The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1885-05-06
DuRHAM'S ATTRACTIONS
Not tlhe least are its Hotel AC
cOmmOdatfons.
THE HOTEL CLAIBORN.

commentator
THE HOTEL CLAIBoRN.
There be hotels and hotels. 1t
doesn't please guest of a hotel to find
that there is priority of occupancy"
as regards his room-the average
traveller is willing to pay for what he
gets, but he insists upon getting what
he pays for. and it is only reasonable
that he should.
We all know what the average
country hoteP' is Durham is but
country town, it is true, yet We know
that We can boast of a hotel that
eclipses any in the State. Such an
assertion is broad one, and yet we
know it to be true, and for the bene-
fit of the travelling public the Re-
coRDER today finds something to say
both of the Hotel Claiborn and of its
proprietor
This is. we may here say, the only
hotel in Durham. 1t fronts the rail
way track, and its broad verandahs,
its cosy office, its inviting parlors and
its especially attn active reading room
make it type of modern hotel.
Its proprietor is Mr.. A. j. Ruties,-
a Hollander by birth, and man who
has been connected with hotel keep
ing all his life. a personal comment
or two will not be out o. placeain this
connection. Mr.. Rutjes is yet in the
prime of life, but for all that he has
been identified with his present bust
ness for forty -one years, beginning it
in Europe, where he learned the pro-
fession of a cook, especially devoting
himself to pastry work. Upon coming
to the United States he became an at
tache of the old John Howard Hotel,
then in the zenith of its glory, but he
soon after determined to come South,
which he did in the capacity of cook
on the steamer 'Northener," plying
between New York and, Charleston,
sc. Arriving at the latter city he
was variously employed and finally
became landlord of the "Mansion"
House, and during his long residence
in Charleston Mr.. Ruties was caterer
to nearly all of the first families of the
South-scarcely a wedding, christ
ening or reception was complete un-
less he had provided the menu, and he
and his corps of trained assistants
were recognized institutions" WHEREBY
er festivities reigned.
OF course the war between the
States disrupted all business of this
kind and Mr.. -Rutjes found his way to
the Pacific, coast. He did not long
remain there, however, but, a born
cosmopolitan, found his way to New
York, and in 1871 we find him land
lord oftwo of the most aristocratic
houses of that city, the "Lennox"'. on
Fifth avenue, and the "Wellington,"
corner OF Madison Avenue and AID
street. At the same time he was pro.
prietor of an extremely fashionable
summer resort, the "LennDx," at
Greenwich, Connecticut.
Fifteen years ago Mr.. Rutjes came
to North Carolina and located IN Ra.
leigh He leased the Exchange" a
small hotel, and made success of it
While keeping it the owner of"Blair's
Hotel. made him a proposition to
rent it. "Blair's" was not paying ex-
penses, but from the time Mr.. Ruties
b came its proprietor, notwithstanding
the rents were enormous, he made it
successful; changing the name to
National he made it one of the
first hotels of the State.
Less than one and half years ago
Mr.. Rutjes came here to take charge
of Durham's only hotel. He found it
dirty and generally in a condition to
deserve damnative adjectives which
every traveller heaped upon it. He
undertook the work of putting the
house in good order. He Lad it re.
painted, papcred and refurhished. He
instituted order and system, where be-
fore had been just the reverse, and he
has made the Hotel Claiborn the best
house in the State of North Carolina.
That is a broad assertion, but we
mean it, and We challenge any paper
in the State to contradict the assertion
After spending a great deal of
money in making Durham's only
hotel habitable, Mr.. Rutjes looked
after the luxurious comfort OF his
guests. He has made the various de
partments as attractive as can be,
and there is one feature about the
hotel that no other in the United
States possesses. e. a. library, we'll
stocked with the newest publications,
for the qualification ofguests. To bet
ter obtain an idea of the Hotel Clai.
born we may say that it fronts 200
feet or more on the railway in the
basement of the new addition are
elegantly fitted up sample rooms for
commercial travellers, the lavatory,
bath rooms. with hot and cold water,
water closets, the: billiard room g
Brunswick tables the buffet, etc.
Upon the first floor are the Office,
sleeping apartments, reading room
and library, the kitchen, wonders
fully cosy dining room, and the hotel
appurtenances generally that one
wonld expect to find upon the ground
floor. a. =
Upon the second floor are the par
lors, rooms en- suit, single apartments,
&c, and we especially notice how
tasty and elegant are the finishing
and furnishing of these rooms. The