The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-10

The Hotel system OF the Unitcd gtates-Is
there . Hotel Keeper Outsids or New
Yorks
The carnival of trade has begun, and travel
lers arc pouring into the city from every side.
Our places of amusement are all open and
crowded with the throng; the excursion steamers
and the yachts plough the busy waters of the
lower bay, the harbor the noble Hudson and
the Sound; the railroad trains and hotels are
filled to oyeraowing and SHOWN town" re-
sounds all day with the busy hum Of trade;
while up town is as merry as lark with
Opera, theatres and innumcrable places OF
evening entertainment.
II is in the hotel system and the great variety
of amusement that New York surpasscs every
other city Of the New World and in respect to the
first named those of the older continent also. So
far as regards order, arrangement comfort and
luxury, the hotels Of New York are unequalled
in the world In Great Britain the hotels, as
general thing, are dirty, dark. dreary and
dear. the most sleanly. strange to say, being
found in Scothspd. Those of Paris are some
what better than the English hotels; but they
are kept in old houses, i'll adapted to modern
wants, and without any Of the modern convc-
nences. Asf5F the rest of the continent, the true
hotel system is as yet thing unknown. Many Of
the cherries palaces of the decayed nobility
have been turned into places of rest for travel
lers. and though the, houses and rooms are
poor, good meal can always be obtained at
all times and at all places.
In this respect we are sadly behind hand in
this country. The land everywhere abounds
with the best articles of food, but nearly every
where they are served on the table in the most
unwholesome and wasteful style. Outside of
New England and the State of New York, with
the exception of few of our larger cities on
the Atlantic board and in the West, good
meal of victuals cannot be had. Our fine
| wheat is made into an abominable compound,
| like putty and lead chickens swim in hogs fat,
meats are baked or fried into leather, bacon
floating in grease, and dirt everywhere abounds.
| 1t was this fact that induced witty French
man to describe the United States as "the
country of many religions and one gravy"
The same disregard of cleanliness and comfort
| is shown in the apartments and beds of the So
| called hotels that is shown on the table. The
consequence of this is that travellers on arriv-
| ing in New York at once award it the palm of
excellence for comfort as we'll as for amuse-
| ment and trade.
There is throughout the West, Southwest and
South, great need of Improvement in this
respect. Landlords who will receive their
cuests with courteous attention rafhor +har
with the air of men comforting favor on the
traveller, and houses where something else
than the universal sloppy coffee, greasy chick
en- ''fxins,' hog and hominy, and musty beds,
two or four in ROOM are much wanted by
the travelling public. The root of the evil
lies in the utter ignorance on the part of the
female portion Of the community of the
simplest rudiments of the culinary art. The
wives and daughters Of the hotel keepers are
taught to strum every variety of air on the
piano, but if they condescend to look after
affairs in the kitchen they possess knowledge
Of only one way of treating food, and that is to
serve it up in the universal greasy STYLE The
schoolmaster and the music teacher have visit
ed every town and village of the country, and
it is now high time that the cook and the
housewife should set out on their mission
Normal schools are doing their work for the
want that indigestion. dyspepsia and bad
health, shall likewise disappear before the en-
lghtened efforts Of good cooks, clean hotels
and courteous landlords.