The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-27
Hotel POrterS in New York.



BIG ONES AT BIG HOTELS
There's a giant for you and the
member Of the Amen Corner who nad
Interrupted Abe Gruber's discourse on
"hrace games in politics pointed toward
the Broadway entrance OF the Fifth Az
euu- hotel AT the same moment
brawny porter. balancing a ponaefous
Saratoga on his left shoulder etuel 5-u
from the swinging doors walked --lols
the corridor with light steps ana near
the elevator doorway tossed me ll t-lll1
from his shoulder into his nanas anu
swung it TO the floor, as hgnuy as
bandbox
.'-rhaf fellow is Pat OBrien, re-
marked the Amen Corner" devotee. as
Mr. Gruber was about 10 resume A ls
discourse "He's the biggest as wen az
the strongest hotel porter N Lu= ei---
understand that be tbs tA- 7-ti-7 ~
$50 pounds. and has been knoFn % ny
q 8o0-pound box Of paper ana carry IL
or on his shoulder
A tail man. with a solllerly lnustacn=,
gray hair ccmled So as NOT 20 S -ls-=-1- -
ITS curls. and whose physique sno"r4 lS
had been DEVELOPED bF lot or nard
work CHANGED to approach the corner
ut this moment. WhHn he was hailed
bv another member Of its C0ugreg CATION
with e
.Heiio. vaughan. you've been chief
porter here for the last century say. IS
that righr1 Is o brien over there the
biggest and strongest porter In town
The CHIEF porter nodded with the re-
mark.
put you OUT
The New York hotel porter. as this re-
ok would seem to indicate. has many
more duties and responsibilities than
that Of merely handling trunks. He Is
a "=-euth-' when the regular hotel der6e-
tive is some where else. q Waterman 4
policeman and oftenumes Justice o.
the peace Because of the public char
rr "a
sorts and conditions Of people. the por-
ter frequently is called upon 10 acL
promptly and with cool head. Should
some wanderer. for example. chance 70
go TO sleen in an Upholstered cnar or
the corridor the porter Is the man 10
dispose" of the slumberer- Should a
pistol shot be heard In guesrs room,
ir is his duty 70 break in onouAl d
uickpocker be ferretaz ont by the hotel
detective In the acI Of going through
some un5eary victim in the barron the
porter is called UPON to mold the mis-
creant until the police arrive
The hotel porters Of NeW York. with a
few exceptions. are lr-shlaen- ne
strength oE arm and back the endur-
ance which such-a ll1s requires ana glls
ability to fight should the occasion de-
rnand seem TO be produced better IN the
Gael than ia any other man. Al tne
present time the only porter who IS n0t
am Irishman is Julius CRUDE, better
known as Bismarck or Dulchy. OF
the Norman Rouse He IS on duty
nights Tor the reason that he has shown
himself such q credit to his nanlesa Ike
iu his ability to evict "stay-tOo-
Though small Of stature Bismarck
can oVerWhelrl an anita gonisr twice his
size by his aggressive tactics. He has
mailed fist" which he uses with
startling results
One Sunday morning after Colonel
Greene had become police commissioned
a party OF college men got into dis
cussion ~ one corner of the lobby about
the distinctive qualities Of Colonel
Greene and hIs predecessor Colonel
Partridge II was between II and =
o'clock and finally one proposed that
they decide the question by seeing who
could drink the more high balls The
Greene and Partridge contingents
swung across the corridor to the bar,
only TO ind il closed.
This is hne place." shouted one
Let's break in. any way" cried an
"And-and-ana help ourselvez."
staumered a third
The deuarars might have acted on the
last suggestion. HAD not Bismarck
arrived on the scene
You win get in better on de BROAD
way Sides he explained, as he grabbed
the spokesman Of The Greene adherents.
and landed him ia The middle of the
a s VIII ~. parting 9low from his
llsAr us- ne rest 81 the party fol-
lowed preciuitarely Only to find them
selves confronted by a couple of Broad
way noiiCemeu.
"Ach.' remarked Bismarck" as he
returned 60 the night clerk dose stud
ents IS de worst. can puts ten brizs
lighters aus vi1cut de trouble dat run
OF desc college brooded boys makes al
readv
While Bismarck prefers the use Of
sheer force, Charley Mccoy. fellow
porter OF the Hoffman House. who is
more Frequently called Salvation A 1-r77 q
Charley uses moral suasion Mccoy
was for many years q mem Der of Cen
erai Booths forces before he moved
from Maine to this city. and. as he said
60 Bismarck the ether day.
re learned thar it is better to use
moral suasion. I learned that in Maine.
ln tne army 60 to q big fellow and
tell him that the outside air VIII ma Ike
him reel better. or that he ought to take
ride IN cab such pleasant weather.