Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-06-18
from the New York Mall
Personal. SKETCHES.
Warren Leland.
tNNnIoRp MErRoroIIrAN uorrI,

ttN ls'llNu, anu tn'lI ttlulliN thA'Httu
sons and nephews have given to Ameri-
can hotels reputation throughout the
United States, in Europe, and even in Ja-
pan and China. We propose TO give the
readers of the Mail brief sketch Of War
rem Leland, who has the Metropolitan Ho-
tel, Of this city, nndCr his especial
charge.
lie was born at Landgrove, Bennington
County, Vermont, Sept. 10th, ISIS, max
ing him nearly forty years of age. His
father was stage proprietor and hotel
keeper, and employed his spare time by
practicing law. The family removed to
Chester, when Warren attended the Acad-
envy until his fifteenth year. \ motto of
the old gentleman with his boys was,
Work or 90 To school Leaving school
in 1874, Warren came 10 New York,
where his elder brothers, Simeon and
Charles, were engaged in the hotel bnSi-
ness, one at the Clinton Hotel in Beck
man street, and the other at the Bond
Street House, at a salary of ten dollars u
month. 1t was not long before he went
10 Cleveland. and engaged as clerk with
his brother William, who had embarked
III ltlt ulN Eb4dH hhNiAA'Nn ~ NhAfAN 'ANs
Warren was still restless, and only year
passed when, at the age of seventeen, he
made a tour OF all the Western States
and Territories. Simeon had now bought
out the Clinton Hotel, and in the spring
of 1916, Warren returned to New York,
and became a clerk in that establishment
The Clinton Hotel was part of the build
ing known Is Clinton Hall, on the corner
of Beekman and Nassau streets, where
the Mercantile Library was formerly To-
Gated, and had an excellent reputation as
a clean, well kept house.
On the 18th of December lsls, War
rem Leland sailed for California in the
ship Florence, the first vessel that left af-
ter the reports of the gold discoveries.
The passage around Cape Horn occupied
six months, which time Mr.. Leland en-
/ braced for course of reading and study,
! there being an excellent library on board
the ship In 1S49 he established the Pa
cific News at San Francisco, and realized
in the enterprise, in company with anoth-
er person, one hundred thousand dollars
or fifty thousand each. lie took an uc-
tive part in the organization of the State
of California, and travelled ON horseback
over much of the region. He returned
/ to New York in the spring of ls1h, and
Joined his brother Charles in the purchase
Of the Clinton Hotel from his brother
Simeon. who then retired from business,
Two years later, Warren joined hi,
brother Simeon. William and Charles in
conducting the Metropolitan Hotel, then
lust constructed, and furnished at an o,,t-
Law OF one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars In 1892, all the leading hotels
were down town, and it was considered Il
great risk on the part of the Lelands 10
attempt TO establish one SO lar up town.
At that time the leading stores and thea
ters were all further down town, and a
stranger almost thought himself lost ii he
got above Canal street. From the begin
ming, however, this house was an entire
success. and is still III the full tide Of pros
pcrity. The property is now owned by
Alexander T. Stewart Esq, and the hotel
has been greatly enlarged. All that por-
tion of the building formerly known Is
Niblo's saloon, including the spacious com
ccrt-room, ballroom, supper room, and all
the other rooms and aute-rooms, forIlierly
connected with the saloon, have been adj
ded to the dimensions of the hotel; III
/ fact, the entire property, with the eXeep-
! tion of Niblo's Theater, on that extensive
portion Of the block, is absorbed in the
hotel. These, with important improve
ments in the hotel proper, have made the
Metropolitan among the largest, most
magnificent, and best appointed hotels in
the country. 1t is fiyorite hotel with
large classes Of the travelling public, par
ticularly with army officers and Califor-
mans
In the spring of 1864, Warren joined
his brothers, William and Charles, in an
other grand hotel enterprise. He unit d
with them in the purchase of the Union
/ Hall, Saratoga. which, with subsequent
purchases and improvements, including
I the Leland Opera House, involved the ex-
/ pnnditnra nf over half million dollars
/ The success of the Union Hotel under
the management of the Lelands has been
unparalleled. As many as fifteen hun
dred guests have been accommodated at
one time, with nothing lacking in the
comforts, luxuries and attentions expected
at q first class fashionable hotel The
4 Opera House is beautiful structure and
contributes charming feature of the
otherwise attractive hotel grounds. Du-
ring the next summer Palmer and Jarret :
ballet corps will perform three nights in
1 the weeks alternately with an Italian OPP
era company. The hotel is to he in charge
of George and Lewis Leland, nephews OF
Warren Leland, formerly of the Oeciden-
tai Hotel, San Francisco, another enter
prise of portion of the Leland family.
The Lelands are also proprietors OF the
celebrated Delevan House, at Albany, and
of some other hotels
In the fall and winter Of 1864, Warren
Leland made tour of four months
through the gold and silver regions of the
United States, and overland to California,
Oregon, and back. He was charged with
! a special government mission, and trav-
eled in company with that well-known
and indefatigable Plains and Rocky
Mountain man, Col Ben. Holiday. They
visited Salt Lake, and were Hospitality
J entertained by Brigham Young. Mr.. Le-
! land gave Cratic and interesting ac-
count of his adventures in an article pub
! lished in the New York Herald
, Mr. Leland, besides his remarkable no
, tel abilities, is practical agrieulturist
/ He has model farm of three hundred
acres at Rye, Webster County, which il
: abundantly stocked and'very productive
Among his stock is fine herd of some
seventy cows, which produce all the milk
/: used in the hotel.