A few steps away TO a whcebarrow.
He sat down Oh its edge, and buried his face in
his hands. He would answer no more questions.
Head Waiter America was more laxative.
He said that tho walters. chambernaids.
cooks, and other servant Is would have
been starved out several days ago il
1t had not been for Cape May
their aid with gifts of provisions, America
limited with some fcrvor that II the be-
leagured servants did not receive the, de-
might be trouble. Ilo didn't say outright
that they would begin with tho servants quar-.
ters and pull the hotel down about their ears.
but he intlmatCd that some such thing ms a boy.
wants might bc declared for the future. From
tho way he spoke 1t WAS quite clear that no
didn't Bee how iNo Eotel could survive such an
extreme measure.
"Othor Capo May folks have come to o. ur assist
ancc since the butcher and baker 80 kindly sup
piled u.s." sail Mr.. America, and we can hold
nny use living here any more. We are informed
on very good authority that the company will
pay us soon, and before II pays any OF its other
creditors. hope that aid will come to us soon.
and hungry men and women and our Christian
fOrbearance Is almost exhausted"