Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-08

with the special view that 1t is for the
use of the guests while they remain at
the hotel. Yet during the year we have
great quantities stolen, not alone by guests,
but by others. Up to within a year or two
1t was the custom to place abundant sta
tionery on the writing tables in the reading
and writing rooms for the guests to use
at leisure. But It soon became manifest
that others than our patrons were availing
themselves of the free writing materials.
and It was next to impossible to keep a
supply on hand at the writing tables for
the accommodation of our patrons so that
plan has been abandoned. Now when a
guest wishes writing material he asks for
1t at the office and is courteously supplied
with all he needs.
ChRErin OG a Guest.
"A number OF years ago was clerk at
the Murray hotel and on one occasion a
travelling man came to the office and asked
for some stationery. / handed him several
sheets OF paper and envelopes and he seemed
incensed because did not give him more.
then handed him out a considerable
dentally remarked: Take some along
with you. so that you can write on the
train. He few into a passion instanter
and said: want you to understand
that do not write on hotel stationery on
a train, nor do carry II about with me-
nor do I propose to be insulted, sir You
may send for my baggage. sir, and I'll
leave your hotel, sir, and go to one where
they know how to treat a man as a gem
teman.'
'Well, he was mad clean through and
would not take any sort OF an apology, 80
he paid his bill and the bell boy was sent
for his baggage. The lobby was in the
meanwhile crowded with other travelling
men, all OF whom were interested in the
little episode, and the irate patron was
stu Tuning about being insulted / felt
cheap. Just then the elevator came down
and the bell boy carrying my friends two
grips stumbled as he stepped out OF the
elevator and the grips flew across the floor.
One OF them burst open and out of It rolled
enough stationery to stock a fair sized
hotel for a week. There were letterheads
from nearly every hotel in Minneapolis,
St. Paul, st. Louis, Chicago, Des Moines,
Kansas City, Sioux City and about every
place else. Well, Providence was on my side
for sure, but / really did pity that poor
fellow from the way the other travelling
men guyed him. He gathered his station
cry up with the assistance of the bell boy
and crowded IL back into his grip and Just
as ne was about finished one OF the other
drummers handed him a few sheets of the
Murray letterheads. and advised him 10
take a few as souvenirs. He left the hotel
without even saying goodbye"
Woman IN the Case.
Another old hotel clerk who had grown
gray In the service and is, by the way.
one of the most popular clerks in Omaha,
told Of some similar and dissimilar expert
ences.
"A woman came TO our hotel a few
weeks ago who belongs to the souvenir
| iend class. She was frank enough" he
said. ito tell another woman guest one
of our permanent patrons. that she had
just returned from California and had the
loveliest collections OF hotel souvenirs in
the country. These souvenirs consisted OF
silver spoons from nearly every prominent
hotel on the Pacific coast from Sam Diego
10 Seattle and from San Francisco to Den
yer across the country. And still this
woman In gloating over her collection OF
spoons never thought she was nothing
more or less than a common thief.
Less than year ago a function was
held at one OF the Omaha hotels that was
10 be arranged regardless OF expense and
flowers Of the costliest kind were 70 be
provided. Now, ordinarily the flowers pro-
vided at hotel banqusts belong 70 OF are
rented BY the hotels and are IN ne Wiss