Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-24
A NEW HOTEL.
A Few Facts that are Well Worth Con-
sidering.

NEW YORK, April 21.-Edit0r Morning
Ne'os: l have just returned from my
usual winter residence in ThomasvIlle,
ga. l first went there with my friend,
Mr.. Andrew }. Dam, of Astor house
fame, four years since, and on our way
we stopped few days in Savannah.
Mr.. Dam came to this city twenty-six
years ago, poor man. He leased large
Doardlng-house on Union Square. and,
after alterations and improvements,
opened it as the "Union Square hotel"
AFTER few years Mr.. Palmer, the
proprietor, replaced the old house
Dy the present new and beauti-
Iul structure, which was leased to
DIR. Dam. About Is years since the Astor
mousse "falled". Mr.. Aston had it remOd-
eled inside and added many improve
ments. There whre any number of APP
pllcants for the lease, and finally Mr..
Astor selected MIR. Dam, giving him
I-years lease for $4,000 a year. When
this lease expired it was renewed for
9oO,OOO year, and this has two years yet
TO run, When Mr.. Dam first took possess
sion he had the great rotunda arranged
INTO an immense restaurant, where 1000
people are fed every day. MIR. Dam told
me That the bar paid more than the ree-
taurant. Ever since this house was
VPCHSu uhueT MT. Dam manage
ment, it has paid $50, 900 a year above all
expenses. Four years since. Mr.. Dam,
at an expense of $2j0,000, erected the
Hotel Dam and connected it with the
Union Square hotel. These two houses,
or rather one, as they are connected TO-
getner, have made money during mid
summer when many leading hotels in
New York were running behind.
Nearly a year ago DR.. Dam died, leav-
ing fortune OF over 100000, nearly all
OF which he had made in hotel enterprises.
The Piny. Woods hotel at ThOmasyille
was constructed after plans he suggested.
! nave been thus particular in regard
to the career of Mr.. Dam in order to show
the soundness OF his judgment in regard
TO motel enterprises. When l first went
South with him, four years ago. we
stopped few days in Savannah and Wis
tied the various attractions in and around
the city. Mr.. Dam remarked that the
great want of Savannah was a large and
'tirst class hotel;" that if such house
was constructed, thousands of Northern
people, considering the city of such easy
access and the many attractions in and
around 1t, would make it their winter
home. He said (and heard him repeat
1t over and over again to friends that no
hotel enterprise in the country was more
sure to return larger income on
the investments that if he had
the money to spare, he would
not hesitate to take 100000 OF
the stock. The judgment of such man,
with such an experience, is very safe to
follow. He said that if such a first-class
hotel in Savannah, accommodating from
800 to 1000 guests were constructed, it
would be filled every winter by wealthy
Northern families at 81 per day. These
might take occasional excursions to
Florida, but Savannah would be their
base.
During the past winter the Piny
Woods HOtel and the Mitchell house at
ThOmasville, have been filled to overflow
ing; and 1t was said that more people
were turned away than was sufficient to
fill another large hotel. Yours, ETC.,
G. Q. COTTON,
10 Cooper Institute New York,