En 1921 George H. Ham publicó "Reminiscences of a raconteur. Between the ’40s and the ’20s ", en uno de cuyos capítulos dedicado a William Van Horne, nos cuenta esta penosa anécdota relacionada con la decoración de una de las habitaciones del Hotel Camagüey.
When Sir William was constructing this railroad, he decided to install a typical railroad hotel in Camaguey, and with his keen eye for detail he had an idea for its decoration.
“Why not fit up one of the parlors,” said he, “with panellings of the beautiful native woods of the island? It seems to me that such a room would interest visitors greatly, and give a handsome effect.”
His suggestion was carried out to the letter. Next time he arrived in Camaguey the hotel was practically complete, and Sir William recollected his hardwood room and expressed a desire to see it. There was a singular lack of enthusiasm on the part of the officials, and they didn’t make any effort to hurry out Sir William, who was deaf, dumb and blind to the beauty of the weather, the excellence of the service, and the sudden death of anybody’s great-grandmother. He wanted to see that hardwood room, and with drooping eyes and ears, everybody, checkmated, led him to it.
It had been panelled in all the different varieties of beautiful native hardwoods, according to schedule, from ceiling to floor. It had given a beautiful effect, as Sir William had foreseen. And then a gang of native painters, putting finishing touches on halls and corridors, had wandered in, observed its painlessness, and given it two heavy coats of ivory white.
Like the black on a colored person, it wouldn’t wash off, and ivory-white that parlor still is and provoked Sir William’s great disgust to his dying day.
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