Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-07-14
OF THr EVENING sr,n

Correspondents OF THK EVENING srAn
HOTEL KAATERsKILt, CATskuI MOUNTAIN NyVr
YORK. July sth, iss3.-Philadelphia LAWYERS ar,
supposed 70 beat the world m their line ana one
OF them, the famous patent lawyer, George Hard
ing, who has made more money than he knows
what 10 do with in the big cases he has had in
hahd since he won for Morse the great Geographic
SUIT With Bayne, is now INDUCING his fancy for
building the largest, handsomest ana most com
piete mountain hotel I'm all creation This IS how
he came 10 set about f. For ten years he hao
been summering at Beach's Catskill Nnun,at,
House now known as the Old Mountain House,
where ne got good air and such table fare a.
suited the convenience OF his independent and
opinionated host who seemed 20 think he had the
monopoly OF the Catskill mountain business one
sick child. but It was not ochicken day" AZ the
Mountain House, and none could be had
SaIies nsteen h mi,aa n, sent sen down TO the
10 Inc Kitchen 20 be cooked The landlord Objected
10 me trouble OF this special cooking, and toll
M mar, crushingly that IL he wasn't satisne
WITH the way the hotel was run he had bette
build hotel OF his own by Jove," said Hariine
II never thought OF thati believe Will" ana
he did He quietly set about the purch ase or Ali
me adlacent mountain land 10 the extent or some
VWo acres and then, in september, 1880 started
ioIce OF ABOUT 100 men and 40 teams building
roads up the nearly perpendicular mountain side
nma erecting o huge hotel on the OF the
higher than the chickenless Old Mountain Hons
Inc dimculties In the way OF building these
where the engineers said no roads could pe mil,
ana afterwards dragging the material FOR the
noIel up them and erecting house OF this size In
the ueptn or bitter, stormy winter were I'm
mense, but energy and money overcame them.
ana on June y 1881, the hotel was opened for use
FROM its commanding position and colossal size
IL Is a conspicuous feature OF the whole Catslt,'
region, either by day, when IL appears Ike a
mni.e cloud resting on the mountiin tor, or az
hgnt when electric lights throw it out In relief
| against the sky like an aerial palace. II IS Eve
stories In height, with stately wings and p,azzae
anu mas a frontage Of 6l2 feet The dninc-room
| mas seating capacity for l.eo0 guests, and the
kltchen can cook for :. coo people without inronye
raIT lac 'otel VIII accommodate 1000 people
Ieaiily, ana III is proposed 10 build n number OF
cottages on the commanding sites In the ne.Chbor
n nood Tor the use OF other guests. The house Is
nnlshed In hard woods, walnut and ash; the fur
nlture and hangings are OF Eastlake designs: and
u, TACT, the whole establishment shows the most
lavish expenditure OF money in the way OF con-
structlon and furnishing
WILL 1T PAY?
The hotel is In fact hobby OF Mr. Uardlnr,s
who has chosen TO expend his money in deyelop
Ing the Catski region and opening its attractions
10 convenient access, Just as other milonaires ex-
pehd theirs In yachts ana fast horses lie has
| alreads spent about $4,000 in the purchase ane
improvement OF the land, the erection or the hote1
&C, ana the coSt-of other improvements contemr-
ta I VII sven tne outlay TO round million. Can
the hotel DE made 10 pay interest on this enor-
nous investment? Perhaps the owner does no
expect an Immediate return, but is looking TO Tia,
| future when he shall have carried ont ali ~.
plans, Including that OF bringing visitors by r.
10 the very door OF his hotel, which win place a.
crown OF the CalSkills within two hours time
New York city. and correspondingly easy OF accr-
| TO Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington At.
rate he has leased the house TO one OF the b,
hoUl men In the country, Mr. f. A. GElett
| terms that Will enable that successful manager
snow the world what can be done in the way
mated that there are now 40, 600 annual visitors
the Satskllls, and with the improved facilities T.,
reaching them offered by the opening or the West
Side road this number VIII be doubled
THE NEW "wESr SHoREn RAIRoan
by invitation OF the railroad and hotel owners O
party OF newspaper men, representing leading
papers In New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and
washington, TO the extent or about n hundred
came up here yesterday over the new "New York
| west Shore and Buffalo railway" just opened 10
| the Catskills. The Washington ana Girtimor,
guests were entertained handsomely at the Colon
made hotel, Philadelphia, Friday night 10y Mi
GeoTSe Harding, and Saturday morning they with
the philadelphia press men, were taken I'm cherCe
by Mr.. VIM. W. Harding, OF the PHILADELPHIA Ia
Qutrer, and ushered 10 luxurousy provided parlor
cars FOR the trip TO New York over the Pennsyiyo
MIA road. AT Jersey City the party was a1tncd
Dy one New aorkers and the train, consisting OF
bullet car, amply supplied with approved eatabl
ana drlnkableS. turned from the Pennsylyani
road upon the tracks or the .'West Sider road an
commenced the ascent OF the Hudson by this pe,.
ana picturesque route. Railroad up the we
Side OF the Hudson has been talked about for manr
years, out owing TO the expense and difficulties or
construction nobody seemed inclined To tackle the
JoD uhtli lately, when a company was formed
men-Gen. Horace Porter and others-and fms,
one year ago the work OF building the road wa
opened for irsve sHeh energy that IL Is nov
direct OBJECT OF the Pullman company in buildin.
u ,ne p1 ~ Is, OF course to run their sleeper
by vanderbilt on his road the other side or the
| river That they have built the road 10 hold and
not to sell is shown by the thorough manner or its
construction. Railroad men say IL is the best con-
structed new road for travel I'm America and tue
experiences e. OF the newspaper men who came over
III M hnFr p,-v
Railway travel,-rather justified this claim ON
some portions OF the way the speed was at the
cepble jar or oscillation TO distinguish 1t as new
road. 1t is in fact a superbly- doube-track
sUone-ballasted, heavy steel-rail line and II Is
hardly necessary TO add that the cars for The mas
senger traffic OF the road are handsome and com.
portable, as the road will cater largely Tor that
| class or custom
NOT vANDHRBmrs ROAD
A story has been afloat that Vanderbilt had
goooed up this road, but this is dsproyed by the
fact that Vanderbilt undertook recently 10 pre-
vent the passage OF the Pullman sleepers OF the
West Side road over the Delaware & Hudson
Canal Co. railroad IA connecting link or both the
Hudson river roads TO Saratoga on the ground
that he had an exclusive contract for running the
wagner sleepers over that road. The d. a H.
Co., however, refused TO admit his claim and con-
sequently the Pullman West Side men Will run
Their sleepers all the way 10 Saratoga
| FROM WASHINGTON TO THE CATsKILLs AND SARATOGA
The opening OF this West Side road affords an
opportunity, Inat is likely 10 be largely improved
for Wash1ngtonans to reach the Catskflls or Sara
toga In short days ride and without change OF
cars Leaving Washington by the $3.50 morning
train. passengers will reach Saratoga at 10 D. m:
ana the Catskills some hours earlier. They thus
avoid the trouble and delay OF the transfer through
New York city.
Up THE HUDSON.
Leaving Jersey City, the West Side road takes
its way up the valley or the Hackensack the view
presenting nothing OF special picturesque interest
until the train energies from q short tunnel near
Haverstraw, when a magnificent view OF the lake
expansion OF the Hudson, the Tappan Zee strikes
the eye The road now passes along the side OF
High Torn mountain. q hundred feet above the
Hudson. and from this point all the way TO Kings.
ton It skirts the river, and affords fine view OF
the most effective scenery In the famous High
lands OF the Hudson. 1t is remarked that the views
obtained from the west side are inner on the whole
than those from the other side OF the river AT any
rate they are new TO most tourists and give yari.
ETY. TO the rather hackneyed Hudson river pro-
gram. II Is also noted that the west side Is the
shady side at the time OF the day, noon and after
when the travellers up the east side get the
oppressive glare OF the sun at its hottest
champagne lunch hereabouts gave enchant-
ment TO the view. At West Point the train enters
q tunnel tlrpe-Ouarters n mflp long that no ooaa