The Garland globe. [volume] (Garland, Utah) 1906-191?, 1907-03-09
RIGHT UP TO DATE
MODERN HOTEL AsToNlsHep
DELAWARE FARMERS.
Accustomed to Simplicity Of Country
Inns, They Marveled at the Rich.
ness Displayed-course Din.
ner Especially Pulling.

One of Delaware's senators is known
to good many persons in rural parts
of the state from the fact that a hotel
at Dover bears his name. The father
of the senator astonished Delaware
about quarter of "A century ago by
starting a hotel on the modern plan,
the first of the kind that Dover had
ever had and the only one of the kind
that many visitors to the capital had
seen.
When first opened the house was a
matter Of the utmost curiosity to Wis
itors. Rural legislators and their
friends looked with establishment at
Its thickly carpeted halls, its many
bathrooms, its heating arrangements,
its electric bells, its lights and all its
modern conveniences.
Hardest of all to understand was
the hotel dining-room. Instead of one
or two long tables 1t had provision for
four or more.
This, however, was the smallest in
novation of the hotel dining-room.
Farmers accustomed to drive to town
with a feed of oats In the wagon for
their horses and to dine at the general
table of small inn at a price some.
times as low as % cents, never above
half dollar, heard with sceptical
establishment of the doings at the new
hotel. The dinner was served, they
learned, In as many as six courses,
with cheese at the end that smelied
dreadful and coffee without milk in
little cups that did not hold more than
two thimbefuls.
Some Of the farmers sneaked in
shame-facedly and tried that dinner,
which. of course, was served at mid.
day. The experience of having fish
served as separate course immedi.
ately after the soup was alarming, for
some feared that there might be moth
ing else to come.
Then those queer made dishes that
came after the fish were puzzling. 1t
was only when the roast came on with
the familiar vegetables that the farm.
ers began to feel themselves at home
and even then the shifting of plates
and knives was embarrassing. They
reckoned the hotel must have a big
bill for dishwashing.
Some noticed that a few guests had
wine bottles at their places, and at
this the farmers from the back coun
try shook their heads, and wondered
what Delaware was coming to. 1t was
| all well enough for a man to slip into
the barroom and gulp glass of whisky
alone, or with friend If he happened
to be thirsty, but this thing of drink
ing wine with your meals was a bad
sign.
When the dessert time came every
body ordered everything on the bill
| of fare, as, indeed, the farmers had
| mostly all the way through the meal
| but the cheese was sent away in haste
| untasted, and there was firm de
mand early in the course of the dinner
| Tor coffee in large cups with milk
| There was good deal of grumbling
when 1t was found that, eat as fast as
man might, he could hardly gel
| through the dinner in less than hal
an hour, and much surprise was ex
pressed that some of the guests sa
the better part of an hour at table.
Those farmers who were not toe
much ashamed of what they had don,
went home and told their wives abou
that dinner. The foolish extravaganza,
Of the blamed thing, especially in the
matter of plates and cutlery, wal
what impressed the popular magma
ton.
News Of the thing travelled all ovel
tbs state. There were hotels like tina
up at Wilmington everybody hat
heard, where you could get your din
ner as late as two o'clock in the after
noon; but nobody expected such al
institution to be set up at Dover. Tn,
senator's name has for years been con
spicuous In business. but to many O
his constituents IL connotes first of al
that new-fangled hotel.