OCR Text |
Show Southern Hotels Id War Time. While In Vickaburg after the siege I was alToi'dcd a fair trial of southern hotels as they existed In war limes, and must confess that my experience in this connection was fur from being a plea-sant one. The floors and hallways of the hotels wore generally uu-swept uu-swept and unwashed, while, doubtless owing to the presence of our army, the servants suddenly became-wholly unmuiiugoable and consequently wore fow In number. As a rule tho rooms were occupied by soldiers, some being sick, others with no fleeted wounds and quite a number who wore shamming sickness. sick-ness. As a result, and in the absouco of any sanitary rules, tho rooms were in a sad plight as to cleanliness, while a disgusting odor pervaded per-vaded the entire building. It was wholly useless to seek for a separate apurlmetit, and after registering one waa assigned to a portion of a room and tho whole or a part of a bod by paying $10. A Inglo night's lodging cost fa, which entitled ono to a lodging ticket and meal ticket. Arriving at your room, the servant, bowing obsequiously, usually apologized for the lack of everything nooded for comfort by saying: "best In do house, sab, 'clar it am; solyahs done stole ebbery dobbliah ting 'bout do place; 'deed dey did, sah. " Ho towel, no soap, no bowl, no pitcher, no means of Illumination, a bod of corn busks with a single sheet and a light coverlet, and from the beds having been occupied by soldiers. sol-diers. It excited no surpriso to tlnd vermin in abundance, if ono could sleep undor such circumstances bo must needs bo copper bound. Boston Bulletin. |