The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-07-10
PATRONS OF CHEAP HOTELS.
Something About the Methods of op-
 erating Them. E.-. ....5...

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 Something About the Methods of op- erating Them.
 In large hotel it is usually necessary to have a jolly-faced clerk to hand out compliments to the guests. In a hotel of the 5 and 10-cent grade a man does not have to be jolly. He needs to look just as. cross as he can; frighten the prospective customer half to death. if
 necessary. There is no use in letting the patron off with a five-cent bed when he has 25 cents in his pocket. The clerk in one of those cheap lodging
 houses is generally expected to work in
 his shirt sleeves. If he will only wear a sweater he may be reasonably sure of
 holding his job for a lifetime. A sweater. so the owner of a. cheap hotel
 thinks makes a man look muscular and
 if there is anything beggar or a bum will refuse to talk back to it is a man wearing a sweater. %
 A mans face plays an important part l in getting job as clerk in one of these places. One of the places that was visited in Buffalotclaime to have all
 the comforts of home. The reporter re. ceived a welcome that would have frozen pail of hot water. However, the clerk explained later that the reporter
 was suspected of being health in spector. The red signs outside an- nounced that fine beds could be had for l five cents. finer ones for 10 cents, still | finer for 15 cents. On the table in the center of the offieefwere a few. daily papers and two copies of the Congress | sional Record. The papers were on
 racks. The racks were attached to the chairs by a long chain, and the chairs were nailed to the floor It was ex- plained that when that particular lodg- I ing house started in business the papers were not put in racks. When it was | discovered that theyiwere being carried | out and sold by the guests, the racks ] were brought into play. One day a guest stole rack and all, so the chains were adopted, with the result that to steal newspaper 1t was necessary to steal the chair. One night one of the | guests stole chair and all, with the de-
 suit that the mailing was brought into
 use. To get a newspaper out of this | lodging house it would probably be ne- cessary to steal the floor. .sa..,4. . Over the clerks desk was a big sign: 1 Guests will pay before retiring. We
 know al! our customers is honest. but we ain't taking no chances" Another sign that is in a conspicuous place reads like this: Guests can expect to
 be searched before leaving the hotel," !"
 What's the search for? was asked of l the clerk. That's a new sign" eX- | plained the clerk. we didn't do that
 until we found that some of our guests were carrying off the bedclothes and swapping them for drinks. Now if any of our customers look any too stout
 when they go out in the morning, why,
 we just holds them up"
 Whats the difference between the 15
 and 2O-cent beds?" the clerk was asked. I 'See here," said the clerk. "If you was ! going to occupy one of them tonight
 I'd give you the regular spiel about the springs being finer and all that, but be- | tween you and me the only difference seems to be that on the 20-cent ones the clothes are changed every week, | whether they need it or not, and the 15- cent beds have to wait until they get change" How long between I changes?" the clerk was asked. Say, | now, young fellow, I'm willing to give you all the information that you want ] about this lodging-house, but can't be giving away state secrets"
 1 Here was one of the signs on the third ] floor: "Snorers take notice. We'll
 stand for you if the guests will, but if | any guest makes holler you'll have
 to get out. No money refunded" An | other one that proved of interest was l this: "Watch your clothes. Guests are