The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-04-08
THE PRESS.
Monday Morning, Ayril s, 1867.
oue Of PortianL's Necessities.

One of Portiand's Necessities.
A few days since We took occasion to speak
of some ofthe business wants of our city; new
railroad connections and larger degree of at
tenton to manufacturing This morning we
propose to call attention to another matter, OF
the utmost necessity, the lack of when Is ie''
upon our business and causes our city W o'
avoided not only by the business men ou' 'N'
pleasure seeker. 49,,
Bv the great calamity of July Attn, more 'na"
half OF the hotel accommodations VI WV '
were DESTROYED. Prior to ina. 'i,'io "e
suffering from lack OF ACCOMMODATIONS vi 'nis
kind and particularly first class accommoda-
t;ons We have now-we had before That
ex,ant- no first class hotel. And in saying this
uo would not be misunderstood and charged
with undertaking the best hotels in the CITY,
The "Prebe" and the UNITED States" are and
long have been first class Portland hotels, kept
as well az first class houses in other cities
but still they are both inconvenient, old-fash-
toned and ill-adapted to the purposes for which
they are used. This is no fault of their keepers,
and no men in or out of the city orefully APP
preciate the justice and truth of these state
ments than the worthy gentlemen VINO pre-
side over those highly respectable estapiish
.ments. 1t is of the houses themselves anu ho'
their keeping of which we speak. for','nu
has long felt the need of better houses, mouein
in style. beautiful in architecture, ana n.'eu
nm with exnress reference to the hisl CLASS
travaIl;no nublic. Such house 1t has never
had. notbine to compare with the best house
in other cities.
The Marble Hotel would have supplied our
deficiencies had it been completed, but that
want ND in the flames with other edifices dedi-
Gated to public accommodation, and can no
longer stand in the way, as it long did, of
starting and communicating an enterprise in
the absence of which the city is suffering and
will continue to suffer-
By the fire of the 4th of July the "Elm," the
Commercial" the American" the Central"
the Freeman" the "Kingsbury" and the SIN
ternatonal" hotels were all destroyed, plotting
out an aggregate of accommodations consider
ably larger, we think, than those remaining,
and as yet nothing has been done to replace
them.
This is a matter that appeals to all the inter
ests of the place. Abroad we are suffering
from this cause. A gentleman who had occa-
sion a few weeks since to visit Montreal, in
forms US that when a long way up the Grand
Trunk, on his return, he overheard merchant
passengers conversng about the relative adj
yantages of trading in this city and Boston,
and while admitting they could purchase as
well here as there, they said, but the hotels
are so crowded and inconvenient that we do
not like to stop there" Such is the common
talk in the cars and steamers, and it tells st0-
nv of our wants and necessities that should not
escape the attention of business men and cap
italists.
Strangers will seek places for business pur-
poses, where the surroundings are pleasant
and where they can command the best accom-
modations Had Boston none but her inferior
hotels, how much of the trade now stopping
there would go to New York. Men do not like
when away from home, to put up with need
less inconvenience, nor will they do SO if they
can avoid it. In visiting a new place we al
most invariably select as stopping place it,
best looking hotel, and by the impression this
creates we are very likely to judge the place
and if we find the hotel and its surrounding
uninviting we give such places wide berth
and the next time we journey that way we g
further and take the risk of faring worse.
One thing is sure; until something is don,
to meet and obviate the evils to which W,
have referred, the business man will not be at
tracted to us and the invalid and pleasure
seeker will avoid u.s. With first class hotel &C.
commandments good as are found in other
commercial cities-gentlemen will not blush
when urging strangers to give us call and
try our markets, our Incompatible land ant
ocean scenery will attract individuals and fam
lilies, and our city will be visited by hundred
of strangers who now turn away from it, spend
ing their money with liberal hand, and, goinl
nway speaking favorable words Of the plac
and its accommodations which will will en-
courage other hundreds to keep full the place
which they vacate. -N '''-" 'H
That first class hotel can pay as an invest
ment there can be no doubt. Itwould be rent
ed long before completed and at the usua
rates of fare in similar establishments ther,
is no denial that the lessee could afford 10 pay
larger interest on the investment than is ordi
narily received by way of rents.
What we want is somebody to start; some
man of meanswho has faith in the future of oul
city, and wishes to use his money in a safe anG
profitable investment Have we no such mar
among us? The question is an insult to thu
enterprise and public spirit of our citizeus. We
have the men. They have the means. Let
them show their faith in the future prosperity
of the city by their works, and the thing will
be done. a..t