The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-31

remember hearing Jim Breslin describe
h!G early trials and tribulationH IN the
hotel busIn ess-how he began at the bot
tom OF the ladder and worked his way
up. Now the difference between Jim Bres-
lin and myself Is that while he began at
the bottom OF the ladder and slowly
worked his way up. began at the top
OF the ladder and have been rapidly work
ing my way downward ever since.
But the ladder I began ut the top OF
was the step-ladder. and the way OF IT
was this: When I first embarked in tho
hotol business said to dear old Garrison:
II want to learn thiz business thorough
ly."
was in the rrst nush of early youth
then. and I had childish notion that
a hotel man ought to be conyersant with
the details OF business Well. Mr.. Garrt-
son looked me all over and took in the
full details OF my Gothic style OF archi-
lecture and he said:
mature has not been very lavish to
you in the matter OF neshy charms, but
she has evidently Intended you for some
purpose, and in my opinion the purpose
ia to perfectly adapt you to going up a
step-ladder. crawling over a transom and
opening tho door In cases OF suicide"
We'll, naturally ! was dazzled at the
brilliant prospect which l saw opening
before me, and flung myself into the
work with all the abandon OF youth; and
think may say. without being accused
of undue vanity, that when 1t comes to
crawling over transoms there Is no man
In tho profession who Is my peer. There
are men famous all over the country as
hotel Keepers, but none of them could
ever hope to achieve distinction at crawl
Ing over transoms.
And speaking OF suicides-I always was
eloquent when ] got on this subject, for
II Is one with which am thoroughly cons
yersant-it Is strange that. with all the
new and beautiful hotels which have OF
late been erected. our old place still con-
tinues to be tho favored resort for that
class of trade, Indeed, sometimes think
that these beautiful palaces rather boom
the Industry, for when a man has spent
a day or two at one OF these palaces, ana
has received and paid his Dill. ne mas
nothing left to live for; and what more
natural than he should wish to blow his
brains out?
we have never catered to this class Of
trade. We have never written letters to
prospective suicides at our hotels, invit-
ing them to come with US AZ reduceu
rates; and yet. whom man feels that It
Is time for him to make n cut. and shut
fe off his mortal coil, It seems perfectly
natural for him to drift into our hotel.
unostentatious though It be.
1t Is a comparatively easy class OF trade
to satisfy. They do not stop to inquire
whether the plumbing Is modern or
antique. They do not ask whether their
rooms are decorated In tho style of the
First Empire or the Seventh Ward, Give
them good six-foot gas burner. about
fifteen hundred feet of illuminating gas
at 3l.S a thousand, and few uninter-
rupted moments. and they are content.
Not long since came into my office
ono morning and found gentleman
there, simply boiling with rage, IT seems
that he had just been married--indeed.
rad spent the first night of his marital
1areer under our roof On arising in the
morning he had been told by some busy
body that the room which no occupied
had on the previous day. been occupied
by two persons who had committed sui
cida therein
He was very Indignant endeavored'
to pacify him. said:
''NIy dear sir you would scarcely sx-
poet us to put silver plate on the door
and silver handles, and consecrate the
room to the memory Of the dear departed,