St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-24
Minnetonka's Glories and Pleasures Will
Soon be in Full and Radiant
Bloom.
Preparations Made on Every Hand in
Anticipation of an Unusually
Profitable Season.
changes In the Notes.-The st. Louis
and the Chapman House
Changed Hands.
Steamboats, Already Commencing to
lsun--One That VIII Observe
the Sabbath--No tes.


tonka, the excursion which will go to that
summer resort to-day will doubtless attract
many people from both cities. The occa-
sion Is TO be the opening of a series OF con-
certs TO be given by the combined bands of
Seibert in st. Paul and DAM in Minneapo-
lis, the combined forces numbering sixty
pieces. The train will leave st. Paul at
$3.50 and Minneapolis at 10 a. III. The
Hotel Lafayette, in whose pavilion the con-
cert will take place, will be thrown open
and there Will be steamboat excursions on
the lake. The season proper will not open,
however, until June 10 or until real hot
weather becomes an established fact.
Very few people are at, the lake now,
for the summer. Those who are here, or
a majority of them, are engaged
in repairing, building or furnishing
houses. to make them ready for occupancy
when the season does open. None OF the
hotels are open, the boats, with the eXcep-
ton of the Star. are not out of winter quar-
tiers, while transient visitors are very limited
in number. Leading residents, those who
have watched the progress of events in the
past, predict a prosperous season from July
to Sept. 15
Word has been received that Chicago, St.
Louis. New Orleans and other cities East
and South will contribute largely to our
summer population. One party OF 200 ST.
Louis people will camp and occupy cottages
at Spring Park. and at all the leading hotels
applications for rooms have been numerous.
THE ATTRACTIONS
about the lake were never greater than they
will be this year, and with a material re-
duction in the expenses OF trip to this, the
most charming and delightful of North
western summer resorts, there is no reason
to doubt that this season will be the most
prosperous one known in the annals of
MinnetOnka. The quiet of to-day is in
striking contrast to the gayety. whirl and
exciting activity that July will bring, but
there are charms at Minnetonka which
even lifeless and prOSy surroundings can
neither efface nor dim. Were all the cot
tages and hotels blotted from its shores
it would still retain its beauty and would
attract many hundreds of pleasure and rest
seekers. who would renew and revivify life
and action amid the hooks and corners of
big Waters shores Her resources are
boundlesS, her beauty is unrivalled. her
charms are not to be resisted, and Mime
tonka will continue to bold what she has
been accorded in the past, the title, Queen
of Minnesota Waters"
THE HOTELS.
No radical changes in the management of
the lake hotels are expected this season,
with the exception of those at the Hotel st.
Louis and the Chapman house. The for
mer has been conducted by Messrs. Scudder
& Haynes OF the Lindell hotel, st. Louis,
for several years. but Dame Rumor retires
them this season and gives the position of
manager to Hon. Charles Gibson. A,
number of Improvements are contemplated
about the hotel and grounds, not the least
important being the removal of the railroad
minneapolis & ST. Louis) depot nearer the
bridge-from which guests will be taken to
the hotel by steamer, instead of by carriage
as formerly. The house help will be cared
for in new building to be erected. and the
upper rooms formerly occupied by them
will be converted to the uses of guests. An
elevator will be put in before the house
opens, and it is fair to presume that the ST.
Louis will continue to be as successful as it
has been in the past
The Chapman house, at the head of the
lake, is being retitted and refurnished, and
will be conducted by George A. Slater of
the Slater house, Excelsior. Mr.. Slater is
one of the best known of Minnetonka Bon
faces, and that he will make the Chapman
popular resort goes without saying. Hon.
ID. c. Bell of Minneapolis and party of
friends opened the house for Maj. Slater
last Tuesday, and enjoyed capital dinner.
THE HOTEL LAFAYETTE
is being painted, the color being olive Mr.
Mehl has secured the services of Mr.. jew
EFT Wilcox to manage this magnificent pal
ace hotel. and he will be assisted by an
able and efficient corp of officers. At the
Lake Park there will be no change in the
management of last year. Mr.. Mcintyre
will have charge, and Mr.. McCafferty will
act as general superintendent.
At the Excelsior house some changes in
the methods of work will be made. About
$500 will be expended by Mr.. Wait in
identifying the grounds and adding a res
taurant pavilion. During the season din
ner will be served at 6p. H. instead of 1890
p. m, as in former seasons. 1t is believed
that this innovation will be very popular.
l.. B. Stetson is building twenty room
hotel, on the bluff, above his ''Blue Line"
boat house. 1t will be ready for occupancy
about June 20.
The smaller hotels and boarding houses
are being renovated and prepared for the
visit of the tourist and summer resident
with greater attractions than ever before
THE STEAMERS.
The only steamer now making regular
trips about the lake is the Star, recently pur-
chased by Miner Ball, Esq. the well-known
capitalist. prohibitionist and real estate
dealer. The inaugural trip was made Tues
day, May 10. with one hundred passengers
on board. Mr.. Ball proposes to run the
Star for pleasure rather than any great
profit obtained at the expense of the former.
Each Tuesday and Friday during the sea-
son excursions will be made from Minneap-
oils. over the Minneapolis g. st. Louis road,
to Upper lake, with popular rate of 81 for
the round trip. If the competition isn't
lively for lake business among the smaller
boats it will not be the fault of Capt. Ball
He will allow his employees rest each
Sunday, the announcement being made that
the boat will run only six days in the
week. ''I'll demonstrate to the people
that "a boat can be made to pay
on the lake. without breaking the Sabbath
day, and hope to be so successful this year
upon this plan that others will follow my
example In succeeding seasons" The boats
of the Navigation cOmpany's fleet will not
make their appearance for week or more
The Belle and the City will make their mi
tial trips for the season about June 10,
while Col. McCrory's steamer. which is now
receiving a coat of paint is expected to en-
ter upon the seasons work about the 1st of
J une.
G. V. johnson of Wayzata has built a
$500 steamer, Seventy-five feet long. 1t
will carry fifty people.
The steam yacht doe" is now the prop
erty of Fred c. Pillsbury of Minneapolis,
who. having purchased Dr.. Goodwin's house
at Excelsior, will be prominent resident
this summer.
IN THE BUILDING LINE.
Business in the building line has been
very brisk since the close of last season, and
the many elegant cottages and business
blocks that have arisen to adorn the lake