Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-03-02
From the r Y. World
BHE ASTOE DISMANTLED.
Forty Years a HOtei-Past Clio
rLcs and Present Plight,

rles and Present Plight,
The dismantling Of the Astor
House will awaken "reminiscences all
over the country. In some sense il
has been an historical way-mark, and
its closed doors virtually place an
end to epoch. Finished in 1886, Just
alter the great fire, il was the begin
ming OF the second lastly growth OF
New York No public building can
again create the interest which the
Aston House did. The hotel period
had not yet "a yned : The Astor House
aas the brilliant toreruner of the sue
cession Of great American hotels.
At that time Broome street was up
town, aud society rsdiated east and
west from the City Hall Park, which
a pleasant wooded affair, guiltness of
pretentious fountains and attendant
green glass -eXcrescenceS. Thus
pleasantly situated above the roar OF
business, overiookingtte quiet church
yard and undisturbed by the newsboys'
cries, the AstOr House rose, lis build
ing having almost the dignity Of a
national event.
1t was built of Quincy granite +,
200 feet font, $50 feet deep, and five
stories high. The entrance even to-
day is unique. The doors opened
into vcstibuIe which led directly
down to the rotunda, where was a
magnificent bar, in very noble
apartment, whose cocktails and Amer
can drinks are yet fragrant in the
memory the Old habitucs of the
house. The vestibuIes was paved
with blue and white marble,' stairs
On either Side Iedup to the large Office,
paved as were the halls, with marble,
Supported by white columns. Around
the halls were gathered billiard-rOom,
ash.room, reading room, cloak
rcom-ali Injuries then, since become
Lhe necessities of every weil-anpointed
hotel, The pariors ranged along the
Broadway front. the Vesey sire ct
corner holding the grand drawing
room, while the Barclay street corner
was devoted to the genllemcn'F
smoklng-room. In the rear, on the
Barclay street side, was tho dining
room, 100 feet lnug and 40 feet wide.
There was never such another, and
It's nagniiceuce fairly overwhelmed
the rural visitor, who would have
lain given himself 20 the French
dishes.
On the Vesey street side were the
ladies entrance and the ladies din
ing-room The upper stories were
divided into parlor suits, the bed
rooms surrounding tho court and look
ing out on the side streets. There
were over three hundred rooms for
guests, and these were furnished with
the dark, solid walnut and the rich
stu.is OF that time the, furniture cost
ing $50, $50. The house was lighted
by gas, then bat = short time in use.
IHere were seventeen bathrooms, the
water furnished lay a s,eam-engine,
Crotou still beins bat the engineer 5
project. The Kitchen was the crown,
Ing marvel. L ran the whole length
Of the rear, vas fitted up with the
most complicated an omnivorous
Ranges, and ti5ted out with . corps Of
French cooks under a true Gordon
ben.
The description of the Astor House
given a. that TIME conveys the most
modest impression no@, Then it
brought before the eye slch gprge-
business, immensely, and luxurious
ease as cannot now be comprehendeC~
el 70 have been to New York AID
s.opped AT tire Astor WAS the proyi =
ciIl patent OF nobility. BrIiaI
couples stinted themselves in their
prospective housekeeping that the
story of the wedding journey to the
Astor ight descend to their children s
children. Jokes, now long thread
bare but then fresh as n milkmaid
in the morning, eDIivened the count y
press. Among these the backwoo Is
man who blazed his way to the fifth
stcry that he might not get lost, and
the enthusiastic farmer, over o. d
mother Aslor's gaod cup Of coffee,
fouud q local habItation in every
State West of the mountains. There
vas a germ of truth in them all, for
the landlord, who was not greater
than his hotel, and the landlady, whJ
did not stir the pot, were persons al
together unfamiliar to the travelling
public.
The fame Of the Aston House was
H0t confined to the North and South.
Distinguished foreigners who came
over to hunt deer and shoot bua1loes
in New Jersey and visit the Indian
tribes OIL the Hudson found themselves
amid luxury indigenous to America.
Here we're evidences Of civilization
IN good wines, French cooking, cigars,
and uustnted luxury in the midst of
a bowling wilderness of fresh brick
and bad pavements. America has,
in fact, won her spurs among the ma
lions with her American hotels, of
which the Astor House was the initial
eaort,
For many years it vas tie centre
for all the wits. warriors, statesmen,
editors. lawyers and distinguished
,,eople Of our country. Peculiarly
identified with it was generation of
public men now gone-Webster, Clay
and Calhoun. OF all these COM
panions but Thurlow Weed remains,
whose special heau quarters it was,
and in whose room, parlor No. IL, so
many political regulations have been
lost and won, and so many political
states made and broken. The Astor
House has been always more particu-
larly Republican headquarters.
There is not little fitness in the fact
that II is nov abouf 10 mass out of