Evening star., 1915-01-17


American college to the papal presence.
Indeed the only occasion can recall when in for
eign country able to get bath without encoun-
teng all sorts of obstacles also in Rome four years
ago. when l endeavored to order bottle of mineral
water in nv choicest Italian, and got bath instead,
the whiskered male chambermaid of whom ordered it
having little familiarity with his tongue "she
was spoke" by an American.
But precisely similar conditions exist in this country
Robert Browning in of his famous poems lamened
the difficulty of getting the Tme the Place, and the
Girl together; but he had gone on the Chautau-
qua circuit in this land fear he would have written
also of the we'll nigh impossible operation of getting
the Time the Place. and the Tub together; and may
add that wish law might be passed requiring hotels
that do provide bathing facilities to supply also at
least one towel that is visible to the naked eye.
The story of the man who asked Indiana hotel
clerk to give him "a room and BATH, to be greeted
by the instant response, "WeW gre you the but
you'll haze 10 arah yourself" contains quite much
truth as humor. 1 had to forgo my dip in Southern
hotel morning because "the last feler that took
bath here off apth The key 10 the door, and then on
the following morning when the bathroom door had
been forced open found the tub constructed of tiles,
with lush growth of morning glory vines sproutng
up between them. When in Ohio hotel several
years ago, having insisted upon room with bath,
found the latter in dark cubbyhole whose doors and
window had evidently not been opened for months.
AtmosIhericaly speaking, the Black Hole of Calcutta
was thing of sweetness and light compared to it..
Nearly sutfocated, 1 struggled with the frosted glass
window at side of the cell for several minutes and
finally with supreme effort got it up: only to find that
it obened the inner corridor of the hotel.
MD be it recorded that the heating facilities are
quite on par with these. The heating apparatus
of most hotels is either missing altogether terrifying
in character The latter sort is especially in evidence
the natural gas regions where that useful commodity
used with airy carelessness that inspires dreadful
forebodings
l shall never forget my first introduction to natural
gas heating proposition 1t was in historic edi
flee in Ohio which shall not for it has already
been sufficiently advertised by its "lovng friends.
Suffice that by strange oversight OF Nature
it still stands To get to my room in the first place
was compelled rise several flights in elevator whose
lift uncertain its years. and then with the aid
of hallboy thread intricate of interockng
corridors alongside of which the Dedaian Labyrinth
was simplicity itself. Arrived finally in the
signed to me, found it dark, damp and cold.
How about little heat here, SOM" said |, appeal
ing to the hallboy.
"Sure" said he.
The boy faded into the gloom of the far end of the
room leaned over and tugged away vigorously for few
moments on a in the Dashboard, and then stand
ing back about two feet he began to lombard the
wall with lighted matches-the kind which light only
the seat of bellboys trousers. shall not attempt
to say how many of these he lit and threw the wall
before anything happened. 1t seemed to be appa-
ing number, and considering the manifest 1n11an1na
bility of the building, and the height of my from
the ground, it made very
What the dickens you dong?" said I.
But there was neither time need for his answer.
One well projected match seemed to hit the partcu-
lar bulseye he aiming at. There boom
and flash, and in a second saw half-dozen stable
flames creeping upward from the floor point about
breast high the wall, where by
some strange miracle the conf1agra-
ton stopped.
"Nacherl gas!' said the boy, with
La grin, as he departed
1t had been my intention to