The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1920-03-11
Charles II. Schmidt, Manager of the
Hotel Punta Gorda, Leaves Town
Without Paying Up or Declar-
ing Intentions.
LEFT MONTH IN ADVANCE
OF STATED CLOSING DATE
Owed One Concern About 5000,
Another $S8 and Other Smaller
Sums-Suits viii Probably be
Instituted.

Charles r. Schmidt, manager OF
the Hotel Punta Gorda the past sea
son is gone. Although the hotel was
not scheduled to close until April
10th Mr.. Schmidt folded his tent
and silently stole away" last We'd
nesday afternoon or Thursday morn
ing. There seems to be some differ
ence of opinion as to the day and
hour-but it is a well known fact
that Mr.. Schmidt is gone-and with
him the hope of number of trades
men that they were going to be paid
for the goods they had supplied him.
Mr. Schmidt is an affable gentle
man, and as he came here to manage
the big hotel it was assumed that he
was o. k, as it was thought unlikely
that the hotel lesses or the owners
would engage any but a perfectly
capable and trustworthy manager.
In fact, it seems likely that most of
those who supplied Mr.. Schmidt with
the various things necessary to con-
duct a first-class hotel such as this
one, didn't give the matter a second
thought and were glad to supply
him with anything and everything
his dear heart might desire.
Mr.. Schmidt needed menu cards.
Would The Herald kindly print say,
about l 900 on eggshell book paper?
Certainly! Why certainly, The Her
aid would do that for Mr.. Schmidt,
or anything else he wanted Mr..
Schmidt was not at all concerned
about the price. All, yes! 1t was a
real pleasure to do work for men
like he, who never grumbled about
the high cost and was always reason
able about delivery.
Mr.. Schmidt also needed fresh
fish and wood with which to cook
them and consulted the Punta Gorda
Fish Co. about this little matter
He was informed that they did not
retail fish, but just as an accommo-
dation to him, Mr.. Schmidt, they
would be glad to furnish them, as
well as the wood for the stoves and
other needs. Mr.. Schmidt was not
so affable and reasonable with these
people as he was with The Herald
and in few days became dictatorial
and ordered the manager of the fish
company about as though he was
an ordinary bell-hop or other funky
employed at the hotel 'Tis alleged
that Mr.. Schmidt left owing this
Cnnpprn a littla
$500, in comparison to which the
SIS he owes The Herald amounts to
nothing. Mr.. Schmidt is said TO
have been indebted to another con-
cern, whose name needen't be |
mentioned to the extent of SS8
All the returns are not yet in. but !
it seems that at least half a dozen
concerns have little memorandums
of incomplete transactions with Mr..
Schmidt A grocer is said to have
recovered a portion of his goods by
a raid on the kitchen, while the tel
epnone company about recovered the
amount due them by confiscation of
a considerable quantity of station
cry.
Quite a few people have expressed
the belief that Mr.. Schmidt will
settle up his accounts
here, refusing to believe that he
deliberately planned to swindle any
one, but even these hopeful ones ad-
nit that his manner of departure was
4 little unusual for a man of such
seeming integrity as Mr.. Schmidt.
At any rate, they figure that its Just Z
rs cheap to be optimistic as pessi- {
nistic even if Mr.. Schmidt shouldn't {
'eturn and pay up the bills he left
behind and then the experience may [
,e worth something to them.