National Republican., 1885-03-04
OLD POINT COMFORT.
A POPULAR WINTER AS WELL AS SUMNER
WATERING PLACE.


OLD PoINT COMFORT, Feb. 26.-"Wel-
come to Old Point Comfortl Hope you
arc comfortably settled" These words,
accompanied by cordial grasp of the
hand, greeted me as presented my card
to the jolly, warm hearted, even-tem-
pored, good-natured proprietor of the
Hygoia.
Interview me2 Pshaw can't tell
you anything you don't already know.
Step up to my private office. Excuse me
one moment till 1 send message to these
troublesome mechanics, and I'll be with
you." AS ho seated himself at his desk
l had an opportunity Of observing him
more closely. A compact, heavily built
man, little above the average height,
apparently between AZ and As years old;
large, well-shaped head, round, pleasant,
full-bearded face, with faint suggestion
of Grecian ancestry In its outlines;
clear, penetrating eye, yet always wear
ing tho kindliest expression, Harrison
Phmbus at once impresses one az a man
born to be a leader among men.
81 Am told that you have been making
some improvements recently; may in
quiro the nature of them? The last time
l was here, about year ago that was, l
thought your hotel then about as near
perfection as could be-"
THAT reminds me of time when was
foolish enough to think the same thing.
In the early summer of '76 Just after l
had completed what we call the long build.
| ing. / sat out upon the break water in front
of the hotel one pleasant evening, view
ing the what l then called vast structure
in tho moonlight, thinking of the many
hard days labor and more thousands of
dollars IL had cost mo, and asked myself
Is there anything more that l can do to
make the place more perfect, and the an
swer came, nothing. had accomplished
all that was possible. and could now sit
down and fold my arms so far as any more
building operations were concerned; since
| that have added $50 rooms and expended
more than $300,000."
what portion of that amount this sea-
SOM"
Fifty thousand dollars"
Indeed! In what way?"
Part of the time / have been doing the
work of the Improbable servant digging
into the ground and hiding my money;
that Is to say, l have been at work behind
the curtains, as it were. The building.
where the kitchen and offices are have
both been rebuilt from the ground up and
newly equipped. In the Kitchen have
added new ranges with immense ventilat-
ing hoods, coffee and tea urns of the latest
patent, steam and carving tables, i'm.
proved the water and steam connections
laid galvanized corrugated iron over the
walls and ceiling, and done everything M
intelligence suggests to make the culinary
department of the Hygeia as perfect in al
its details as possible. AS for tho i'm
proyements have made in the main office
gentlemcn's reading and smoking roomi
and parlors, briefly stated, / have enlarged
remodeled, refurnished, retrimmed, repap
cred, redecorated, and recarpeted thes
apartments, using tho best ma
terials obtainable from the largest estab
lishments in New York, Philadelphia
and Baltimore; glazed $4,000 square fee
of sash with cathedral, antique, opal
escent, and polished plate glass in thu
windows along the front of the apart
monts named, the dining rooms, an,
the pavilion, and built q new banque
, hall 30 by 20 feet, which is perfec
1 model Of architectural beauty; set il
cherry panels and frames in various poi
, tions Of tho house over 1900 square fee
+. Of best beveled-edge mirrors; laid acres Q
I Wilton and brussels carpeting; sprea
: hundreds of gallons of paint, kalsomin,
varnish, &C., introduced the Semen
regenerative gas burners into all IN
public rooms and halls, and, in fact, spare
Q neither pains nor expense to make th
I Hygeia the most complete establishment
4 Of its kind to be found anywhere"
). How have you built up your winte
4. custom?"
For the first five winter seasons los
( in keeping up my establishment as ws
o necessary to meet the wants of my wir
ter patrons, from $1,000 to $4,000 eac
= year, but, as the acorn grew to the oal
r. success attended my efforts. and as hui
:. dreds and thousands OF people run dow
by overwork, physically or mental
who needed the pure air, pleasant su
r roundings, agreeable companions, who'll
: some fare and comfortable accommod
" tions which the place offers have four
>, here tho healing balm they sought,
>, u feel that my labor has not been in vain
- What are the prospects for your ear
70 70 spring business?"
. "Neyer brighter. We have more el
"a "a gagements for this month and Mare
III than ever before, and / have reason
believe that my fondest hopes, q hou
7. overtlowing with people by the middle
le March, will be realized. The Hygeia W
IN mover in SO perfect shape, nor has it ev
offered to its patrons half so many facil
ties for com fort -