The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-03-26
A HISTORIC HOTEL.

One That ExempIiHes Certain Phases of
the American Caravansary.
Washington Cor. y Y Graphic
Wizards is the historic hotel of Wash
ington 1t was here when Clay, Web
ster and Calhoun were in the zenith OF
their careers, and i'll the days of hotel |
keeping when landlords sat at the head |
of their tables at breakfast and carved |
steaks for their guests. Between thirty |
and forty years ago II was known as the
City hotel; afterwards as Fuller's. With |
in the past twenty-siX years, it has borne |
the name OF Wizards. Wizards hence |
forth probably it VIII always be. 1t has
seen landlords come and g, and has en-
dured as many changes ofdynaSty as the
government of Il South American repub-
lie 1t has grown IN SIZE with the coun-
try, and an extension has been added for
almost every new state since 1850.
The nation during the last thlr-
ty years has been almost as much
governed within the walls OF Wiilard's
| as in those of the capitol. Here king
caucus and committee have Matched
presidents long ere the people knew the
! color of the dark horse. Here schemes
| have been planned and jobs put up.
| Here the lobby and the legislative cham
her have talked business" Hither came
| jim Fisk ere he was known to fame,
with a few hundred dollars, which he IN
vested mainly in board, champagne and
| congressman. Here he obtained his first
contract, armed with which he went
back to Boston, asked to be taken into
the firm which he was serving, was re-
fused, drew his Washington contract on
them, which put matters in quite an
other light, was taken in, and henceforth
began his career. | think he dated this
fortune from room Al. Rooms 80, 6, "
havn l,nnn the chief meeting
places of caucus, committee, scheme and
plan in years past.
The fluctuations of life in Washington
are well illustrated in the history of the
hotel 1t seems to have undergone a
q transformation, internally and extern
ally, with every new president. 1t can't
find person in the house whose person
al knowledge of its history extends back.
wards over ten years. The character and
import of American hotel life can never
be fully appreciated until she enters the
closely guarded portals of the English oil
Continental hotel. The American land
} lord filings hissdoors wide open TO tho
i public The Englishman shuts hi;
gates to all save guests. The American
, host concentrates the life and individu
alitY of his city or town at his house
: thus giving the stranger the opportunity
= of seeing it pass before him. The for
u eign landlord cannot understand how
such freedom is granted without involv
ing the mObbing and sacklng OF hi
: premises, The American landlords FREE
q half corresponds to the market plact
of the ancient city, whittier daily repair
:, ed the big and little men of their patrl
clan and plebian sheets, TO compar
y notes, swap scandals and trade gossip
x The American does this, also, without il
the least interfering with whatever pr
vacy the guest desires. Decency and Oh
g derby conduct are the only passports n
q quired for admittance to the hotel vest
" bule, which, despite its spaciousness an
T palatial furnishing, still retains the nam
of ''office." The foreigner wonders q
this apparently unguarded freedom
Of when, in time of political or other e.
,e element, the corridors of the house al
thronged with promiscuous and eve
q changing crowd. But let disturbanC
10 arise and he finds some quiet personag
lie at his side suddenly developing into til
:. watchful detective, armed witt authorit,
man. observant of every new fac
y knowing well all the old ones, and verse
ID in scamps, loafers, bummers and pic
I'd pockets.
;, The American landlord is somebod
a man Of might and influence anon
VIC men. The foreign landlord is a nobod
at best a species of upper steward. A
:" our hotel system has developed, Il
in American landlord has developed wit
it, No longer content with a sing
house, he POUNDS systems of hotels e
he tending from city to city, over Thousand
d. of miles Like that of the Lelands, eT
n bracing New York, Saratoga, Alban
~ Long Branch and San Francisco;
be Breslin & Cookies, the present propri
ISIS tors of Wizards, whose sway also exten'
-. to New York, Saratoga, and that immen
summer carayansary, the Manhatt;
CT Beach hotel Yet It may be predicts
! that this system is still in its infanc
lite Hotel life in some form will develop
I,v TO far greater proportions. 1t will eve
" tually reach many more people and !
y lieve them of the drudgery and care Al
~, responsibility of housekeeping. Steal
nd electricity, elevators, and the scienti
at systematizing of labor render the kee
II ing of the hotel of 1880, with its $50
600 guests, n far less laborious Ia
Sc than that involved in the tavern of IL;
; The elevator aloue has revoluuoniz
er- the system by bringing the top floor,
matter how lofty, To a level in convt
fence with the first