COMMERCIAL HOTEL.

Kaikoura Star, Volume XI, Issue 85, 17 November 1891, Page 3

COMMERCIAL HOTEL.

A change has today taken place in management of the Commercial Hotel, Mr Joseph Mitchell having given lip possession to his successor MrH. King; whose purchase of the house was laSt week notified by us. Of the new landlord we may say we knovV nothing personally, though we have heatd hiui spoken Of very highly. The following is an extract from a report in the llawjlora, Standard of a Social Gathering held recently, viz : The many friends of Mr E. H. King were determined not to let him leave the district without acknowledging in some way the excellent manner in which he had conducted the Junction Hotel during the time he held it. The large dining hall of the hotel was comfortably filled by a very representative gathering of theNorth Canterbury district, gentlemen from far north, east, and south were there Mr W. Buss was voted to the chair, and he read an apology front the local agent of the Union Bank regretting his inability to be present. The chairman remarked’ that it was rather an inconvenient time of j the day to hold siich a gathering, but if i it Had been in the evening they have had to have a larger room to be® the friends Who would have rallied round, to drink the, health of the guest. He bad to be brief in anything he had to say. They had met together to drink the health of their guest, Mr King, and bis wile. They all knew for a man to be successful in anything he bad to put his whole heart into that which he wished to perform, as well as to use tact and judgment, whether in the business of life, or in cricket, football, or any pastime; and so this principal applies to that of keeping a good hotel. It is as necessary for a publican to know how to manage his bouse as it is for the sailor to be thoroughly conversant with the Working of his ship. The captain of a ship may seemingly be having an easy life of it walking the deck of his vessel, yet he has a weight on his shoulders, for he must know all that is going on, whether in the saloon or foc’sle—he must study his passengers in all parts of the ship. So it is with a good hotel keeper. The publican, like the skipper, must be an fait with all parts of bis house. He nius: do something beside ever thinking <f raking iu the almighty dollar—that ciu be lett to a servant. And their guest en-

deavoured to carry out this principle, for he conducted his bouse in the most admirable way. He remembered When their guest fiist came among them, he had beard someone telling him that if he had been King of Waiau, he Was hot of Rangiora. This he (the chairman) presumed was au instance when their guest was carrying out the duties and the rights of a skipper. 'The duty of every man keeping a public house was to study the public wants, whether in the case of class distinction or not, and Mr and Mrs King were all there to find people a place in their house to suit their requirements. Their guest always endeavoured to a sist anything which he deemed beneficial to the district. And he could refer to the charitable character of their guest and his wife, who were never behind when assistance was wanted. As a caterer at their gatherings, Mr King had done much to assist them, and was never afraid of giving a. good price for the booths. He could not sit down Without making some reference to their guest's wife, for having to Use the house in his business more than aiiy other, he had always found Mrs King ready at any moment to do whatever she could to provide refreshments for them, never mind whether it was late or early, and at eVery public gathering where her husband catered she was the mover. In losing their guest and his wife they were losing a good couple, and all present wished wealth, happiness and prosperity to them wherever they go.—Mr King, who was received with hearty applause, said he thanked them sincerely, that is to say, warmly and heartily. .He had no idea that he had so many friends at Rangiora, and whether he and his wife had

done their part whilst members of the community they could judge. (Applause). When he got home that evening, and told bis wife of the kindly expressions which had been given utterance to, she would feel crateful for them. He thanked them collectively, and though he had many times had “ send-off s ” he had never at such similar gatherings had more kindly expressions made of him. z -

News Continued on 4th Page