1931 Old Waldorf Bar Days by Albert Stevens Crockett

Hall of Fame

AND "THE DRUNK" CAME IN A frequent visitor in the early days was John R. Drexel, member of a prominent Philadelphia family, who for many years has made his home abroad. He had a brother, Anthony, who became a resident of England in the days when few Americans were persuaded that the social ad– vantages of the "tight little island" outweighed its cli– matic disadvantages. For a time "Tony" was better known than his brother John, enjoying the reputation of being a sort of "pal" of the then Prince .of Wales, later King Edward VII, who was frequently entertained on Anthony's steam yacht Margarita. John R. Drexel used to come ov~r to New York fre– quently to attend the opera and other "functions" in whicti society was interested. In time he found his ap– pearance in the Bar was apt to draw undesirable atten– tion from persons who, in their cups, wanted to tell him , the story of their lives or, perhaps, borrow money. Dur– ing one of his early visits occurred an incident that was probably responsible for a line that more than one vaudeville artist later used to his profit. Boldt had installed on the various floors of the hotel young German bus boys-waiters' helpers-whose duty it was to supply floor service. These youngsters had been drawn from the crews of German steamers in port. What they did not know about the English language sometimes proved considerable. Pneumatic tubes had been installed to accelerate mes– sages between the office and the various floors. All orders were written, and shot up and down by air pressure. Clerks in the front office, who must translate the mes- [ 33]