The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-07-10
THE ROMANCE OF HoTEL-KEEPINo.

Having stand too long in the bath
a; Long Branch recently. los; the train
to the horse race. and Colonel Presbury.
Of the Wc>; End Hotel. a gallan; old
beau. Of fine worldly style. offered 20
take me out; He vas aboG; 10 give away
81 900. A. II proved. 10 George l.orilard.
and had ouly time 10 see tha; stake run
iof and the following TWO miles and 4
quarter A> We wen; along the road
said "lou were the first big hotel man
ever SAN, and have been airaid OF
you iot abou; twenty wears. How did
Noa start - II came iiom Baltimore
NJ, mother WI, Howard. was cashier
OF the Bank OF MARYLAND. and also OF
the Bank of Louisville had pu, by
some money, and one day MI. Billings
came to me and >lid. Colonel. there !
a his hotel TO hc erected IN Philadelphia.
called the Girafd House. Ii YOU will
L.; me have some money 10 furnish II.
think can &c, II was banking then
IN -; Louis. went on with Billings
To- see the hotel. and Il II COS; large
sum to furnish ii. $4,000. | was com
PEELED 10 hc i partner. We leased the
hotel. Billings made SIoo. coo. which |
paid to him. lie wasn't equal to 50
much luck. and is dead My inside
steward wa, named Darling. got him
from the fremont House. Boston. and
paid s.. 500 wear. lie WAS 81 efficient
with me tina, he got the new Battle House
At Mobile. made money and WAS enabled
io take tho Fifth Avenue Hotel. New
York. There he became the wcal;hie>;
hotel man. and j. worth !;.ooo. coo. -
|: had begun business with Is good 4
man Is my present partner, Hiildrc;h.
| would have been ~ rich as Darling. =
"liow came YOU to 60 TO Washington
city during the war p
Il had 10 give up the Girard House
after running II -four wears. on account,
OF the hogg;shncSs of those who owned
il. asked for a reduction of rent on
the grounds that the Continental Hotel.
much finer structure, WAS going up
right opposite me. They said that was
i reason for raising my rent" "Ncry
WELL" said |. IL will sell out the furni-
turc and close the Girard House for
year. and YOU will never make money
on, OF il again: They never have.
wen, to Baltimore and the war broke
out. and the firs, thing knew Simon
Cameron, Secretary Of War. tclcgraphcd
me to come to Washington. went
down there and he opened the converse
tion:
"Prcsbury. want YOU to take viii
lard's Hotel II will be the Union
headquarters. want man in control
there whom know !""Gcn. Cameron"
| replied, "lm hardly your man. While
I think our people are foolish to talk
about leaving the Union. my sympathics
are with the State of Maryland whatever
she docs. 80, pshaw y he said, "you
go and take that hotel. Willard isscarcd,
and YOU can get it cheap" lcallcd on
the Willards, they offered me the hotel
for 500 900, furniture and lease. had
the proffcr written out and signed. !
rented il without looking at it, seeing
there were six hundred guests. When
I went next Monday to take the hotel,
Willard said, "Prcsbury, We don't wan.
to give this up. What will YOU take TO
give the property up1 Wen give you
$50, 900 for your bargain" Said l.,
gentlemen, / will take 500, ,ooo." l
got the hotel and made sI65, 900 the
first year. then sold tho lease to my
partners for sI4o, 900, which they paid
in full, except sec, 900. In the West
End Hotel here ! have invested with
Mr.. Hildreth sage, 900, and spent $780,
600 on the property, and We get s6o,.
ooo year out Of it..