Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-11-19
Mod crate Prices.

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reasons are assigned for the fact
among others, that multitudes of those
who usually frequent them went to
Europe in the spring Still if this be
true, the question remains undecided
whether they did not 60 to Europe in
order to get more pleasure and profit
out OF the same amount of money that
hey would be Obliged to spend here.
nay, whether they did not go to save
money. Indeed, we are inclined to
think that the lack of patronage at the
hotels, and the enormous deportation
of our wealthy population, are both
owing to the high prices demanded at
our watering places for genteel fare and
accommodation. If man can have
the benefit of sea-voyage and delight
full simmer In Switzerland, for what it
| would cost to make tour of our princi-
pal watering places he will be very
apt to pack his trunks for the foreign
trip; and we must honor his good
taste and Judgment in the matter.
While the mammoth hotels and the
high-priced places have mourned over
their slender patronage, the second
class houses have generally been full
boarding houses have had guests i'm
plenty The boarding houses and
farm-houses in all directions about the
country have an abundance of summer
visitors. The truth is, we suppose
that business has not been good, mon
ey has been scarce. and the people
have studied economy. The expensive
hotels can onl be supported during
periods of easy and large money-mak-
ing; and the moment there comes a
pinch, they feel it. They are keyed
too high even for the average Ameri-
lean high life. They never make too
much money in the best seasons; and
when the bad seasons come, they either
make none at all, or lose. Who is it
that goes on building from year to
year these expensive establishments,
we do not doubt, for nearly everybody.
who NEEDLES with them loses by them.
They cost immense sums, they burn up,
CT they fail TO pay rent and dividents
The permanent hotels Of the great
cities are built and furnished at the
cost Of millions, in which families pay
from five to ten thousand dollars a
year for board. We may say here that
much Of the economy practiced In the
summer is owing to the absolute i'm
possibility OF living at a reasonable
price in the winter. Whether one live
! at hotel Or buy or rent a house it
matters not Tie reason why the great
hotels are prosperous in the city is be.
cause family can live cheaper in them
than at housekeeping. IF we seek for
the reason Of this, we find that only
certain localities and only certain
grade of building and furniture are
considered respectable. Respectable
life-genteel life-is all on an expen-
sive scale. A man with an income less
than ten thousand dollars year can
not supports family and entertain his
friends in style that would be consid-
cred genteel-much less, generous
Our whole American life is keyed too
high. If a man go into business, he
will not be content with either mod
crate business or moderate profits.
Everything must be on large scale
business, living hospitality-every-
thing. The hotels are like the rest,
and their proprietors expect to make
fortunes in ten years, and many of
them do it. There really seems to be
no respectable place for respectable
family of moderate means. The low
priced hotels are not genteel; the low
priced houses are either unfit to be
lived in or are in mean localities and
thus the great need Of the t1me-re-
spectacle homes respectable men of
moderate incomes-is unprovided for.
If the Saratoga hotels should reduce
their prices to 81 50 or So 90 per day,
and give their guests plain homely fare
minus the splendor and the music, they
would not only be crowded, but they
would make money. IT nice three
dollar hotel could be esta blished in q
respectable quarter of New York, 1t
would be crowded from years end to
years end, and give a remunerative in
come. If plain, comfortable houses
could be built in districts now unoccu-
pied, for what their owners were will
ing to take as fair rent, people would
not be driven by thousands, as they
are now, either into hotels or into sub
urban towns We have now in New
York only the rich and the poor. The
middle class, who cannot live among
the rich, and viii not live among the
poor, and take the risk of living among
the vicious, as all dc who live among
the poor, go out of the city to find
their homes. So the words "To Let !"
stare upon us from the windows of a
multitude Of houses, which many
would take at fair rent, but which
nobody can afford to hire. Real estate
is very high, and considering the scar
city of money, wonderfully firm; but a
change will come sooner or later. Our
greatest fear is that it can only come
through a great commercial disaster,
involving the overthrow OF all existing
prices, ana another beginning at the
bottom of the ladder G. j. Hoz-
land, Scribner's Monthly for October.
SEVERAL of the French journals are
complaining about the immense expor-
tation of fruits and vegetables to Eng
land, and declare that not only does
this raise the price of garden produce
at home, but that the English take the
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