Evening star., 1909-09-03
A"FREE-FOODER'S 'S"CONFESSION
PLAYS THE ROLE OF ENTER
TANNING GUEST" AT HOTEL.
Gets His Board and Lodging and
Small Salary-Also Gets Commis-
sion on Many Things.
From London Tit Bits.

From London Tit-Bits.
This summer am staying at one Of
the biggest hotels at well known
fashionable seaside resort in the United
Kingdom, and 1 am not paying a penny
for my board and accommodation. This
surprises you, perhaps, and you are won
dering how / manage to live for nothing.
Well. 1 don't live for nothing, for l re-
ceive from the manager Of the hotel, in
addition to free board and lodging, a sum
of 3Os a week. / am paid that salary
for acting the part of "amiable guest
that is, l am a professional guest. The
manager calls me a "top-fioor back" be-
cause l have a back room at the top of
the building. but the people who stay at
the hotel consider me to be an indepen-
dent gentleman and a very entertaining
one we'll
Having Good Time.
When l arrived at the hotel a few
days ago I was treated by the employees
there in precisely the same way as an
ordinary guest-in fact, one, with the
exception of the manager. had any idea
that l was to be paid for taking up my
residence in the place
| am introduced to all the guests the
ma jority being society folk, as soon as
possible after their arrival, and it is my
business to make their stay as enjoyab BILE
as possible. / dine with them and pre-
vent them from eating too much by tell
ing jokes and humorous personal reminis-
cences over the table.
l dance with the guests, follow them
about in motor cars and carriages, ar
range all-day excursions. get up parties
for the local theater-the manager of
that house OF entertainment allows me
commission on the seats paid for by the
people ! bring-organize concerts. gen.
orally impromptu, for wet evenings and
special occasions, and last, but not least.
keep the whole crowd OF people at the
hotel on terms of good fellowship.
Once you become known as trst-class
''top-fioor back" any hotel will take you
in and treat you In a most deferential
way The managers of seaside hotels
know very well that in return for good
food. good lodging and salary the
"amiable gent will half fill their places
with smart" people.
For my part, l know many wealthy
people and dukes and earls. having
made their acquaintance at some sea-
side hotel or the other, and it is very
seldom that ] cannot induce one or two
of them to stay a the hotel where /
| have a room under the roof. Million
aires of the American kind think moth
ing of giving dinner to Their swell
friends which will run into G1uO or
! more: SO you can see that "a top-foor
back" is very valuable addition to a
hotel.
professional "amiable gent" who
stays every summer at certain hotel
at an east coast resort is worth d
least f6oO a year to that residential
building. The manager pays him e. a
week for his services. and if the men
and women he recommends to the hotel
r4 liberal about their hills ho
a bonus at the end Of the season.
| have never, so far. received a bonus
my manager considering that | get
quite enough out of him as it is. Per-
EapS he is right. Commissions | recei. .e
| from jobmasters, tobacconists, jewellers.
wine merchants and other tradesmen
total TO a good round sum every sea-
son.
Life as an "Amiable Lady,"
My sister plays the role of profess
sional "amiable lady at first-class
boarding house every summer and does
very well at the business. The guests
at this establishment never discover
that the expensively attired silver
tongued lady who keeps the table
amused and who gets UP the i'm
promptu dances. bridge parties and
other amusements, is a person in the
employ OF the proprietress, and not 4
common or garden guest is sup
posed Making the lengthy stay that
my sister does, she is naturally the Oh
ject of much speculative conversation.
If any one asks who and what she is
they told that She is heiress 70
great wealth, but at present receiving
an allowance
My sister is paid a salary of $50 a
year for her services, but there are
| some women at the business who get
G250 year. / believe a professional
amiable lady" is a better draw than
one of the opposite sex. They get Of
| ters of marriage, too. by the score NV
! sister had eighteen last season, but
/ Mr.. Right" wasn't among the propos
erS, i learn.