Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-11
STEAL SOUVENIRS.
Articles Appropriated by Travellers
From Hotels and Elsewhere.

From Tit Bits
| In casual conversati ton the other day
| with the head waiter at one of our largest
| hotels the writer asked If many things
| were not lost through the visitors annex
| ing them The much-tried man gave a
| short laugh and said he thought few
things did disappear occasionally and
added that he only wished he had the
value of six months disappearance" as
his salary.
I'D take a place in the country" he
added and spend the rest of my days
| playing golf or ping pong"
And what class of people asked lis
| it that takes the things?"
Not the second-rate people" he replied.
/ 'or the third, for then We wouldn't mind
dropping one or two of them and making
them pay for some of these mysterious
disappearances.' No, it's the smart folk
many of them titled, who think there is
nothing immoral in taking a spoon (even
If 1t happens to be solid silver, a iqueur
glass or muftineer. They call them
Souvenirs and take them as a remem-
brance of the hotel.
THE walters used to be made answer
able for all such losses, but so alarmingly
has this petty pilfering increased that 1T
is now found impossible to enforce any such
rule. If the proprietors did otherwise.
there would be a likelihood of some ag-
grieved waiter, when he found a lady secret
ing spoon or fork. accusing her there
and then and making a scene. which would
do infinite injury to the hotel.
1t is a curious fact, and yet perhaps
not curious, that this thieving Is COM
mitted mostly by women. Many ladies
have complete record of their Journey
ings for years in pieces of silver cut-glass
table napkins and towels picked up on the
quiet at hotels where they have registered
for few nights. These things. of course.
are not taken because they are needed. 1t
is considered a joke. and women find
much amusement in comparing notes and
exhibiting their trophies, even in the pres
ence of servants, and the bad effect this
must have on class who might, perhaps,
be forgiven for occasionally helping them
selves to few souvenirs 1 leave you to
judge.
AT this hotel 1 have known as many as
3OO spoons and the same number of forks
disappear in single month. When break
fast is sent up to room. especially If it
should happen to be a lady, the servIettes
seldom return They have been kept as
souvenirs and when the manager is told
he simply shrugs his shoulders and puts
the items down in his loss account. There
is nothing else he can do.
Among our regular visitors here is one
rich lady who comes twice year. always
engages suite of rooms. is liberal in her
tips, in fact, general favorite with every
one. But she has the souvenir mania
very badly, and each time she departs car
ries away with her many little things in
silver, cut-glass and linen which she has
annexed Her little failing is known to
the manager. who cheerfully closes his
eyes to such delinquencies, for he cannot
afford to offend so valuable visitor. The
consequence is the lady pursues her hobby
unrestricted, and other hotels suffer as
We do.
ut is the same in America as 1t is here.
perhaps worse. When Prince Henry visited
the United States last year / had friend
who was engaged for one of the banquets
which was given In the princes honor. The
caterer all but ruined, not from any
failure on the part of the guests to pay
for their dinners, but simply from the
they grabbed and pocxeted everything
made of silver on which they could lay
their hands. They were Observation-Disclosures
and desired some remembrance OF the in
teresting occasion, and never thought of the
loss such Wholesale robbery would prove
to the poor caterer. Then you will remem-
Der what happened during the Prince OF
Wales Canadian tour.
AT one port where the prince landed he
Informed the captain that visitors might be
allowed on board during his absence. They
came. and invaded even the Princess Of
Wales private stateroom, which they were
informed was closed against them.
Every portable object in the royal rooms
was taken by these souvenir collectors,
and when the captain arrived he found the
apartments almost denuced He called the
crew and had the visitors, who were most
iy elegantly dressed women. simply turned
out. and then set to work to get the place
In order before the return of the royal
couple. He told the prince what had co.
CURED. and his royal highness laughed and
ordered the things to be replaced This II
fair example of what the souvenir mania
has come to-"