The Washington herald., 1908-08-23

The registers Of the hotels CT this
city" said a clerk Of one Of the prominent
Washington caravanseries, yesterday.
contain more secrets than most people
are aware OF. The big tones which the
Uninitiated think contain only names and
addresses. have furnished as much ev1-
dence for quiet use as any agency in
town The reason that more is not said
about them IS because those who consult
them dread courtrooms and newspaper
exposures
1t IS a common occurrence for women
to ask permission 10 look at the register
OF a certain date Sometimes she IS per
mltted. and then again she is not L all
depends upon whether the clerk is eau
tious and knows his business In cases
where the woman IS known TO have only
the best Of motives. the books are readily
opened TO her, and the clerk viii 90 %
the hotel vault and get the necessary
back numbers-in most cases the inquiry
IS for back numbers They are pre-
served for several months and even
longer The woman may want 10 verify
a date or get information harmless enough
n nature, and II the clerk thinks this to
be the case he usually consents TO assist
her IN her search
Wives Seek Information.
But there IS another class Of fnforma-
ton seekers. and Il is on account OF these
that there are strict rules about the use
Of old registers. There are wives who are
looking for informat ton abost their hus-
bands. and once n a while a husband
who desires 10 know something about his
wife The latter vase. however. IS a rara
one The woman. in nine cases out Of ten.
IS the anxious inquirer She first binds
the clerk 10 observe secrecy. and then de-
Uands 10 know Il NJ So-and-So had been
al the hotel on such and such a date Il
the clerk thinks an affirmative answer
means trouble for the person who has
given the house his patronage, il Is an
easy guess that the inquirer VIII not re-
ceive the Information sought Sometimes
she IS not satisfied with the answer OF
I the clerk and insists upon looking at ths
[ book herself Mr- Clerk in this case. wiz
I say firmly and politely. Madam. that's
Z against the rules Of the house An so--y-'
Single men and unmarried women
often would Ike 70 Inspect the register.
I Ihey seldom receive any satisfaction. Ons
Q OF The best assets g clerk can possess IS
.
[ those who patrOn.ze the hotel at which
I he IS employed They know this and a.
Z ways act accordingly
Firms Seek Information.
Next in number TO husbands and v--,-sz
/ n search for information, are firms who
! are looking Up their representatives.
/ kilograms for Information about travel
/ ing men are cautiously answered Ord
Z H-a I'll g.
I by business reasons. and not in a spirit
/ Of espionage. and Il receives a truthful
/ response The exception 10 this rule are
I those cases il which & clerk who IS 2
friend Of the traveller has reason 10 sus-
I Dect that al IS not well Then the house
T IS likely 70 get reply that clears is
representative.
/ Private detectives ere not ENCOURAGED
[ % make use Of the old registers Clerks
{ are Of the firm opinion that the patrons
| OF their houses should be protected from
/ indiscriminate espionage. and often pr
I vate detectives are denied access 70 old
I books, unless the inquirer IS vOuChed for
/ By the hotel detective
1 Lawyers are sometimes called upon 10
I look for names IN the records Of hotels
and they are received IN q more friendly
/ spirit than the detectives City or public
/ detectiyes-tLOse n the employ OF tna
Z Al.'---l -4'e-A -r--4-tl-4 MAKE Use
Z the records, PreferTi1g 70 get the hotel
detective. with whom they are usually
I on good terms. 70 look I'd their man.
/ NeWspape-Uen are another class CS
most anxious and curious ilqutrers- They
I are al on the lookout on the registers
from morning Until night. and all through
/ the night, and all through the day. for
/ prominent arrivals" always on the look
out for an interview or a story They
. Ia II -
anable clerks IN Cheir efforts TO get =
story
Clerks Answer Questions.
OF course. there are those clerks who
imagine they are doing the newspapermea
the greatest possible favor when they
answer the news glIherers questions As
a rule. these answers are most unsatis-
factory. and the consequence is that the
reporter drops the hotel where this par
ticular clerk Is employed. And there
are some hotel clerks who labor under
the delusion that newsPapermeu receive
their wages from those they interview.
The manner Of these clerks plainly indi-
Gates that they expect a rakeOff. and
when such IS not forthcoming they plain
y show their disappointment and cha
grin
/ The more prominent persons make their
stay az hotel. the more frequent rs
name IS mentioned in the hotel column
Of the newsps pers. which means ar ad-
veFtisement for the hotel
| IN many cases the interviews are copied
in the newspapers Of other cities. which
means a great deal 10 the hotel named n
the interview
Hotelmen insist that they have a right
10 deny access 10 their registers at Will
and that they may treat the books IS
they do their Own private accounts They
consider that permission TO examine the
registers is a privilege. and that nothing
short Of a court Of law can compel them
10 open the books 10 any one 10 whom
access has been denied