Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-10
WOULD CHANGE HIS VOCATION.
Hotel Clerk Whose Ideas Have Under
gone q CHANGE

when first aspired to be q hotel clerk
I was sure the occupation was one of the
most desirable positions in the list of mans
employment. Since that time 1 have found
SO many obstacles to disprove the first
opinion 1 Outlines get respondent and wish
I were one of the white wings the
street"
So spoke one Of the brightest young men
who stand behind the hotel desk in a GER
tain Washington hotel. At the time he
seemed thoroughly Disguised with life, and
the air bore a deep blush hue about him.
thus indicating that there had been a storm
brewing. A Star reporter CHANGED into the
lobby at the time. and to him the despond-
ent clerk told this story of ill-fortune. He
said:
Zone never knows this world until he has
stood behind the desk of hotel and lis
tened to the complaints OF the travelling
public. Little things that to you and me
seem insignificant serve as mountains to
many travellers. and they never seem salts
fed until they are at the desk pouring out
their tales of woe. Particularly has this
fact been impressed upon me within the
past hour.
about an hour ago dapper young fell
low walked up to the desk and complained
that his dress suit case had not arrived at
the hotel. He had registered FIVE minutes
before that, and seemed to think his bag
gage should have been here when he step
ped out of the carriage. l told him 1t would
soon be here, but he growled. and then had
the nerve to ask me to go down to the sta
ton and hurry it up. OF course, l went?
Well, / guess not.
Because 1 refused he created a scene,
and told me that the next time he came to
Washington he would stop at another hotel.
While he was making himself prominent
another guest hurried up to the desk and
wanted me to go out and get his laundry.
which had been sent out this morning. 1
could not do that. and then he became
angry.
Just then a woman approached the desk
and asked me IL Mrs. Stuyvesant had tele-
phOned for her this morning Now, you
know. I should know all about the tele-
phone, and should have been able to tell
her at once. Because asked the telephone
operator she became very indignant. and
not remember such little matters, and po-
itely informed me she would inform the
manager.
while she was giving me a section of
her mind another guest hurried up to the
desk and told me he was dissatisfied with
his room and wanted another at once. The
hotel was packed to the limit and another
room was not available. / asked him what
the objection was to the room he was as
signed He said. Well. 1 like to look out
on the street, and the room 1 have faces
the side street The funny part of that
mans kick was he arrived after night and
was called at daylight this morning. He
will be out all day. and the chances are
that he will not occupy his room half the
time he is here
LAS you came into the lobby however
the straw to break the camers back was
placed upon me. A woman asked me If she
could not keep her pet dog in the parlor.
She said he barked and annoyed her while
she was asleep. and she would like to have
him kept some place remote from her room
I told her it was impossible to use the par
lor for the keeping of dogs. Well said
she, I would have you understand my dog
is a good bit better than any hotel clerk I
ever saw. and much better than pf
guests you have in this hotel If she had
been a man there would have been a fight"