National Republican., 1873-09-23
CAPITOL HILL HOTEL.
LARGE AND ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING,

John IIltz, Rsa John W. MOTIFS """ :
Oiher--Iibcrai subscriptions tue "
spsnse. 49,
IN tho M of Marcp, isda a bill passed Con-
,,roa. AMI r.a annroyei by the President, incor-
nor,,ing tho "ContInrnta Hotel Company OF the
rItv of Washington" and naming as lhcotport-
tors IonIs Delmonlco, OF the city OF New YORK
n i, French, n. u. Cooke and J. W. Forney, Of
washington; WIN. overhcld, IT,, and J. Warren
Broyn, Of Maine; Thornton Smith, q. d. kel-
iogg and George Plowtnan, Of Philadelphia, and
their associates with capital stock Of o. 00O, 600
In shares OF 800 each.
Preliminary steps were taken towards the
erection Of q grand hott!. covering the entire
square op which is located Riggs and the Freed |
mans Savings banks, and the company met with |
nattering success until an obstacle presented
Itself In the refusal OF a property owner on the
north. side OF the square to dispose OF small
parcel OF land. In consequence OF this refusal
the project was suspended, and has lain dor |
mant until recently.
The rapid Lrowth Of East Washington since |
the era OF Improvement dawncd upon OUT Guy
and the new impetus given TO ooih pu3,c anu
private enterprise, By the energy Infused ny lne
hoard OF Public Works, has revived the project
OF hotel, and Capitol lllll has been deemed the
most eligible location for such building as us
contemplated.
n general meeting OF the corporatofs shall bo
held on the second Monday of January for the
election Of ave managers and the transaction Of
other business; Uut II such meeting or election
shall not then take place, the corporation shall
nOt for that cause he dissolved, but such meet
ing or election shall take place as soon there,
being nrst given IN at least two daily newspapers
In the city OF Washington"
such notice having been given, some two hun
dred and nity or three hundred persons assem-
bled last night at the new hall corner OF Third
street and ptnnsyyania avenue, recently built
by Peter Mcnamara, esq, which was thrown
open for the purpose by the enterprisng pro-
prtetor, Although the formal opening does not
take place tn next month.
Prior To the opening Of the meeting the plans
for new hotel TO cover the entire square bound.
ed by PENNSYLVANIA avenue and u street and
First and Second streets east were exhibited
and attracted much admiration.
Tuk MEETING.
The meeting was called to order by John
Hltz, esq, who stated that the object bad been
sufficiently explained by The advertisements,
and the nfst thing in orderwould be the selec-
tlon OF temporary officers.
Hon. George 7. Gulick was nominated and
unanimously chosen chairman.
Mr.. John NJ. Morris nominated the following
list OF vice presidents and secretaries, who were
S Rpoaassa George aStiinsIy q n Fsr
T. Edward CLARK, W. Mckee Dunn, $. =. SmoOt,
George NJ. oyster, $. TAYLOR suit, Peter Nc.
A. waterson. SecTetarics-C. ID. Willard,
HoratiO Browning and W. =. Fletcher.
Mr.. Morris said some OF those on the list could
port to the enterprise, and IL was thought best
to let the list remain US 1t was.
Hon. NJ. ID. Leggett, Commissioner OF Patents
was then Introduced TO the audience, and made
an earnest address In support OF the object o.
the meeting. lie said It required some courage
Just at this time TO engage IN such an enterprise
since the call Tor this meeting had been issued q
financial crisis had come upon u, but he wa
glad to believe, from what he saw and heard
that the storm had spent It's fury AMI wasted u
self, and that our troubles were nearly over. Il
the end was here, instead Of general disaster
Il would prove general blessing, and lead I,
the Investment OF capital In legitimate busines,
instead OF It's being used for stock gambling an'
give nrmer foundation to our manufacturing
mercantile and commercial interests.
He said he felt, though not a permanent resi-
dent Of Washington, as though he had an inter
est In II as the capital OF ,hls great nation. TAP
plause.l The old citizens here were not awaf,
how near they came to losing the capital. II,
had been in the West, AMI heard the talk ant
knew the feeling which existed u few years ago
The feeling was that the capital was down IN
mud hole, where they were shaking with tn,
ague, and ten years ago this was 100 nearll
true. But Washington had awakened, and thi
wonderful improvements Of the past few years
mad settled the question forever. tApplausc.
Even the Western men saw this, and were will
ing to admit 1t, and they Rloried In II.
TIE FACILITIES FOR TRAVEL
were such that the location was OF but little con
sideration so the capital was pleasant and desir.
ably located.
iuOc enterprise had, he said, stimulated prl.
vste enterprise, and people were rebuilding thelf
houses, putting In new fronts or putting on new
roofs, and otherwise "axlng up" They were
not willing to live In the houses In which they
did when teams stalled In the mud In front OF
their doors.
lie had doubts about Washington ever bccom.
ing great mercantile city but II mus become
n city Of beautiful residences. II must be III
winter to the whole country what Saratoga and
Long Branch were In summer. Outside It's lie.
lighlful location and beautiful streets and ave.
nues there were other attractions. II was the
seat Of Government. The supreme Court OF the
land met here, aud Congress while in session
made II place OF especial interest to Americans
and to foreigners. II the citizens were true tG
themselves they could IN ten years have q city tC
vie with any other on the lace OF the globe as tC
desirablllty for residences.
lie then alluded to the early days Of the city
how the former residents Of Capitol Hill sa
down and waited for the city to come to them
wnIle 1t went In another direction, and urget
that such course be avoided at the presen
time. lie said the most beautiful street IN III,
the avenues aud streets adjoining. All hi
friends who visited here expressed their amra
tion Gnd preference for Capitol llli.
THE ONE THING MOST NEEDED
now was q hotel, mol a tavern. hut u nrst' clas'
hotel, the best out Of New IOrk-the best on tn,
continent-one with spacious rooms and elegan
accommodations.
lie pointed out the difference between step
ping out OF the narrow streets OF some OF GU
sister cities into small room, AMI passing froh
our broad thOroughiares into the same size
rooms. Let the rooms he Of q size to COrrespOn,
with our streets and parks, AMI such class 0
visitors would he attracted To II Us could b
found no where else.
Washington needed more hotels than anl
other city. Let these he provided, and an ar
rangement already contemplated by the rail
roads, to sell excursion tickets to Washington a
certain seasons Of the year. at half price, coul,
readily be secured.
He next alluded to the prospects Of Washing
ton for literary institutions, especially universt
ties, AMI SAID y was eInlnently ntted for II, as
young men could, 10y service in the Departments
pay their way through these institutions. As u
the special object Of the meeting, he sald prop.
erty-owners on Capitol Hill could take hold Of II
as matter OF dollars and cents. Twenty-Five
per cent. of the value OF the property IN the vi.
cinity invested IN this hotel would he good in-
vesilnent II the hotel never paid AGENT, although
those who hal examined the subjtC believed
the stock itself would be u gOOd-paylng invest
ment. They had seen how properly IN the Vi
cinity OF the new blocks erected by Mr.. A. Gran
had Increased hundred per cent. lie had seer
towns built up In Kansas by single'saw-mi!l
brought there On four wheels, and carried of
again on four wheels to make room for large
enterprise. tAnnnus"
MR. HITS VIEWS.
Mr.. John llltn saIu nu ha,i been born In TIT
high regions Of Europe, and IN coming here hat
sought the highest point for u residence. III
felta sentimental interest In Capitol llill, as tht
only place he could live IN comfort. This feeling
led him 10 take an interest in the present move
ment, and he had made 1t a study. A single
hotel, he calculated, would enhance the value o.
s25,ooo,0OO OF property Ten per cent. on thi,
would Insure the erection OF the hotel. Those
within three or four squares would be bene1ted
ut least 90 per cent. Let them, therefore, equal
ize it,and these take stock 10 an amount equal Ia
cent. lie had consulted leading hotel men at the
North and was assured that there would be
plenty who would gladly lease the hotel
He complimened the chairman (Mr. Guck)
upon his enterprise In putting up 80 llne hotel,
nppTecating the fact that comfortable house,
well kept, was what was required.
Speeches OF similar character were made by
MessTs. John n. Morris, Col James A. TAFT, A.
Grant, Amos Hunt and others.
The subscription books were then formally
opened, and u considerable amount of stOCL
taken.
IL Is proposed to raise for the purchase Of the
ground aud the erection OF the hotel tiOO,O0O
Of this one hall IL to he In bonds, and the buld
ers will subscribe 800 900, leaving hut $3.50 900 T.
he subscribed by properly y-Owners.
Subscriptions thus far are us follows: John
Iiitz, $1,000; X. II. Ryan, 81, 900; 7. NJ. Powman
800; 4. NJ. PlOwmun, NOr Others,) $4,000; A.
UTant, 81, ,OOO; George PlOwman, $50; j. "
brown, $500; j. NJ, Morris, 81 900; c. u. Willard
$1,000; Thornton smith, 500; duncan 4. Wa ker,
$500; John G. IIesse. ssOO +. l.. schmidt, 800;
GeOTRe Mattingly 5000; J. S. Burnett, 500;
Rev. John Chester, tU,O0O; WIS. Fletcher, 500;
Dr. q. N, Ford, $4,000; Peter Mcnamara, t5,OCO,
(and 5000 more II necessarily y. +. Boyle, tlOO;
!. wetherill, s50O; John Frazer, 5000; l.. burr
ley $500; L. r. Bower, $500; q. Y. Guck, &, 900;
Isaac beers, 500; Hawkins Taylor, 500; AInC :
Hunt, $500; Il. LabsigeT, 500; John e. Hogan,
siOO; John MCMenamun, ihDO; W, ROthwell, $500;