The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-13
towering AROUND HOTELS.
ornER CHARACTERS WHO HAUNT
WASHINGTON HOsTELRIEs.

Float Away Again.
From the Washington Post.
..Wbither they go is infinitely more a
u,vsrerv than whence they come. How
tbev live. as well as where they live are
b,rhersome matters to study out. And
how for years they carry. some of them
rot only creditably, but even fowingly,
that elusive, slangful, yet very necessary,
very important outward aspect known as
'front.' is al other thing that no man
knoweth," said the hotel clerk off watch.
They are the men of that unusually
large class in Washington who hover
around the corridors of hotels at night,
1ame of them year in and year out, for
no other ostensible purpose than to loaf.
AT night did 1 say? Well L should re-
wise that There are hordes of them who
do their lowering during all the hours of
the day, as well as up to the last gasp
al night. How these day-hoverers con-
trive to pernniaily provide themselves
with shelter. food, raiment, moderately
clean linen, and even an occasional smoke,
is a subject that is going to take up a
whole lot of your time if you tackle it.
of course, in the matter of whisky, that
is an easy one. Any man wearing clean
collar can get whisky. He can get whis-
XIV when he can't get a mouthful to eat.
OF all the free commodities in this world
whisky is the freest. So 1t does not worry
me to wonder where the Washington day
bOverers around hotels get their whisky
But how and where they eat and how
some of EN- even keep their trousers creas-
ed"
But there is such a thing as an in
Gomez"
"Not, I think, that the hotel hoverers
of Washington ever heard of. They sim
ply are the beneficiaries of a providence
that has hoverers under its especial pro-
lection. There's one of 'em now, holding
down the best leather-covered seat in the
lobby, across the way. Now, I've been
around this hotel for ten years. So has
he The difference between us Is, that
I've been working for living right along
and he has simply lowered. In no hotel
in Washington has he ever been known
to expend a sou, there are two differences
to be drawn from this-either he is q
miser, or that he hasn't had a sou since
he's been under the eye of Washington
hotel people, 1 think it's the latter.
Notice that makeup of his. The long,
bushy hair, the fairly good gray cuta-
way coat, trousers a little loose but not
fTayed. boots with shine on 'em, clean
shirt, collar, and cuffs, and round SLOUGH
hat WE'LL that mans dressed his part of
hoverer the same way ever since l first
clapped eyes on him; ten years ago And
I'm dead certain that there has not been
single day, including Sundays and holt
days, since I've been behind this desk on
watch, that he hasn't floated in here a
dozen times during the day, evening and
night. lowered about for a bit, and then
toated out again. 1t took me five years
10 get on nodding terms with him, and 1
have never exchanged a word with him
simply the nod on his first fioat-in in the
morning. and that's all q
pear to know anybody. He just walks in,
switching the same cheap looking stick
that he had when first saw him, prowls
around the waiting room, looks in prowls
INTO the bar, looks in, proWls back to the
blizzard room, looks in, and then makes his
mai prowl out the door-engulfed in mys-
terry
Then there is a large body of limp
ing hoverers-the hoverers considerably
past middle life whose makeup is made
to accord with the prebellum period and
VINO, far from being silent, are voluble
sometimes TO the point of annoyance
mat Is, they have a habit of picking ac-
qualntance with guests for purely fnan-
cal or alcoholic benefits in prospect
nave observed that the limps of the limp
u ing hoverers are generally limps of either
II the right or left foot, and that they lean
heavily upon heavy canes, ostentationusly
20 proclaim, I guess, their sufferings as a
result OF their part in the big conflict
human curiosity to put war record know
"A ing friends of mine upon about dozen O.
Il uese lmping hoverers and in every case
nave found that the garrulous and hero
Il IaHy-related tales they have exuded
around here and other hotels about their
mlShty dangers by flood and field are
pure eIorts of the imaginaton--that not
side ""i 'A Si'iiel
me unsuccessful office seeking hover
hnr
n ua' constant expectant look in their eyes.
~ KNOW. They seat themselves on the
ioooy chairs, doing a lot of fingernail BIT
"ls ana mustache chewing and their eyes
I'm TO be perpetually on the swinging
uuahce doors. When a pair of EN- han
pen to be sitting together. perhans for mn
uai encouragement, their talk seems to
SHoppy and decentralization the eyes
, In IN OF EN- have TO watch the doors.
1ou snow Wen, some big man comes in
o"e oI the big men who is richer in prom
Use than in fulhnment YOU know. and tha
seeking hoverer sees him. He springs
10 ms feet, and awaits the approach of
IRE e pis man. Before he gets quite up to
III oIs man, one of the latters well
sioohled friends has quite easily taken
nun IN hand. Yet, with something Of 2
e FVldte look slumbering i'm his eyes the
i"Ne seeking hov9rer approaches the bic
a'n and begins to make his little salu-
"l'oh. 1t is received with that cold low
"al Dig men affect, and-weH the big
Fl e r"n passes on The Office seeking how
Ia elther goes out with a deep flush on
t ace or he resumes his seat with a
lHIIlty that shows he expected no bet
lLea tment Most Of these office seeking
,cIerS stll strive to preserve an air Of
i'u'tlhess in their manner and dress
Iou. "''e'P'' can '0'i
mere is a class of hoverers- chiefly
way -llDNGTGrS tbacq--xxrnn 10 IL
stand in front of the hotels and give
o'1les Of the hand 10 all of the famous
L. VINO pass by or enter They are not
+'"n to these big men, but it is their
"''p desire to make it appear to their
'eI friends that they are The big
n rn VINO during the course of day
' so many strangers presenting suits
n vi one sort or another. cannot remember
MI T. lheSe faces, and so, fearing perhaps
IA 1--we o1ense to some man who really
Nj has, right to recognition, return these
Ri tu " iiN N''sSS ouu Vi