The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1900-07-06
Especial washington letter.

THIS might be called a story of
highway robbery, or, better, a
story of legalized larceny.
So long as man is robbed, and sys-
tematically mulcted, it makes little
difference to him what form of opera
lion may be adopted by the robber.
The purse which contains a dollar may
be taken at night by burglar, or it
may be taken at midday by bandit.
at the point of a pistol; and the meth
cd makes no difference 10 the one who
owns the purse, but is obliged to give
at up.
Il am paying $50 every year in order
90 secure civility and fair treatment"
said a permanent guest at one of the
leading hotels of this city this after
noon. Il hand a silver dollar to my
waiter every Saturday night. Because
of that fact the waiter looks out for
me, gets my meals ready for me, an
Iicipates my wants and makes things
pleasant for me in the dining-room. If
j happen TO take a friend to dinner
with me my waiter is promptly on
hand, bowling low and doing his best
10 help me entertain my friend. Other
boarders at our hotel receive only
such service as the walters are COM
PEELED to give them, and often they
suffer numerous discourtesies, which
are exceedingly disagreeable in the
presence of others"
A dollar every Saturday night is not
much money, but it amounts to a fine
suit of clothes every year, with shoes
and hat thrown in. To the negro
waiter it amounts to half of his house
rent; and every waiter usually has
four or five guests who pay about the
same amount for special services, al
though the hotel proprietors pay from
$l2 to $50 per month, and board, to
good walters.
The saloons and hotel bar-rooms in
this city are closed on Sunday, by law,
but regular patrons of hotel bar-rooms
are always served with liquor, on the
quiet, and the police department seems
10 be unable or unwilling to seal those
places. On last Sunday afternoon the
writer observed two colored highway
men collecting tolls from these drink
ing men. There is a door in a prom
inent hotel which opens the way to
small dark room adjoining the bar
room. On either side of that door
stood bell boy, in the hotel uniform.
When each drinking man approached
one of the bell boys opened the door
and escorted the visitor to a seat in
the private room. Then, taking his
order, the bell boy would bring him
the required drink and a card with the
price marked upon it. The customer in
each instance not only paid for his
drink, but gave the bell boy five or
ten cents for his service. If any man
should neglect to give up this 'tip"
TO the servant, on the following Sun
day he would be told that the bar
could not be opened, or some other dis
courtesy would be shown him.
Now everybody will be disposed to
say that it serves a drinking man right
10 be mulcted that way, for violating
the law as well as for drinking on Sun
day, but that is a separate thought al
together. The fact remains that the
'tip" is required for that kind of serv-
ice, and it is robbery.
The hotel guest referred to above
gave further bit of information which
was interesting. He said: For some
time 1 could not get my rooms put in
order early in the day. The chamber
maid on my floor assured me that it |
was impossible for her to get around |
10 my apartments earlier than noon;
she had so much work to do. But when |
! began giving her a two dollar bill |
at the end of each month she gave my
rooms earlier attention, so that now |
I am well fixed and comfortably enter |