The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-28
HOTEL MEN OF THE STATE
ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING HELD
AT THE BATES HOUSE.
some Legislation VIII BE Sought This
Winter-A Banquet i'm
the Evening.

the Bates, the attendance was the largest
in the history of the association. Before
the sessions closed twenty-five new MEM
bers were added to the list. The business
session was held yesterday afternoon and
last night the members enjoyed banquet
at the Bates.
At the business session the principal topic
was that of prospective hotel legislation,
and a committee consisting of Nicholas
Filbeck. of Terre Haute, j. S. Hall, of this
city, and ]. III. Coulter, Of Frankfort, was
appointed to look after the interests of the
association in the way Of procuring addi-
tional legislation If possible at the coming
session of the Legislature. The association
would like TO have the present hotel laws
changed somewhat, so that it will be easier
to establish evidence against guest who
is charged with trying to beat the land
lord. The association also discussed the
question of establishing a sinking fund for
the prosecution of persons who try to de-
fraud the hotels. 1t is announced that this
fund will be established later on. The as
ISOLATION raised a fund of $3.50 for the
widow of w. c. Elliott. a popular hotel
clerk, who formerly lived in this city.
Charles Baur, manager of the oliver Hotel,
at South Bend. was elected president of the
association, L. H. frey, manager of the
Hotel English, was elected vice president,
and j. S. Hall secretary.
The following executive committee was
selected: Henry w. Lawrence, chairman
Thomas Taggart, Fred Van Orman, Ed
ward Watson and Charles c. Rouzer.
At the banquet last night several toasts
were had, the principal one being responded
to by Judge Baldwin, of Logansport, who
told of some of the hotels he had 'ieen In
Asia.
JUDGE BALDwIN'S ADDRESS.
In the course of his remarks he said:
'In Japan they do everything exactly the
reverse of the West. Hence, was not sur
prised TO find that the grand entrance OF a
native hotel at which L stopped opened
upon and into the kitchen, and that the
showrooms were all in the rear. We Amer
leans usually associate stove and Kitchen
together, but in Japan they nave no stoves,
chairs, tables or stands, wardrobes, knives,
spoons or forks Hence, the japanese hotel
is simplicity itself so far furniture is
concerned. This hotel that / have now in
my mind was two stories high, but the
kitchen run up to the roof. Here were
piled UP in most admired disorder, even TO
the rafters, the miscellaneous hotel sup
plies for man and beast for year Here
were congregated all the miscellaneous
servants of the establishment, together
with the proprietor and his numerous fam
ily-all upon a dirt floor. He received me
with the greatest cordiality. His English
was as good my Japanese. Everybody
did his or her level best to make me at
home. All Joined in request to me TO take
off my shoes, which did, TO my very great
discomfort. As / was the only white man
in the house. / was shown with very great
ceremony to the apartment de luxe In the
second story and looking out upon beau
tiful little garden full of flowers and birds
and musical all night and day with plash-
ing waters. To reach this second story
mounted pair of stairs as steep as lad
der and without any hand rail or catch-on
of r ind hon II hQ6 N through
several guest chambers-all numerously &C.
cupied. My room was exquisite in its deco
rations, but, unfortunately, in nothing else
NO CHAIRS.
There was nothing to sit upon, nothing
to eat upon, nothing to lie upon, much less
to write upon or lean upon, except the floor.
After great efforts made my host under
stand that was hungry and sleepy and
needed both rest and food. To describe
native Japanese food some standard of
comparison is required. But there is none.
1t is as difficult to classify their food as to
transport it into ones mouth without the
help of fork, knife or spoon. All that can
tered into its bill. The Japanese begin
everything wrong end foremost. Hence the
sweetmeats and desserts came first. Think
of beginning square meal upon sugared
Il
pods and miscellaneous assortment of un-
namable vegetables. Gradually the solids
made their appearance, and then disap-
peared down my throat by the aid of
pocket knife and Adams forks. But L
must say, and am glad to say, that the
cookery was excellent and the cleanliness
perfect l am sorry to say that after an
hour industriously spent eating and drink
ing was as hungry as when / began. For
your appetite is a creature of education.
You must know what you are putting your
self outside of, else the stomach refuses to
be satisfied. Deliver me from Japanese tea.
They serve it with endless politeness, but
with no sugar or cream. Lacking these, IL
Is worse than tasteless. 1 stayed two
three days at this hotel ate three times
day and was hungry from start to finish.
What about the beds? Here L Jared
somewhat better. A half dozen barefooted
little maids who waited upon me produced
from unexpected closets in the wall an I'M
limited supply of beautifully wadded silk
quilts, out of which we soon constructed
luxurious bed on the floor. Instead of
the neckyoke fitting in just at the base OF
your brain, which is the sleeping pillow of
Japan, / soon constructed a pillow of my
own, part valise and part quilt. In the
morning business began very active and
early. There were forty guests in the house
and only a couple of little pitiful copper
basins to wash in, although unlimited
water hot and cold. The Japanese are pro-
verbally clean, but they have queer ideas
as to towels, which half the time are made
of paper and about the size of postage
stamps To sum up. for comfort japanese
native hotel is first-class place to stay
away from. And yet all this time the land
lord and landlady were doing their unmis-
taxable best to make my sojourn pleasant,
and when I went away presented an alb
surdly small bill.
HOTELS IN INDIA.
1.-THE first thing that strikes the traveller
after leaving Calcutta and Bombay is the
queer style of hotel buildings Invariably
they are only one story, but so built that
each room is very high indeed-very much
like a bank vault, or good sized tomb,
with front and rear entrance. In the front
room is your bed and sitting room. In the
rear a cement floor and an awkwardly con-
structed bath room. The furniture is the
scantiest and the cheapest possible Every
thing indicates excessive and protracted
heat. In all the larger cities these hotels
the foreign quarter and always near the
military cantonment. In the smaller
cities the English government has provided
a series of what called rest houses. l.
e.. hotels where for rupee per day you are
furnished a roof and bedstead, and are left
to provide your own bed and food As in
India you always travel with servant and
carry your bedding with you, this is no dis
appointment. The servant for the time be-
ing becomes both cook and chambermaid,
always very unsatisfactory, but you have
to make the best of it. Every railway sta
ton his bedrooms attached, but these
arc always occupied. so that hotel enter
tainmeiit in India is of a very unsatis-
factory kind-so much that six weeks