The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-22
A HOTEL w1rHoUr GUESTS.
The Device of . Landlord Mystiaes
Drunnep.

DrunDeR.
CFrom the New Orleans Times Democrat.)
II was at the Ponce dc Leon directly
after 1t opered. when 1t had only sixteen
guests and SEQ servants" said Chicago
drummer; "but that wasn't anything to
an experience had once at summer re-
sort up in the Northwest. had wandered
into the region looking fer a fellow who
Lad beaten our firm cut Of big account.
and somebody told me about this hotel. A
branch road connected it with the main
line. thirty miles away, but early in TIL,
season the landlord and the railroad
president had had row. and they stopped
the train service. That killed business IL
dead as Caesar. for the place was buried
in the heart Of the wilderness; but,
strange to say. the landlord kept it open,
and as I was nearby and needed rest. /
hired a wagon and went over. 1t was a
big. handsome structure Of the regulation
summer resort pattern. all gables and
portieoes and stained shingles. and as I
walked up the fine. shady driveway l could
see that everything was in apple-pis
order. When ! entered the once boy
In buttons seized my grip and the clerk
got up from behind the counter rubbing
his eyes and looking bit dazed. The
register was perfectly blank, and while
there was full Office force on duty there
was not guest in sight. Business Is .
little light. en2' asked, after writing my
name. The clerk grinned. You're the
first sou; I've seen In six weeks, he re-
piled.
II thought at first he was joking con-
tinued the drummer, but it was the gos-
pei truth. / was the only guest in the
house, yet as far as could see II was be-
ing run exactly as If all Of its 120 apart
ments were full Of people. 1t gave me q
strange sensation and, upon my word,
could actually feel the emptiness as I
room. supposed, Of course, that I would
find all this really a bluff and everything
pared down to the lowest possible notch.
but Ii wasn't the case. There was q full
corps Of help from kitchen to check room,
and the cham6ermaids used to turn to Of
mornings and make up a few dozen unoc-
cupied beds Just to get exercise. The table
was tip-top. although most Of the stun
was evidently canned; but to walk into
that huge dining room with row of wait
ers standing motionless at each side and
eat in solitary state was a trial to the
nerves. The proprietor kept almost en-
tirely to his private Office He was a very
quiet, tald-headsd man. and naturally
doubts as TO his sanity. AT
the outset the strangeress of the situation
me, but after four days of lone
ly grandeur 1t gave me the horrors and |
packed up and left. used to often think |
about it afterward and wonder what the !
~euce could have possessed the bald |
headed boniface to throw away good money |
In that kind Of fashion. but 1t was more |
than two years before 1 found out One |
day l was sauntering along Clark Street |
in Chicago when / met my friend and |
landlord coming out Of a store. He re-
nembered me, shook hands cordially, and |
finally accepted an invitation to lunch. I |
expect you thought was crazy out there
in the spruce woods he said, over the
black coffee, but there was method in my |
madness. That Internal railroad had a |
contract with me to haul a certain quanti- |
~ Of fresh vegetables every day. They |
had forgotten all about it, but when they
threw me down on the train service saw I
hat my cue was to keep open at full blast |
and then sock it to them for damages at |
The end Of the season BY lawyer claimed |
hat the lack Of fresh vegetables was what |
Kept away guests. o. course, the Jury |
understood that 1t was just a peg to hang |
| damage suit on but any stick Ia good |
enough to beat dog and they gave me a I
vhopping good verdict soaked them for !
enough to pail out 5000 ahead Of the
Jane