Famous People

Did you ever meet a famous person and get to talk with him, even for just a short time? When I was in college, I worked summers and Christmas holidays at the Lake Placid Club in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. This beautiful old club provided a lovely setting for the very well to do and many captains of industry would spend a holiday or summer there. I got to check in people like Mr. Gouldon of Gouldon Mustard, Mrs. Otis of the elevator family, and the real mother in the Cheaper By The Dozen movie/book, Mrs./Dr. Galbraith. They proved to be nice people and appreciated the services that we rendered to make their stay pleasant. Most were interested in what we were doing and encouraged us to complete our college education.

At times Lowell Thomas (he gave the nightly news on radio for 15 minutes), would be there, and I checked him in and some time later, out of the Club. While getting his bags from his room and preparing to take them to his car, he asked me if I had any cash on me, as he wanted to leave a tip for his maid. I do not remember how much money he wanted to leave her, but I was able to loan him the money. I got his luggage to his car, packed it in the trunk, and watched him drive away. He never paid me back for my small loan or even offered to give me a tip for my efforts with his luggage. Most guests at the club would give tips for any service rendered. The tips we earned were saved for college expenses, and we lived on the small salary provided by the club, which was less than $10 per week. The tips I earned actually paid for most of my college expenses. My opinion of Mr. Lowell Thomas was always colored by this event, and even today when I hear his voice on an old recording or News Movie that he narrated, I remember him driving off and stiffing this poor college student.