The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-12-04
LETTER FROM SAN FRANCISCO,

and electricity, but it may just as appro-
priately be called the age of Hotels. DR..
johnson was of the opinion that no where
else could so much solid comfort be Oh
tanned as in well appointed inn, and it
would seem that the public are more and
more inclined to agree with him. Greece
and Rome had their heroes and statesmen,
but we are led to believe that no man among
them knew how to keep hotel The build
ing of hotels during the past twenty years
has marvclously increased: and, whether it
is from the finding of greater enjoyment in
them, and from the annoyances of house
| keeping, or from some unexplained cause
1t is certain that hotel life is popular and
increasingly prevalent among the wealthy
people of the country. Notably is this so
on the Pacific coast; and in no portion of
the country are SO many families found
living hotel life as here Thousands of
families, abuDdantly able to keep house in
style and comfort, live in our hotels wear
after year, raise children usually very few
of these, and are buried from the hotel par
lors. That this mode of family living is
artificial and unwholesome is generally adj
mltted, and that children raised in hotels
know nothing of home and usually turn
out badly is unfortunately true Still MANY
cling to it as an easy way of getting along,
and as long as hotels are kept, they will, in
this city at least, be crowded by those for
whom hotels were not intended and who
damage themselves and families by remain
ing in them. Probably one-third of the
people Of San Francisco live in hotels, or
occupy furnished rooms and take their
meals at restaurants. Such being the mod
ern tendency of society, there have been
erected i'll this city a large number of man.
moth caravansaries, and one of the first
questions stranger asks, is-where do the
people come from to fill all these immense
hotels" Upon finding that they are filled
with boarders he is equally curious to know
why so many persons prefer boarding to
house keeping; but to this query he never
receives a reply, and he is apt to conclude
that it is owing to the "gorous climate of
California which reason is as good as any
other one that can be mentioned In fact
hotel habitues cannot tell why they prefer
this life; they only know they don't feel
like going to house keeping present.
But was not intending to write you a
homily on the evils of hotel life, but rather
to give condensed account of the Palace
Hotel in this city, recently opened to the
public. The figures below may look rather
startling, but | can assure you there is
nothing extenuated, nor aught set down
in malice" The Palace Hotel was two
years in building, and, with the exception
of the Grand Hotel of Paris. contains more
rooms than any other hotel in the world
The building is not considered handsome,
and it is only by viewing it from distance
that its immense size can be perceived 1t
is seven stories high, is fire proof, and is
considered proof against all ordinary earth
quakes. The architect visited the leading
hotels of Europe and America, and the
Palace " is supposed to represent com
bination of the good qualities of them all
The hotel was projected by the late Will
liam c. Ralston, of the Bank of California,
who owned half interest until short
period before his death. 1t is now owned
solely by William Sharon, Senator from
Nevada. 1t is managed by Warren Leland
The terms are $3.50 per day
The total cost of the ground was about
one million dollars. Over thousand men
were constantly employed during the con
struction of this great building. 1t covers
a space 350x275 feet, being 96,25O square
feet. A comparison with some noted East
ern hotels will perhaps better illustrate the
size of the Palace. The Sturtevant House,
New York, covers SO, 900 square feet; the
Grand Pacific, Chicago, IS, l40 square feet.
Bricks used thirty-one millions; lumber,
ten million feet; barrels of cement, sc, 900;
barrels of lime, $4,000; barrels of plaster
of Paris, 8, 500; iron, $500 tons. The house
fronts on four streets and each upper out
side room contains bay window, of which
there are 34S.
81, which has circular roadway for car
riages, and a promenade paved with mar
BILE, all covered with a glass roof. This is
lighted at night by SIG gas Jets. Each
floor has balcony fronting on this court.
where the guests may promenade in all
weathers, and is feature possessed by no
other hotel in the world, except one or two
in Paris. The dining room is 15Ox55; the
Office 110x55; the breakfast room, G5x55.
The first floor front is mainly occupied by
stores, which have also frontage opening
on the hotel court. The basement walls
are - feet thick. A walk through the
basement Is nearly as extensive as one
through the catacombs of Paris or Rome;
it contains bath rooms, seven laundry
rooms, store rooms wine room, pantries,
vegetable rooms, meat rooms, and pastry
room. The wine room is 55x44, and looks
like wholesale liquor store; the stock of
liquors cost about 500, 600. The laundry
stove has capacity for 1870 fiat irons at one
time. When the hotel is full there will
be used daily 5000 napkins, and 400 table
cloths, all of which can be laundred in the
hotel. About $500 worth of groceries
are kept on hand.
Water is supplied by four artesian wells,
which empty into reservoir 107x64 feet
and 90 feet deep. From this the water is
forced into seven iron tanks on the roof of
an aggregate capacity of 12s, 900 gallons
This water is distributed through an eight
inch main, with four-inch branches running
through the building. For fire purposes
these mains have 392 two and ahafinch
outlets, and have 10000 feet of hose at
tached. The rooms are all en- suite, so that
boarders may have from one to dozen.
Each floor is complete in itself: has its own
annunciator, bell boy, pneumatic tube, &c.
The roof is covered with tin. and all the
partitions which are of brick extend III
through it. The height of the first story
is 81 feet, and Of the seventh 16 feet.
There is no wood used in the construction
of the basement and first floor: it is all