The Washington herald., 1908-03-08
SERVANTS USUALLY HONEST
Women Forget where They Left
Missing BeIonginEs-Article that
Teeth Found Under Pillow.
Things Kept for Months.

wants or employees are sent TO the Office
and fully ninty-nine per cent OF the
owners are found and the lost articles re-
turned. All first-clasS hotels keep a rec:
ord of things lost and found.
Articles most frequently left in this
hotel are gold watches. found under pl-
lows where men leave them in their
hurry 10 get to trains. A man once left a
set Of solid gold teeth. We wrote to him,
asking what disposition TO make OF the
teeth. He never replied
Men often buy new hats and have their
old hats sent up in the new box TO their
rooms. They go away and leave these
but we care for them as carefully as
though they were valuable until we hear
from the owners.
Given 10 Salvation Army.
We keep everything four months. and
then things Of no use are turned over
TO the Salvation Army. After the San
Francisco earthquake we sent many
things there.
/ 1T is surprising hoy often articles are
/ left on restaurant tables or slip 10 the
floor from the owners lap. These are gen.
orally found and returned, for II a
stranger is seen STOPPING 10 pick up
( something under table other than his
own he is suspected at once.
| "A man here not long ago was dressing
/ for dinner He had a small box OF vsIn-
able pearl studs and cuff buttons. He de-
CiGcd to have his coat pressed and rang
/ for The house valet While waiting for
the coat he ran down stairs for an appe-
/ tlzer. Upon his return everything was
in place including the coat, with the ex-
cepti0n OF the pearls. The box had dis
appeared
The mHn hurried 10 the telephone and,
much excited stated his loss TO the hotel
Office. saying he had an important dinner
engagement and could not dress without
/ the studs and cuff buttons clerk
loaned him a set Of imitation pearls. and
/ the man finally got of TO his dinner
/ 4 house detective began a search, and
/ the first thing he did was TO lift a pil-
I low. and-there was the box.
/ When the owner returned he was in
/ formed Of the discovery. and exclaimed
/ By jove! I put them there myself"
And what do YOU think? The man for
got TO return the clerks cheap set OF but
/ tons or even thank him
WaIdOrf-Astoria's Plan.
/ At the Waldorf-Astoria a record is kept
81 al things lost and found. as well as
scrap book Of lost and found advertise
ments
/ Two wealthy families weIa recently
stopping there. a member OF one family
picked up a costly bracelet. set with
diamonds, and left it az the hotel Office.
with the request that no name be men
toned. but that all efforts be made to
locate the owner
The owner, thinking she had lost the
bracelet elsewhere than al the hotel. in
serted three advertisements without say
ing anything about il at the Waldorf office
The man IN charge Of the lost and found
department saw these advertisements and
thus the owner recovered her bracelet
The owner also did everything possible 70
keep the matter quiet. and owner and
finder have never discovered each other.
although under the same roof
An assistant manager of the Waldorf
said
"A woman will always feel insulted II
you ask her too closely about where and
when she lost her purse. She Is alway
positive she left il in such and such
place and resents being questioned II
requires tact to learn the facts. for
woman is always excited after losing
valuables.
Recently one declared that she had lost
gold purse here. We made a record OF
1t. The total value was $500 We adver-
tised for it. In two days she received a
note from Brooklyn stating thar il she
would call upon a cashier OF a certain
bank and identify the bag she could have
H. AS it happened, the bag was not left
where she thought It was.
"Often persons 20 10 Europe and leave
things here. We have them stored away
and return them sometimes several
months afterward often the owners
have not even missed the things"
Encourage Honesty.
Employees are usually honest and we
encourage honesty said an assistant
manager Of the Plaza IF the owners
do not reward the finder. the hotel will
pay reward. But this is seldom neces-
sary. Things Of small value we keep
several months. owners are written to.
and IL they do not ask TO have the things
sent to them they are returned 10 the
finder, Money found will be held thirty
DAYS and then returned to the finder.
Valuables ere kept IN a special vault FOR
that purpose and a sepeTate account kept
OF them"
A list OF tha things left in the Plaza
rooms and held for owners includes:
cigarette case, psjamas. razor. gold
locket one slipper. corkscrew. pair Of
glasses. revolver. IS, one fur rug. two
hair brushes. bath robe gold purse with
thlrty-two cents in IL. shoetree pillow and
a stick OF shaving soap.
There is a popular saying at the Holland
House that when a woman leaves home
all she needs is car fare. for she will lose
everything else" First OF. she will hurry
to the Office and say breathlessly, Oh, I
have lost my handbag! Have you found
ito"
Then she describes the bag. which Is Of
lizard skin. made in a certain shape and
size. She remembers having II in the
restaurant and knows that the waiter
has it. There cannot be the slightest
question about that After keeping her
uneasy for a few minutes the clerk VIII
pull out the bag and tell her that a
gentleman picked II up on a couch IN the
hall Then it flashes across her mind
that she did drop II there and the moor
waiter is excused
Forget Rings Description.
At the Hotel Knickerbocker recently
a young woman said she had lost a
valuable ring in the grill room. Articles
found have to be identified before the
hotel will return them. This woman was
so excited that she could not remember
whether her rings setting was a sapphire
or an emerald surrounded with diamonds
Her escort induced her 10 sit down and
try to calm herself. so that she could
describe the Jewel As the hotel officials
had the ring matters were finally
Strengthened out, but she forgot 70 reward
the 1ndsT.