Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

CAD to see you. or pretended 10 ne sidu
II made no difference, really, whether he
was only pretending or not; none or US
particularly minds being bunked IN
matter of that sort. II the old-fashloned
hotel clerk was merely there with the
OIL" as the saying goes, what were the
odds? We liked TO be greeted cheeffully
We ENJOYED the shadow, if ii were only
the shadow of gladness, and not the
substance; We were made to feel like
human beings when we walked up TO the
desk and had the register pushed around
for us The hotel clerk of other days
even made some kind of a bluff at re-
membering our name: the mere fact that
he made an attempt at it helped.
"Hw'are you, Mister Ufterump," he'd
say, mumbling the name If he were fax
ing it, and we'd be glad to take the Will
for the deed. How are things out i'll
Tararaumville, he'd continue. You
mean OskaIoosa." we'd say. helping him
out, knowing that he was merely slipping
US the saIve. Sure. Osakaioosa-that' \
what | said he'd come right back; and
we'd be glad TO believe it. We liked TO
lie cordially received We liked TO be
beamed on 10 be made to feel that We
were welcome and in line To get. If not
the best, at least the as-good-as in the
house handed out to US
Where j. this old time type of hotel
clerk? ask. because he is not to be
found in many. if any, of the big cities
Of the United States any more. Far
he IL from me. etc; but really, and hon
est Injun. the new type OF hotel clerk is
Il BOVINE. stoiid. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
sort OF an individual. We do not, as the
old Indiana tavern keeper sad. expect
HE hat
ever. But ~ il an agreeable. a pleasant
thing. after coming off long journey or
even short one. To have the hotel clerk
look J@5u over in at least an attempt at
jOcundity-oT. cay. just toleration--instead
Of gazing quizzlcaliy at the cut OF your
lib and iiichiDg the dust from the sleeve
of his House OF Splookenheimer coat. and
looking as IL ne really were wishing
that you hadn't nudged along In that
rude way 10 bust him out of his train of
communion with himself.
II would BE- the loveliest thing inn
aginable IL | could use the oIea ginous
ton on Washington hotel clerks in this
connection; but i can't, in fairness.
am still suffering under a sense OF ex-
IRENE frigidity from having come under
the stolid, gloomy aegis of Was ing tor
hotel clerk-ye-eh, a real good hotel-ont
day as recently as last week. I dom
know how | could have got to bed with
cut suffering from a prostrating chill l.
the fine, old hotel detective of that hos
telry hadn't recognized at the desl
and eased up and slipped me wore
OF Greer and welcome. At the desk I'M
der the cold and fish eye of the clerk
was rapidly becoming incased in ice. Tn
oId-time hotel clerk may have been
good deal of bunkoiogist: but / like
him, all the same, and I know a Who'll
lot Of other PERSONS, who get about Qutt
some who liked him and would like t
see his recruGescence.
hope / haven't reached that stag
where I've begun to live in the past,
for that means rust. plus. But. somehow
il seems to me that the hotel clerk OF IN
gone time was a more inteilgent md
than the hotel clerk of today. He wa
alert. Quick-minded. had a mastery OF nt
rail and made few mistakes. The othe
day. at a Washington hotel, was wall
ing for an important letter that l kne'
had been sent to me, special delivery.
4. haI hzs.v Qonf