The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-01

ager. He would ave wear and tear on his
nervous SYSTEM, would live longer. more
happily and would make more moneS. But
.would" and can are different words. The
loafer is here TO stay; the manager must
submit, and must reckon with him In all
hotel arrangements and calculations.
Loafers naturally seek the best. and the
number OF bunds there are about is TO some
extent a gauge of the general merits of an
American h~otel-that Is, one which is not a
family resort, English and exclusive.
Their presence IN the corridors, rotundas
and waiting rooms gives an air of pros
perity TO the place which is something of
an advertisement to visitors in New York,
and their use of the stationery stamped
with the hotel name is another slight adj
vantage, but apart from these two func-
nuisance.
was a most persistent hotel loafer at the
Windsor and at the Fifth-avenue before he
went 10 washington, where he haunted the
government offices and used reams of Off
cial paper until he was thrown out. Then,
in revenge. he shot the President. George
L. Skilton, the quondam man OF finance who
was sent to Wards island two weeks ago,
was one of the rocking chair brigade"
The hotel loafer is Il tramp dressed up.
Often he is also a confidence man. and uses
the hotel stationery to encourage the
..'come-ons." He has his mail sent to the
Motel and gives out that he lives there. He
meets his dupes at the hotel and does so
much of his business as he dareS right in
the hotel reading room. OF course. he can
not do business long at the same stand, for
the hotel detectives will have him
spotted" If he is around too often, and he
will have 10 shift his quarters, but in New
York there are scores of obstetrics we'll
adapted to assist the bunco steerer in his
wicked game.
characters. Every visitor about a hotel is
remarked by the watchers, especially if he
has an o~vercoat on his arm. He may be an
"overcoat man" If he is he has a pal. and
works his game as follows: Throwing down
his overcoat near the best coat he sees, he
seats himself and dashes off a letter, which
he is in haste 10 mail. In his hurry he picks
up the other coat apd goes off with ii. If he
is not noticed his pal follows soon after
with the first coat. III this pair kill" a coat
a day they live In clover.
In America hotels are looked upon as pub
lie institutions, The public thinks it owns
the hotel and the proprietor submits as lit
tie as he can. which is a good deal. The
public also thinks that each hotel is a Klon-
dixie claim for its proprietor, and is prone to
get into him as much as possible, as though
in revenge for an imagined injury.
Not long ago one OF the Grand Union Hoo
tel clerks had trouble with a man who had
been getting letters there for nearly six
months. and who never spent a cent in the
place for food drink or !odgipg; One morn,
letters. the clerk replied. do you think
I'm employed here to run a general post
office?" Instantly the man was wild with
rage and rushed to Mr.. Ford, the proprietor.
saying that an indignity had been put upon
him:
in his manner of putting the question"
said Mr.. Ford. hut on looking carefully
into the facts OF the case ana Judging tnem
without prejudice. | declare ! believe he
spoke the truth in a righteous cause"
But can't l have my mail, sir?"
Yes, from the dead-letter office. I've no
doubt, but not from us. We shall not de-
liver it to you. either now or hereafter"
But a hotel is a public institution. and
l lave a right to use it,
II venture to doubt IL your claim would
be upheld in a court of law. Good day"
Che p proprietor down in Boston tried TO get
rid of loafers by providing only thirty
chairs in the reading room of a hotel that
that never more than two of the guests had
a chance to sit down at the same time.
The loafers owned the place.