The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-18
when the New CIaypooI Is Opened Its
Reputation i'm this Regard
VIII He Enhanced.
RUNNING A GREAT HoSTELRY
SOME FUNNY THINGS COME UNDER
NOTICE OF THE MANAGERS.
An Army of Employees Required to
Keep Hotel i'm Running order
Peculiar Guests.

indianapolis has long been considered
city Of good hostleries and when the hand
some new Claypool Hotel throws open its
doors and bids the travelling public welcome
the Hoosier capital will take rank with the
leading cities of the country in respect OF
its excellent accommodations for people
who travel. The United States invented
the big hotel, and like most other strictly
American institutions. the modern hotel is
run on a scale that has grown very far
away from its beginning. 1t has not been
so very many years ago when the hotel
relied for popularity chiefly upon the
graciousness of its single proprietor, who
would welcome the coming and speed the
parting guest, just as your country town
inkeeper still performs those necessary
functions. But mine host is now a thing
of the past in the large American cities;
his place has been taken by rich and pow
erful incorporated operating companies
that run the great lodging places for a GER
tain percentage of the profit on the capital
invested.
The average man knows little or nothing
at all about the inside workings of big
hosiery, and cannot begin to realize all
the qualities that necessary in the
hotel manager. who besides being an ex-
pert financier must also be a steward, un-
derstanding his business to such an ex-
tent that he must be q good judge Of all
sorts of things, from table linen down to
maple molasses. The manager may sit in
his private office in an apparently leisure
ly manner, but he has to supply most OF
the brains that cause the wheels To revolve
and the life of the hotel to run smooth
ly He il is that must entertain all who
have grievances, and all the agents. pro-
moters and other visitors with axes to
grind; he must examine all reports and APP
prove reprove the performance of
score or more of subordnates; he must
be aware of every little leak in the big
concern and be resourceful enough to check
each one.
WORK THEIR WAY UP.
Some of the best hotel managers are
those that have worked their way up to the
top through the business of bellboys, cisrl50
and stewards. for 1T is hardly possible to
control the destinies of a large hotel now
adays without having an intimate knowl-
edge of every department I'm the establish
ment. The one great purpose OF the man.
ager must be to combine the latest ideas
of good living with the shrewd foresight for
securing the most revenue for his house.
The majority of the guests will be people
who have been accustomed to living in lux
ury and and he must give them every
thing they want in the way Of epicurean
cooking beautiful table silver and china.
handsome furniture, good music and the
| loveliest flowers. And he must be just as
solcitous-even more So in fact-in his ar
rangements for the care and comfort OF the
guests who are not accustomed to this style
of living, for the people whose home life -
simple and modest are often the very ones
who insist upon the greatest luxuries when
| they are travelling.
During the recent run of "Ben-Hur" at
| English's Opera House middle-aged mar
ried couple from small Illinois town &C.
cupied apartments at one of the leading no.
tells. The man gave the clerk at the desk
! to understand from the very outset that
'nothin' was too good for wife an him.
and made it very plain to every employe
about the hotel that he had plenty OF
money with which to pay for good service
or extra attentions. He and his better half
were in town for only two days, but those
! two days were red-letter ones in their life.
The pair of them went I'm for every possible
enjoyment that could be got out of their
short visit. They had never had an OPP
portunity to stop at big. fine hotel before.
and they were bent upon getting all there
was out of it, at any cost. The man was
so extremely generous in his tips TO tho
bellboys, porters and walters I'm the dining
room that one of the clerks at the desk.
feeling friendly interest in the big. good
natured fellow. laughingly referred upon
one occasion to his princely way of ac-
knowledging all services performed for
him.
Look here" said the visitor. Its Just
this way. When 'Ben-Hur' was bein'
played In Chicago my wife wanted TO go up
there to see IL. Now. Chicago's further
from our town than indianapolis is. and.
besides when we visit Chicago'-and here
he lowered his voice, for his wife was
standing a short distance from him-'we
always have to stop with my wife's rela-
tives. Between you and me. don't like
em. So j SAYS to her. Let's wait till the
show plays I'm Indianapolis and then wen
not only go to see it there. but we'll spend
every bit Of the money that we save I'm rail-
road fare Cthis city being much nearer
than Chicago in Twin at big hotel an
havin' the time of our lives An by goshs
that's just what we're dom. Don't you
think l had the right idea?'
PECULIAR LOGlC.
The clerk replied that the reasoning APP
peared mighty sound TO him. and the man
from Illinois stalked out OF the hotel with
his wife on his arm both looking very
much pleased with themselves and every
body else His logic proved TO be pretty
much like that OF Richard Carstone in
Dickens's BLEAK House." for. so pleased
was he that he had saved money by taking
the trip 10 indianapolis instead OF TO Chi
cago. that he spent far more money. I'm the
long run. than he probably would have
spent had he visited the Illinois metropolis.
Guests like these are not uncommon In the
life of the big hotels. but this particular one
was so very lavish with his money that he
will not soon be forgotten by those who
benefited through his visit here. IL was
learned afterward by the clerk in whom he
confided. that he is modest. unpreten-
tious proprietor OF little tin shop I'm the
town that he calls his home.
The guest at the big hotels docs not come
into immediate contact with any other de-
partment save that which is known as the
front of the house, this being the ONCE.
the rotunda. the bar the dining room. the