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September 4,1939
W.A.Boyter, Hotel Proprietor,
Newton, N.C.
Ethel Deal, Writer.
Dudley 4.Crawford,Reviser.
QrisizmlEalueS ChaniNd Names
Virginia Shipp Hotel Alton Hotel
W.A.Boyter J.A.Burns
Spartanburg S.C. Sparta, S.C.
Statesville Inn Staton Inn
C.R.Adkins C.B.Morris
Newton Bakerton
mpb
Mr. J.A.Burns, a distinguished looking man
of about sixty five, has run the Alton Hotel ut
Bakerton for the past twenty years, and this is
his life story.
"I was born in Sparta, South Carolina. My
father was a section boas on the railroad. Naturally
I took up the same work after finishing school. My
means did not permit a college education. For several
years I was section hand on the railroad. Later I
became baggage master and worked at that for a good
many years.
"I liked the railroad fine; guess I'd be there
yet if I hadn't got married. I married a widow who
was running the Staton Inn. We continued in the same
business there for awhile before coming here. I've
been here now twenty years and feel I'm a part of the
town. Business is dull of course, but I make a living.
There are so many boarding houses "i business suffers.
My expenses are higher than the boarding house
keperwThe law requires me to pay privilege tax. That's
fifty dollars. My bed linen has to be made to order
as the sheet have to be made long enough to tuck under
the mattress as much as a foot and a half at both
ends. That's to keep them from pulling out and to
protect the mattress. Of course the linen is changed
every day. All these are expenses the boarding house
does not have.
"You have have to have a volume of business to make
anything in the hotel. The automobile hurts the business.
If a an is fifty miles from home its cheaper for him
to go home and spend the night and come back the next
day. Lot of people here in town come in and take their
dinner. You always have to be prepared for extra guests.
Sometimes there is a waste when they don't show up. I
keep a record of everything and know exactly how much
a meal costs me and how much I've made on it.
"This hotel ha twenty rooms. and the dinning
room seats fifteen people. In one way its a pleasure
to run& hotel; what I like about it is the social con-
tact. I meet people from every part of the state ,it
is a pleasure to deal with some; others make a nuisance
of themselves.
WA few weeks ago amen and his wife from Texas
stopped with me. After registering and being shown
to their room, the an was very much pleased, but the
woman turned up her nose at everything and demanded
that the bed lien be changed in her presence. Her
husband tried to reason with her, and showed her the
linen was fresh. That woman acted worse than the devil,
nothing we could do seemed to please her. The help
simply hateci her. her husband spent all his time trying
to console her.
"Now, there's there's Mr. C.B.gorris, he's a traveling
salesman. He's been stopping with me for the past
ten years. He is so nice to the help they run over
each other trying to serve him; and he gets better
service by being that way. I've had a lot of prominent
men; Cabinet men from Washington, Governors, Senators
business and professional men from various states.
"my rates are not high, a room with a bath is
one fifty; one dollar for a room witout bath. Meals
fifty cents. I like Bakerton fine and I think
stay here. l'ts a good place to live; even if you
cant make much money. I make a pienty to live on,
besides running the hotel I do other things.
"The lobby of the hotel is used as a bus
station, I fill the place of bus master and am
also plumbing and electrical inspector for the town.
I belong to the gethodist Church. I've never owned a
home, and as long as I stay in the hotel business
don't guess I will. I keep a car which is not much for
looks but it answers: the purpose of a good one.
"I am a strong Democrat and never fail to vote,
I believe it's woman's right to vote. I firmly believe
they have made politics cleaner. I can remember when
election day was dreaded. No lady would be seen on the
street that day. It was a day of fighting, drinking
and foul language. Lots of men could be bought either
way for a drink of whiskey. I know the women can't be
bought when they go to vote. The polls is a cleaner
place for that reason. A hundred percent of the men
will respect a lady oven when he is drinking. Today
on election day, you see more ladies out than may other
day. The men still drink but they respect the ladies
and they are not as easy bought as they used to be.
I think our President is fine. He has made some mistakes
of course, I hops he keeps us out of war and I am sure
he will.
"I hope to live to a ripe old age and still be
able to work. I don't have much ambition now. I get
lonely at times since my wife is gone. I keep a lady
hare to look after things about the hotel and she is
fine. The dietitian has entire charge of the food.
the cooks take their orders from her. I would like you
to see the lower floor, if you have time."
Everythin,; was nice and well kept, justifying the
pride with which the proprietor showed me about the
quaint old structure.