Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-05-26
NO. %.
The Romance of Hotel Keeping.

''HavIng staid too long in the bath at
Long Branch recently, l lost the train to
the horse-race, and Col Presbury, of the
" est End Hotel, gallant Old beau, of fine
worldly style, offered to take me out. He
was about to give away $1,000, as it
proved, TO George Lorillard, and had only
time to see that stake run Ior and the fol-
lowing two miles and a quarter As We
went along the road said: You were the
first big hotel man | ever saw, and | have
been afraid of you for about twenty years
How did you start y said the straight, mil
itary-like old man. Il came from Balti-
more. My mother was Howard. / was
cashier of the Bank of Maryland, and also
of the Bank of Louisville. | had put by
some money, and one day Mr.. Billings
came TO me and said, Colonel, there is a
big hotel to be erected in Philadelphia,
called the Girard House. II you Will let
me have some money to furnish it, | think
can get it, | was banking then in St.
Louis l went on with Billings to see the
hotel, and as it cost large sum to furnish
It, sI5, 900. was compelled TO be a part
ner. We leased the hotel. Billings made
SlO0, 600, which paid to him. He wasn't
equal to so much luck, and is dead. My
inside steward was named Darling. / got
him from the fremont House, Boston, and
paid 81, 500 a year. He was so efficient
with me that he got the new Battle
House at Mobile, made money and was
enabled to take the Fifth Avenue Hotel,
New York. There he became the wealth
test American hotel man, and is worth 3d.
900, 600. If had begun business with as
good man as my present partner. Hill
dredth, / would have been as rich as Dar-
ling
How came you to go to Washington
City during the war:'
81 had to give up the Girard House af-
ter running 1t four years, on account of the
hOggishnes of those who owned it. | asked
for reduction of rent on the ground that
the Continental Hotel, much finer struct-
ure, was going up right opposite me. They
said that was a reason for raising nv rent
Very well, said |, Il will sell out the fur
niture and close the Girard House for q
year, and you will never make money out
of II again. They never have. | went TO
Baltimore and the war broke out, and the
first thing | knew Simon Cameron, Secre-
tary of War, telegraphed me to come to
Washington | went down there and he
opened the conversation:
- .Presbury, l want you to take Viii
lard's Hotel. II will be the Unlon head
quarters. | want man in control there
whom | knowf Gen. Cameron | re-
piled, I'm hardly your man. While /
think our people are foolish to talk about
leaving the Union, my sympathies are with
the State of Maryland whatever she does
%, pshaw = he said, you goand take that
hotel Willard is scared, and you can get
il cheap | called on the Nillards, They
offered me the hotel for 500, 600, furniture
and lease l had the proffer written out
and signed. 1 rented it without looking at
1t, seeing there were six hundred guests.
When i went next Monday to take the
hotel, Willard said, Presbury, we don't
want to give this up. What will you take
to give the property up? Wen give you
$50, 900 for your bargain Said /, Gen
tlemen, l will take 800, OOO.' l got the
hotel and made Sl65, 900 the first year.
then sold the lease TO my partners for Sl4O,-
boo, which they paid in full, except 500
BOO. In the West End Hotel here | have
with Mr.. Hildreth $3.50, 900, and
spent 500, 900 on the property, and we get
$50, 900 year out of it."