The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-12-25

the completion and opening of the Ell
BRIDGE HOUSE, but were not then prepared
to do justice to It in the way of an ex-
tended notice, which we resolved to give
this week. 1t is erected on the ground
occupied by the old FREE STATE HOTEL,
which was destroyed by a semi-of6cial
mob, on the 2lst of May, 1856. The
foundation of the new structure was COM
menced in the fall of that year by the
Emigrant Aid Company, and was prose-
cuted until cold weather set in. At the
time work was commenced upon it, me-
chanics and laborers in the place were idle
and no man found employment as doubt
seemed to hang over our future of that
character which deadened enterprise; but
when the AID COMPANY commenced clear.
ing away the ruins to begin work again
upon their hotel, hope was revived, as
this was positive evidence that we were
not to be deserted by that powerful Com
pany.
During the winter of 1S56--57, tie Aid
Company disposed of their interest in the
foundation, lots, &c, to ELDR1Des BRorH-
ERs, and they soon commenced work npon
it, and nearly doubled its size, besid b de-
signing everything upon the most mag
nihcent scale. Our people began to look
upon it as failure. The idea that a
structure so large, and having in view the
most ample finish, should be completed,
and all by individual enterprise, appeared
incredible, and many were the regrets ex-
pressed that the matter had passed into
private hands; but the walls continued to
go up; it was covered; room after room
was finished on the first floor, and yet it
was thought the project would prove a
failure. Money was commanding five per
cent. per month, and any amount could be
loaned at that rate, yet the work gradually
moved on to completion. Notwithstand-
ing the awful pressure in the money mar
ket, and the bankruptcy of firm after
firm, in the East, carrying hundreds down
with them, the work on this Hotel has
moved on, and now is fully finished and
furnished.
We passed through the building on
Wednesday last and visited its magnif-
cent parlors, reading rooms, sleeping
rooms, bridal chamber, &C., and were
agreeably astonished to find everything so
perfect in its arrangements, all that any
person can desire. In many respects it re-
sembles the Briggs House in Chicago, and
is quite as nice in all its departments as
was that House when first constructed.
The building is four stories above
ground, and has high basement which
Is very valuable for the many purposes to
which it is appropriated. The Hotel is
one hundred feet front, and a hundred
and fifty deep, facing both on Massachu-
sets and Winthrop streets.
The first floor is mostly used for stores,
offices, &c. On the corner is the Saloon
of ELDRIDGE BROTHERS. South of this
on Massachusetts, street, first, is the Jewel
ry and Clothing stores of Messrs. FRAZER
and SUTLIFF. South of this is The Drug
store of PRENT1ss & GR1swoLD. Then
comes the Boot and Shoe, Hat and Cap
store of Mr.. SHANKLIN. On Winthrop
street are the United States Express, and
Kansas Stage Offices, and then we have
the Hall of the Mayor and Town Coun-
Gil.
On the second floor we find the Office,
a large and capacious department which
is connected with reading rooms, ladies'
and gentlemen's parlors, dining room,
BARRIERS shop, &c. The dining room is
36 by " feet, the ceiling sustained by
supports from above, without single post
to mar its beauty.
The Sd and 4th floors are finished very
similarly, each having about forty rooms,
embracing beautiful parlors, with bed
rooms attached.
The whole is furnished in the most COM
plete manner, generally with brussels and
velvet tapestry carpets, sofas, marble,
mahogany and ingram furniture.
It is impossible to do justice to the
House, its furniture, or the taste displayed
in decorating it, in a brief newspaper
article. Those only who have passed
through the first class hotels in the Eastern
cities, can form any idea of it, and to
attempt it to others would be q work of
supererogation. It is an ornament to
Lawrence, and would be credit to even
st. Louis or Chicago, and reflects the
highest honors upon the firm who have
designed the enterprise, and carried it
through so successfully in the midst of SO
many embarrassing circumstances, suffi-
cient to discourage men of even more than
ordinary energy. The cost of the build
ing alone was about $4,000, and the fur
niture swells it to $4,000. 1t has ample
accommodations for two hundred guests,
and we trust the day is not far distant
when it will be thronged as its merits
deserve.
On Thursday last about two hundred of
our citizens took dinner at this house.
The fare and surroundings, attendants, &C.,
made the guests feel for time that they
had been suddenly transported to Boston,
New York or Philadelphia, so much did
everything resemble the magui6cence of
those cities.