Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-11

An automobile OF solid silver couiu
| be manufactured from the silverwarc
| taken away as souvenirs, and from the
| keys taken for the sake of a memento
and carried away thoughtlessly by
guests a solid brass shaft could DE
made as large as one of the poles
! used as a support for the trolley lines.
Thousands of dollars worth of linen.
silverware, cut-glassware. and even
bedclothes and rugs, are carried away
| annually as souvenirs. and many plans
have been suggested to prevent the
looting Of hotels by these souvenir col
| lectorS.
At present, according to one of the
most prominent hotel men in the city,
the hotels of the better class that have
been suffering from these losses have
established a very secret system OF
espionage or detective service to pre-
vent this loss.
When articles are missed from rooms
that have been occupied, there will be
no notification to the departing guests
that such articles have been taken. but
a list will be made out and charged up
to their account.
| A certain time will be allowed for the
| return of the articles. and if they are
not forthcoming, the proprietors of the
| hotels will. in a very courteous note.
request the return of the missing arti-
cles. giving list and the day and date
| they were taken.
This means of recovering property
has been reSorted to simply to over
come that compromising and distressed
feeling of modification which would be
Experienced by the patrons were they
accused at the time and their baggage
searched.
'Of course" said the hotel man. "in
the hotel business we recognize we
must allow for shrinkage. as do others
engaged in commercial enterprises, but
we do not care to furnish our guests
with materials to start in housekeeping
free of cost.
These populations of small articles
figure up to an enormous sum in Il few
years, and if there was not some way
to overcome it no large hotel in the
country could remain in the business.
The people who carry away articles
from hotels would hold up their hands
| in horror if they were called thieves.
yet ii is as plain a case OF thieving to
carry away small articles from hotels
as souvenirs as it would be to rob n
store or a bank.
| Towels. spoons. glassware and sill
| verware are taken from the hotels I'M
der my management in quantities that
would surprise the public if ii were set
| before them in figures.
| Il cannot really approximate the
loss, but it runs into hundreds of dol
lars annually. Sometimes persons who
have carried away articles of value.
such as silver spoons. salt cellars and
silver butter dishes. the latter to be
used as ash receivers, become con-
science stricken and return them. stat
ing that they have discovered them in
their effects. but they never sign the
letters"
1t is astonishing what articles are
carried away from hotels said an
other man. Everything that can be
conveniently concealed in a grip or
trunk is considered in the light of
souvenirs by some patrons of hotels.
on one occasion pair of blankets was
taken from a room in this hotel, and
towels by the dozen disappear weekly.
We cannot in most cases, locate the
towels. as it may be the case that sew
eral people have occupied the room ere
the articles are reported as missing.
Then the taking of keys is one of
our worst annoyances. 1t is the rule.
rather than the exception, that bridal
couples. when they leave the hotel,
carry away the key to their apart
ments as a souvenir. The loss of one
or two keys does not amount to much.
but when it continues week in and
| week out it becomes considerable. and
the annoyance caused by their disap-
pearance is almost insupportabie.
1T is invariably the case when a key
is taken that n newly arrived guest is
assigned to the room. The clerk will
look in the box and the key will be
| missing He will send bcllboy with
the guest and he will be admitted to
| his room by passkey. In a short time
he will appear at the desk and declare
| the boy has carried away the key to
his room. Then inquiries will develop
the fact that the key has been taken.
| This key-souvenir fad is not con-
fined to hotels alone. as all the large
steamship lines are sufferers to a vast
amount by this method of collecting
souvenirs. Why. I have a friend who
boasts Of and exhibits with pride. an
assortment of keys from all over the
world.
| Il would suggest as remedy Tor
souvenir-spoon stealing that the better
class of hotels have 4 spoon made with
a picture or relief of the hotel stamped
| thereon. and print upon the bill Of fare
| the fact that each lady guest will be
| furnished with one upon application.
Still I doubt seriously if this would
stop the collecting fad, as it seems to
| be the fact that the articles are more
appreciated if they have been 'swiped.
| Another manager says: Not week
| goes by but towels are taken from
bathrooms. and glassware in which
drinks have been served in the rooms,
| and SilverWare. Why, on one occasion
q valuable rug was taken from one of
our best rooms.
| only a few weeks ago a woman
| guest ordered her dinner sent to her
room. After she had eaten and gone
| out a waiter visited the room for the
purpose of collecting the dishes. etc.
| and discovered tina knives. forks. spoons
and salt cellars were missing. A search
! was Immediately instituted. and the
| plumber found concealed in the wo-
mans grip.
Even dishes nave been carried
| owoy praSurna o,1r locccc op1oupt to