Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-04-28
LETTER FROM LOUISVILLE.
GAIT HOUSE
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY,

write about in a letter dated at the Gait
House Louisville, is the Gait House
Iitself:--the new Calf House,-the most
magnificent hotel probably on the
American continent, If indeed it has
any superior abroad, which Is doubtful,
/ for the great hotels of the United States
as a general thing surpass those Of
Europe The cd Gait House, always
/ ranking among the best Hotels of the
country was burned some three OF four
years ago; the new onehas just been fin
ished and opened. Externally it is a
/ commanding structure five stories high
with brown stone front and Of handsome
architectural proportions whiIeits interi-
OF surpasses in elegance without doubt
any similar establishment in the country
It is literally finished without regard
to expense" " and with all the modern
sonveniences. !" 4 vertical raiIway-such
as is seen in many Of the eastern hotels
but which I have seen in 10 other Wes-
/ tern h0use-runs constantly 10 convey
/ guests from the lower to the upper stO-
ries, while for those who happen to miss
their connection, or prefer to walk the
stairways' are broad and easy. The
floors Of the principal rooms and halls
are of alternate squares Of White and
gray marble. The walls are paint
ed in beautiful subducd tints-Iavender,
buff, light blue &c, relieved near the
ceiling by beautifully painted borders
| and mouIdings Of bright coIors. The
ceilings are elegantly frescoad-some of
them with elaborate designs. One I no.
ticed, representsa canopy 0fIace stretch
/ ed over the fcescoed ceiling in such a
manner as to let the painting show
through it, and is so sEiIIfulIy executed
as almost to deceive the eye. Others
present elegant designs and figures
The principal windows are Of large
plate glass, those looking in upon the
court yard being elaborately enameIcd
and decorated with the monogram G.
H. which also appears on the front door
knobs and various other places.
The interior proportions of the building
too are such as to startle the visitor and
tOshow all to advantage. The hotel office.
in which are the news stand, ticket and
telegraph office, wash room &C., is
| splendid hall one hundred and ten feet
long, forty-five feet wide and twenty
one feet high; or adding the vestibuIc
the nearest wall in front of YOU as Won
enter the front door is nearly $50 feet
distant, space larger than any single
business block in Urbana.
The principal halls are Il feet wide
and p feet high. The other halls corri-
dors, parIors and dining rooms are spac-
Gus and lofty and the bed rooms Of GOOD
size. The two fronts Of the building,
on Main and First streets are each about
200 feet, and its height near one hun
drcd.
The furnishing Of this paIatiaI struc-
ture is in keeping with its architecture.
The parlors are carpeted with elegant
! Brussels, Wilton and Administer carpets
and the windows hung with handsome
damask curtains surmounted by gfI5
ImouIdings. The gas fixtures are Of the
most ornamental patterns-made to or
| der for the house. The furniture is most
| ly heavy oiled walnut with upholstery
Of green or red plush. The china on the
table is all ornamented, the larger piec-
es such as pitchers, with view of the
hotel, the plates, sauceTs DC, with the
monogram G. II. On the mauteI of one
Of the parIors [ noticed q clock which
besides telling the hours also told the
day Of the month, day Of the week and
the phrases Of the moon; the last Of
which would make it a most convenient
thing for lovers and coon hunters.
The house too is well kept; the fare is
good, the servants attentive and the
gentlemen at the Office don't try tomake
you feel as if they were conferring a
special favor on you in permitting you
TO stay at their house and pay them four
dollars a day. The only bitches that
occur in the working Of things doubtless
arises from the house being so newly
opened only last week 7 had rather an
amusing instance fthis. Getting ginrath-
eriate to dinnerfrom theother side ofthe
river, il so happened that three or four
articles in succession which 7 called for
on the bill Of fare had "iust given out.u
This was trying to a hungry man. But
the hungricst and crossest man would
have been Modified by the elaborate ap-
pologies Of the coloEed waiter.
He was sure it was a great deal more
embarrassing TO the waiter than it could
he to the guest 10 have things rive out:
it wasn't the proprietors fault; they had
three French cooks in the kitchen who
he was sure would give great satisfac-
ton when they learnt how to allowance
things better but they had been there
/ only two or three days and hadn't learn
cd how much to prepare-about fifty
people had come in from Nashville, on
the O'Clock train and thrown the cook
all out of his reckoning &C., &c.' He
couldn't have displayed more concern
/ if he had been the proprietor himfeIf
Ihavc written at considerable length
about the GsIt--for tits aTcaIIy wonder in
its way. And the wonder is not at all
diminished when you learn some ofI
the details which do not appear on the
surface and for which 7 am indebted to a
/ printed account furnished me at the
Office. Three steam engines are run
in thc basement to run the elevators,
. r.4 .lt d