Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-09-17
H A PATROL.
Young Women who Keep Maid and
W~siters at Summer Hotels
WatchfuI and Attentive.

The two friends met accidentally il
he studio OF a girl who draws, relates
the New YORK Sun.
why how do you do. Helen!" ex-
claimed the n who sings sweetly in
light opera to the one who is blessed
with versatility. Where have you
been all summer? l heard you'd come
into money and were doing all The
swell resorts. Tell me about it."
Il only wish | had come into mon
ey," responded Helen. But as a mat
ter of fact | have been doing the re-
sorts, and living in a way I'd like al
ways to live. But I'm being paid for
it. Can you keep a secret? viii you
promise not to breathe one word Of
it? Well, then, I'm a member of the
coast p.trol."
The light opera girl looked bewil-
dered.
Yes, that's what they call u.s." said
Helen. Were not life savers, or any,
thing of that kind. but just a number
of comparatively plain and unassum-
ihS youh6 oliCh VIM 81 llOlh OuC ulS
hotel to another, usually spending a
week in each, apparently as guests,
but in reality as spies.
Nov, don't look at me like that!
| know it sounds horrid, but it's all
right. We don't send anybody to
prison, or report firtations. Our bust.
ness is merely to see that the dining
room and upstairs service is satisfac.
tory to the average guest.
ut may seem strange to you, but II
is not easy for the manager to get
trustworthy information about various
little matters that will commend or
condemn a hotel to fastidious people.
Where he is everything is as perfect
AS the staff and help can make it, and
the star b%oarders, who are generous
with their tips, have things done for
them in the proper way.
ut is the timid little souls like me
who look as If they had come from the
interior and didn't care to complain
at the desk that are apt to be neglect
ed. The walters and maids know that
there is a procession of us of the coast
patrol going through the hotel all sea-
son, and they don't dare to take
chances with any lone woman, which,
of course, rebounds to the good of the
whole service.
I'VE look to little matters that no.
body would think sufficiently impor-
tant to justify a complaint, but which,
in the aggregate, mean a good deal to
the reputation of a hotel where the
rates are high. For instance, there are
the comparatively minor points of
drawing back the chair promptly when
one is about to sit down in the din
ing-room, of keeping the glass filled
with water, of the immaculate fresh
ness of the linen, of the turning down
of the bedclothing by the chamber
maid before you enter your room to
retire for the night, of the general tone
and manner of the servants. l could
mention a hundred little things that a
woman will notice if she knows what
is proper in these matters and has her
eyes open.
We are all engaged in New York
city by the same man, but we make
frequent and detailed reports to the
manager of the hotel we happen to be
in. After a week or so at one house
each of us goes on to another, acting
under directions from New York.
We're under no expense except for
clothes, and the pay is pretty good.
It's a life of ease and luxury. I'm
afraid it's spelling me for real work"