The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-12-31
Especial Correspondents of The Times

Especial Correspondence of The Times
s35 Dispatch)
4 NEW YORK, December 2s.-There are
within the citXs gate at the beginning
nr the years great holiday week more
soio,,rners who viii have no hearth of
their own on which to burn Yulei JOB
than ever d Chrlstinastide has seen mere
before Way-weary travellers, WI ndering
business men, whoever they may be and
whatever their pursuits. there are thous-
ands who have before them the desolate
nrospect Of spending away from home
Tho season most closely associated with
the family Preside. Yet the fnto OF these
would once have pecn nnu ~.
worse than lis In these days When ths
hotels that are their temporary nbidirg-
places open the doors OF a luxurious nome nome
to every wayfarer.
Twenty or thirty years ago the IDEA
d ia ssing Chriat,nns In a hotel would
have been fraught with horror. Amer
lean obstetrics In those times We're
refugees sought on!;s when no escape
from them could be found. Their dis
comforts were proverbial, their nttrac-'
lions most conspicuous for their ab-
sence. Even Robinson Crusoe would not
have envied the habltual American hotel
dweller then. Y To-day no other country
forl# travellers such comfort md luxury,
and, moro Important than these. SO much
OF the quality OF home, as ours does.
& The science OF hotel housekeeping,
which has brought about this change,
seems to be an American science.
Our cooks are still imported from.
France. Italy. Germany and the rest Of
the Continent-even the Oricnt-are called
upon to add their contribu Hons to those
OF Uncle Sans broad acres that the
hotels hospitable board may lack Moth
ing the world has to give; from ENGLAND
and Its islands come many of the fulc.3
tionares and servants who make Arnerl-
can public houses the best attended that;
there are. But the American housewife
adds to all these the special qualities the!
inns OF no other country have, tliough5to
the guest she is the least conspicuous
figure In the entire snenage. s4s 5y5.
In the enormous hotels OF every big.
American city hotels that are eghl In
their luxury and beauty, the posi- Ion OF
housekceper 4 Is a very important one
The household OF Windsor Castle does
not require more capabllity In It's man
lSagement than do our democratic pal
ncesa&forEan any and everybody's ent ertaln-t
ment. In fact. so careful is the super
Vision OF every smallest detail in the
Ihousckeeper's realm that It would be I'M
possible, probably. for maid to- survive
Bin ono OF these public establishments
such{an experience as that OF tho servant
whom Queen Victoria 8reprimnndcd by
writing the royal cipher in the dust on
a polished cabinet each morning for three
days until iSst was discovered BY the Of
fender. XII VI 3S5f IA S.
An enormous responsibility rests on
the shoulders of the hotel housekeeper-:ss
responsibility for the health ard comfort,
of 500 or a thousand people and for the
Reputation Of an est blishment tina + rop-5
Iresents. IN many cases. nillions OF dollars
invested. 81 Take, for sexn rnplc, the yvo man
In charge OF the internal economyo OF such
liashostelry as the new Hotel aAstor here.
typical OF great twentieth century h uses
| OF Its kind. s "A S5 5ss
81 She has under her supervision ncarly
| 200 serVants;3sto help her in + the mere.
work Of administrator uires two IS