The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-09-24

Erasfus Root and his friends usually paeronised
Kitty Dunn" as he was familiarity known,
though his name was Christopher. General
Roet and Mr. Dunn were both geniuses Of Q
singular order, and though deadly opposed in
politics, they were warmly attached as personal
friends. In the same narrow street. opposite,
were two other hotels, or rather species Of
country taverns, from whence the daily lines Of
stages started for Utica and Westward.
The first hotel erected in Albany worthy Of
the name was the Eagle Tavern, In South
Market street, fronting the river. 1t was erect
ed by the surplus funds Of some Of the Van
Rensselaer, family, and It was about the only
expenditure of money which any Of that rich
family ever made in the city. The old man,
proving property in New Orleans and New
York rather than in Albany, where their an
nuslly princely incomes were derived. But
the erection OF the Eagle Tavern was hailed
with much <clat. Its reputation extended far
and wide-its landlords were generally popular
and liberal 1t fourished greatest under the
administration of the late Leverett Crut-
tenden. The many thousands who have been
bis guests will ever remember his smiling face,
his constant good nature, the never ending
joke, nor his superabundant humOr and face
tiousness He was unquestionably the prince of
landlords; always had on his tongues end
pleasant words for everybody, and joke or
witticism for those who enjoyed it. After he
retired the hotel was comparatively deserted,
until finally swept away in the great fire of l84S.
There is now ouly single hotel in Albany
wholly erected and. at all adapted to the wants
OF the floating communicable Delavan House.
Its location is the most undesirable for beauty,
health, or economy of any in the city. Being
surrounded by the meanest streets, in o low re-
gioD, 1t possesses no attractions, except being
at the termination of the Central railroad. Ia
truth, the proprietor had nothing but the rail-
road in view when he erected it. 1t is kept as
temperance house, de jure.
Then we have Congress Hall, Stanwix Hall,
City Hotel, Mansion House, and American
Hotel, every one Of which has been patched
up, additions built and other repairs, sty ling
them hotels. Neither one of them were origi-
nally erected for hotel purposes, and they never
can be made first class hotels, if their proprie-
tors alter and repair them annually until the
Compromise line is restored, or Pierce serves a
second Presidential term.
There is no city in the Union with half the
capital, or quarter the travel through it, 30
lamentably deficient in first class hotels as Al
bany. Go to the infant West-look at Buffa-
10, at Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Chicago,
Galena, Dubuque, aye, evea at st. Pauls, in
Minnesota. at the head of Mississippi naviga-
tion, and at all or either of those new cities, and
many others, the stranger and traveller will
find hotels which will compare with the Aston
and St. Nicholas, in the city of New York; aud
here in the ancient, rich and populous city Of
Albany, the capital of this great State, at the
head of water communication with the ocean
the concentrated point of dozen railroads,
which bring into the city ten thousand passen-
gers daily-with enterprise and energy of the
most laudable Dature-with mechanical, manu-
featuring, commercial and mercantile skill I'M
crvrp cod to -. -
lie house Of q first class. Whilst all other
cities, many of them greatly inferior to Albany
in all respects. as to location, wealth or saga
city, have springing up within them public
palaces, with ample accommodations, fit cd and
furnished in all the styles of modern improve
ment, our city, in fact, is retrograding None
of our wealthy capitalists are willing to speed
few dollars Of their surplus funds in erecting
public hotel such as is DOW absolutely neces-
sary for the wants of the travelling community
and the members Of, and visiters to, the State
Legislature. A.