The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-13
A LONE WOMAN'S TRAVELS.
THE HOTEL PROBLEM NOT so HARD
AS 1T SEEMS, SHE SAYS.
In Much Globe-TrOtting Admittance
to an Inn Refused But Once-That
Was In China-softeninE n Hotel
Clerks Heart-Adventures in Italy
and England.

FROM the new I Oik sun.
Have you ever had any difficulty in
finding lodgings in having admittance TO
hotels refused your"
The question was asked woman
globe-trotter who had made astonishing
Journeys by land and sea with no back
ing but a serene conscience and a never
too-well- flled pocketbook Her questioner
was New York club woman but a
club woman who would not undertake to
go from New York to Chicago without
a proper escort.
only once in China" replied the globe
trotter briskly and cheerfully, But.
then-you must remember that | have
not been young for a good many years,
and never was good looking. Both are
matters for sincere regret in the alb
stract, but they are. none the less. com
pensations in their way. Before going
out to China Mr.. WI, the Chinese Min
lister, kindly gave me an audience at
his official residence in Washington, and
asked me great many questions as to
my plans, giving me. incidentally. advice
''''NAA "NH VI INC SitdltSl NdlQC AFTER
ward He wished to know who was going
with me.
No one" l replied; I always prefer
to travel alone
Are you not afraid?'
No, Mr.. Ambassador / said. and I
could not resist adding what | have lust
remarked: L am neither young nor good
looking, and it will be quite as much
of safeguard in China as it has always
been in the United States he saw the
point and laughed heartily.
i remember one embarrassing position
from which stubborn persistence alone
saved me, and that was right here in
my own country I had gone to South
Bend Ind. / did not consider it necessary
to wire for a room. and when | arrived
at 10 O'Clock l found every room taken.
knew no one in the place and, at first.
was quite a a loss
Sorry, madam, but we cannot accom-
modate YOU said the clerk politely but
firmly.
Il knew that he was telling the truth
for the county fair was in progress and
some wedding guests had also made an
increased demand upon his resources.
am sorry. too l replied. after I
had explained the business that had
brought me to South Bend 4 can do
nothing, then, but sit here in the Office
until morning. l know that you will not
put me into the street
Il made the latter statement with
certain airiness that the situation hardly
warranted. but yet with a firmness that
matched his own. He could not refuse
request SO reasonable as this. and I put
my bag in one corner and proceeded to
make myself as comfortable as circum-
stances would permit
Fortunately, there were no men in
the office. so l was in undisputed possess
sion l sat down in an armchair. took
book out of my bag-I never go anywhere
without book-and began to read NV
GOODNESS and determination Impressed even
a case-hardened hotel clerk. and at the
end of half an hour it was he and not I
who began to grow nervous ] carefully
refrained from looking at him-he was a
subject upon whom reproachful glances
would have made no impression--but
heard him fidgetting. / read on. Then he
cleared his throat and said:
Well, madam, / will see what I can
do for you The terror of confronting me
for hours was more than he could en-
dure
He went out, came back presently.
and said that If / could put up with the
little room in which he slept during the
day, he would have it in readiness in a
little while. l told him that IT would do
perfectly, and that l was very grateful
to him. as I was. When the bell boy came
for me, he led me to a narrow cell with
a door in which was a window This door
opened into a passage between the hotel
and an adjoining building, and it was the
only means of lighting the place All
around the walls were hung coats, waist
coats and trousers Of many styles and
colors, but the room proved comfortable
enough and | slept the sleep of the Just"
But that was in the United States"
said the club woman
81 tried the same tactics with equal
success in England once and upon
woman at that. I was going down to
Banbury to visit friends and go with
them the next day to commemoration at
Oxford. I left ST. Pancras-in London
at half-past 5, but, by mistake, took the
express, which did not stop at the small
stations. The first stopping place. indeed,
was bennington, which we reached at
about II O'clock | did not know Lean
ington. 1t was the height OF the season.
and as / could not get a return train
until the next morning, had to stay
there all night
There was no comfortable railway
hotel, like those that one finds IN many
parts of England and | had no idea
where to go. ] stated the case TO porter
and he, good soul, Immediately said that
he would see what could be done. He
shouldered my bags and we went TO
three or four hotels. but all were full
up. to use the funny English phrase.
"'I know of some good lodgings near
the station Miss, he said.
well, let US try there I replied. and
we moved in.
THE landlady was a decent sort of
woman, and listened politely when | ex-
planned the mishap that had befallen me-
'''If you had come an hour earlier /
could have given you a bed she said
but the room has just been taken.
L am stranger as you see, re-
Piled and am very tired. VIII you let
me sleep for the night on the sofa here
in the drawing room"
She agreed to this without much de-
muir l crossed the porters palm with a
piece of silver. and the landlady, when
she had given me cup of tea, sat
down to chat. After little while she
said:
II will turn my son out of his room,
and you shall have that
IT begged that she would do nothing
OF the kind; assured her that ] should
be quite comfortable there, but she per-
sisted and the son was turned out
I'm the morning she furnished me a
nice little breakfast and asked 20 mod
crate a sum for my entertainment that It
seemed absurd. ! caught my train. reach
cd Banbury in time for a second break
fast. at o. and an hour later was in OK
ford vphara We hoard the gorp