The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-23

the back, and told me how glad he
was to be back with me again for a
day or two. / thought he was really
glad, but he didn't mean anything Oy
his statement. because l had one OF the
boys watch him closely, and he didn't
steal thing. so far as know.
II is next TO impossible to accuse a
guest of theft, unless your eyes have
been upon the suspected. We watch
everybody now. Hotel proprietors
everywhere have agreed TO accuse a
man if he is suspected or a woman
either. Several of the most ardent
members of the souvenir stealing
Clique have been called down hard. and
shamed into curee
In day spent with the hotel proprle-
tors of this city, than whom a more io-
wal set of men cannot be located the
spy man saw and heard much of the
inner workings of a hotel A contractor
bidding on job does not figure more
closely than the hOtelkeeper; that is,
If he is a successful one.
Here is the way one man sized up
theatrical men and base ball players:
Theatrical people are all right The
women may like souvenirs, but we set
more money out of three or four good
salaried show people than we do out
of ball team. Theatrical people spend
money at the bar and in the cafe after
the show is over. Ball players are tied
down by the manager, and if they get
a few drinks they don't patronize the
bar in the hotel where they are stop
ping.
Then there is another good thing
about show people. They are put up
on the American plan. The chances
are that after they have had one of
their little times" after the show. they
get up next morning with big hea is.
That's where the money for us comes
in. AS rule, they are unable to cat
any breakfast. You see, that helps us
out. Base ball teams get cut rates, and
the men eat like savages. Why, l had
one team here this summer that con-
tanned wonderful little fellow He
had a triple order of nearly everything
on the bill of fare, and before retiring
wanted Just a bite or two
Worcester hotels stand high In the
estimation of travelling men. The Owl
train brings scores of them into the
city at midnight. They seek their fa-
vorite resort and enjoy the nights rest
the better for 1t. Many of them leave
in the morning for Springfield or Prov
idence, places they could have reached
the night before, and probably would
have done so had not local hotels been
attractive to them.
Bicyclists are not generally famed
among hotel men as souvenir takers.
AS a rule they cannot be hampered
with linen, and the larger articles of
silverware so the hotel proprietor bids
adieu to his bicycle friends and is not
afraid to take account of stock at
once He knows there will only be a
few spoons missing. There are eXoap-
lions, of course. A party Of wheelmen
and women recently dined at a local
hotel. When they left the dining room
to get their wheels the proprietor re-
ceived word from the head waiter that
an inroad had been made on the sill
yerware. That settled 1t. The good ma
tured fellow had been walked on
enough. He went to the rear of the
hotel and faced the cycling party.
Every man was obliged to shell out.
and a waiter brought tray to carry
the intended souvenirs into the hotel.
The women promised to deliver the
stolen silverware If the landlord would
allow them the use of a room for a
few minutes. No questions were asked,
and the young women came away min
us the precious souvenirs.
A few instances of holding up guests
for stolen articles will rid the hotel
man of the system of thievery which
he has been forced to tolerate for fear
oF Iocincr nafrOnana