The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-11-16
Clerks, as a Rule, Use a Good
Deal Of Sound Judgment.
MANY WOMEN INQUlRERS.
Search for Names On the Books BY Dstsc-
tvss and Others Is Not Encouraged
tuAuy Great Extent.

There are secrets and plenty Of them I'm
the registers OF Chicago hotels. The big
books which some unsuspecting people
think contain only names and addresses
have furnished as much evidence for
quiet use as any agency in town.
The reason that more Is not heard
about them is that those who consult
them dread nothing more than court
rooms and newspaper exposures.
1t is a common thing for a woman 20
ask hotel clerk that she be permitted TO
see the register for a certain date Some
times she sees 1t and sometimes she does
not IL all depends on whether the clerk
Is a cautious clerk.
In cases where the woman is known TO
have only the best motives the books are
opened to her and the clerk will go into
the hotel vault 10 get back numbers. In
most cases the inquiry is for back
number
The hotels keep these on hand for sew
eral months. The woman may want to
verify date or, get Information that can
hurt nobody. and III the clerk thinks that
this is the case. of coLrse, he is willing to
aid her I'm her search
But there IL another class OF informa-
tion hunters. and IL is on account of these
that there are strict rules about the use
OF old registers. There are wives who
are looking for knowledge about their
husbands and once I'm a while "A husband
who wants to- know something about his
wife. The latter f. the rarer.
MANY WOMEN INQUIRERs.
A woman is in nine cases out of ten the
inquirer. She often pledges the CLERK TO
secrecy and then asks whether he VIII
find II Mr. So-and-So was al the hotel on
such and such a date.
III he thinks an affirmative answer will
mean trouble for one who has honored the
house with his patronage, II is an easy
guess that the wife gets negative re-
ply.
Sometimes she is not satisfied with this
and insists upon looking into the book
herself. One OF the big hotels is visited
every other week by a woman who lives
i'm Milwaukee. She looks into the current
register and never finds what she Is look
ing for. The reason IL that her husband
registers under another name.
Unmarried women and unmarried men
often ask TO see registers. The clerk to
whom they apply seldom gives them sat
isfaction. one OF the best assets a hotel
can have is good reputation about It's
care OF those who have been its patrons.
The clerks know this. Next in numbers
10 husbands and wives I'm searching for
Information are the firms who are looking
UP representatives. Watch Is kept on
many travelling men in this way, especial
ly in Chicago, where so many outside
houses have branch Offices.
Telegrams for information about trav-
cling men are cautiously answered. Or
dinarily the inquiry IS obviously prompted
by business reasons, and not in a spirit
OF espionage, and IL receives - truthful
response.
DETECTIVES NOT HELPED.
The exceptions TO the rule are those
cases I'm which "A clerk, who Is a friend
of the traveller, has reason To suspect
that all is not well. Then the house is
likely TO get "A reply that clears its re-
preventative.
Private detectives are not encouraged
to make use OF the old registers. Clerks
believe that the patrons OF the house
should be protected against indiscrimi-
nate inquiry, and often private detectives
are denied access to old books, unless the
men are vouched for by the hotel de-
tective.
Lawyers are sometimes called upon TO
look for names In the records Of hotels.
and they are received I'm a more friendly
spirit than are the detectives.
City detectives seldom make use OF the
records. prcferring To ask questions OF
the hotel detective, who is usually on
good terms with them.
Hotel men believe that they have
right TO deny access 10 their registers at
will. and that they may treat the books
as they do their account book-as the
private affair of the hotel.
They consider that permission TO ex-
anime the registers is a priXilege.- and
that nothing short of court of law
can compel them TO open the books 10
m NH hDQn denied