Los Angeles daily herald., 1873-11-05
OUR BUSINESS HOUSES.

comes under the definition proper of Il
"business house, and yet there is
more business probably transacted
within it's walls than in many houses
specially devoted to commerce. A
hotel is a business institution in the
highest sense. It's head has to over
look and supervise the help OF the
house, personally slpcrintend the
marketing, attend to the books and
do thousand things from morning to
night, either connected with the COM
fort of his guests, or the better regula-
tion Of his house.
The Lafayette House, under the pro-
prietorship of Chris Fluhr, is situated
opposite the new Clarendon Hotel, on
Main street, and has frontage of ll2
feet. The old hotel stood back some
forty feet from the street, and the
work of building the new house was
commenced in June last. The whole
of the front wall of the old house was
taken down, reminding one at the
time of those skeleton dolls houses of
ones childhood, where the tiny in
mates could be seen in all the varied
positions, and poses possible to those
cherished jointed playthings. The
centre Of the old house was also taken
out, and is now filled up with the spa
cious stairways of the new hotel. a
and one solid wall of brick binds to-
gether the old and the new build
ings. On ascending to the second
floor the guest enters the new parlor
The size of this room is 2SX20 feet, and
it is furnished throughout with claret
colored rep, ornamented with "A pat
tern of crimson and green and gold
leaves. The carpets throughout are
the finest Brussels, and selected with
great taste and judgment. The halls
throughout are covered with marbled
oil cloth, and overlaid in the middle
with broad width of body Brussels.
The gas fittings are Of the new bronZed
kind, and of the favorite medieval
patterns now so much in vogue. The
rooms are lofty and elegantly finished
Throughout the hotel the halls divide
the old building from the new. Where
the front wall used to be, are new
choice sleeping apartments, newly fur
nished, papered, carpeted and through
out beautifully arranged. There are
eight suites of rooms on the second
floor, all furnished with black walnut
fittings, handicapped tables, new
lounges of the richest French rep, lace
curtains, mirrors and large wardrobes
Altogether the new building contains
A rooms, furnished differently as re-
CARDS the color of the carpets, etc, but
all in perfect keeping. Some suites are
blue, some crimson, Others white and
green and so on. The old court now
forms quadrilateral yard in the cen
tre of the building. 1t is being paved
with brick and the fountain in the
centre is being redecorated. All
around are trees which add greatly to
the beauty and shadiness of this part
of the establishment.
In all, there are about 100 rooms,
varying in their quality to suit the
taste and purse of the wealthy or the
man of moderate means. The old pri-
vate dining room is being transformed
into reading room, and will be sup
piled with all the periodicals, local and
Eastern newspapers, etc.
The ladies' and family dining room
is very private and exclusive. Its size
is 40x22 feet, and it adjoins the public
dining room, from which it is divided
by an arch. There is separate en-
trance to the public room, which is
larger in every way.
The bath and toilet rooms are being
enlarged and renovated. When fin
ished they will be second to none in
the city. At the back part of the
dining rooms is the general store and
further back still is the wine room and
cellar. The kitchen was formerly a
two-story building, but the joists have
been taken out and the height of the
upper room added to it. 1t contains
two immense ranges, seven or eight
ovens, and is large enough to cook for
800 people at one time. The main en-
trance is to the right of the office,
through handsome and lofty hall.
On the outside is a portico ornamented
with four tluted iron Corinthian
columns, which serve to support the
balcony above. The main office is As
feet long and is fitted with black wal
nut desks and mirrors and the usual
appurtenances of hotel office. The
sidewalk is being prepared to receive
an asphaltum coating, which will
add greatly to the appearance of the
front. Mr.. Fluhr has built four
stores, two on each side of the main
entrance. They are 81 feet deep by %
feet in width, and about l5a feet in
height. The gas fittings admit of four
large chandeliers being attached, and
there are fiues for stoves connecting
with the main chimneys. The stores
are not all of an exact size, the one on
the extreme right having room 15x
II feet at the back of it. p. n. Roth