Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-20
THE FIRST ARRIVAL

Some years ago. said Washington
business man. 81 read In The Star an ac-
count OF a man who was the first guest
at the opening OF q great winter hotel In
Florida. This man had about q thousand
hotel employees. who for several days did
nothing but wait upon him and attend ex-
clusively to his comfort. It seems that
the famous hotel was thrown open to the
public about two weeks before 1t was ad-
vertised to receive guests. and this man
had wandered in. put his name on the
register. and found that he had the whole
thing to himself until the people began to
arrive, who had made arrangements to stay
| at the hotel at the time 1t was announced 1t
would be ready.
We'll. the account made 1t appear that
| that one guest Of the enormous Florida
hotel had great time OF It. But know
different now. II that fellow really en-
differently constituted from me. have
within the last month passed through an
experience identical with his In every way
except as to the location and I'll go on rec
| ord as saying that wouldn't go through 1t
again for any reasonable money.
Il fell under the weather along toward
| the middle of May, and my medical man
told me that the thing for me would be
| going to Atlantic City with my family for
| a month In the summer for a good many
years. and so packed a grip and went
down there. alone. because my wife
| me. I arrived in Atlantic City on May Is.
1.-THE hotel at which have been putting
| up at Atlantic City for long period of
| years is one that generally keeps open all
the year around. but. owing to extensive re-
pairs 1t closed Immediately after the
| Easter season this year. The repairs were
delayed. and the hotel had just thrown open
| its doors on the day that got in. with its
| full summer stan hand and ready for
| business.
1.-THE proprietor Of the hotel gave me
| warm greeting.
| If you don't get happy it'll be your own
fault he said to me. for you're No on
the new register and've got the whole
works to yourself. So you see that you're
| right. old man. and all you've got to do
| is to go ahead and take 1t easy
He gave me huge, handsome room
with bath. and I unpacked my grip. put
| on dinner coat. and went down to the
| experience. that There were at least
| hundred walters lined up on both sides
| of the dining room. all Of them wearing
welcoming grins. The dinner. from gas
didn't get even lit 10 bit Of good out of
| it. I had the feeling that not only the
eyes Of my own extraordinarily attentive.
not to say servile. waiter but the eyes
upon every mouthful that I took. The
! string orchestra out in the ante-room
| played on continuously while I ate. and
| when I came to the entrees the leader of
| the orchestra sent the headwaiter to me
| with his respectful compliments and the
| query as to whether there was any par
| ticular music that I desired his outfit to
play. That message didn't serve to make
| me any more at ease. either-the leader OF
| summer hotel orchestra asking me
| whether I had any request compositions
ofr-it seemed SO hopelessly absurd that 1t
| made me feel like man travelling under
false pretenses. counterfeit. l began
| to compare myself with famous swindlers
I'd read about who had engaged whole
floors of noted hotels by giving distin-
guished names. was still doing the best
I could under the depressing circumstances
with the salad when the head waiter ap-
| would like to know whether l desired my
demi-tasse composed OF Mocha and Java
mixed. or exclusively Of Java or Mocha:
I thought that detected dertsive and
disdainful leer on the head walters ebony
countenance when he submitted this in
Quiry Of the chefs to me. and was IN
more than half q mind to make ooit
for it out of the dining room then and
there. without waiting for the desert and
coffee. But I reflected that that wouldn't
be game, and stayed out the dinner The
table to the dining room exit was another
ordeal, and felt certain that the walters
were commenting In sardonic whispers
upon the clumsiness OF my walk and my
the soft carpet.
Enjoy your dinner?' the proprietor as
well as his chief clerk both asked me. and
OF course l told them that I'd enjoyed 1t
Immensely, although l couldn't have told
| them a solitary thing that I'd eaten Tor
hatful Of money.
at was never meant for all this said
I to myself. I don't measure up to the
splendor Of 1t. I'm just plain. ordinary,
everyday dub OF the common or garden
variety, and this thing of having suite or
retinue or encourage or whatever you call
| it of several hundred critical individuals IN
the livery Of their rank comes pretty near
beating me right into the earth.
II went down stairs. passed through the
long line of reception room palms that were
focking their branches under pressure of
the strong evening breeze that came through
the open door, and found the proprietor
on the front veranda.
John I said to him-as I say, I've
known him for good many years-I can't
stand It, Lemme get out Of this and go to
some little place that's filed up until your
guests begin to arrive and then told him
how I'd been feeling on the solitary guests
subject, while he laughed until he almost
fell out Of his chair. That evening pack
ed my grip and went to a smaller hotel
across the way that was filled with guests.
and remained there for a week, until the
big house began to receive its quota Of
guests. when went back there and felt all
right during the remainder Of my stay in
Atlantic.
ITS all right to be sultan II you're
born one and know how.