The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-04-26
THE NEW HOTEL PROJECT.
iNTEREsTlN THE SUBJECT AGAIN
SERIOUSLY AWAKENED.


miller. Loais Cooker, Frank ID. hiil'
Charles y. wingo. >. Thompson Brown
and T.. n. johnson.
The communication in THE TINES, about
70 month ago. has caused renewal Of the
discussion about The new hotel prQiect-a
project that has existed as far back as 1884,
when Maioi james Bryant, very public
spiritcd man. attempted Sc engineer it. lie
became hopeless after raising about
/ $4,000 and gave up the attempt In
1884 Mr.. Norman y. Randolph picked up The
thread that had fallen from Major BrYants
| fingers and started alone 20 raise money lof
the purpose Of building "a hotel. lie had %
leave for New Orleans on important busi-
| ness and when be- returned 90 the city hc
found that one Of the largest stock subscrib-
an. had Withdrawn his support from the
scheme. and this caused 20 halt ln IL. Later
ON "A meeting was held. 40 which General
Joseph r. Anderson presided. to,consiuef
the adyisability of Che hotel scheme.
/ Major Lewis Ginier and other
enicrprising citizens were present, and
| Norman y Randolph was made chairman
Of 20 committee 90 DO The work OF raising
| funds 3lr. Randolph hy persistent effort.
succeeded in securing about $1,000. li
S2OO00O could have been raised, the commit
| Zee would have commenced the WORK 40
practical building, hut This amount could
bot be maiorializcd. and another failure
was chfonicled.
THE DRAWBACKS.
Major Randolph said yesterday that Che
serious drawback in the way oiraisine this
money was the agreement upon site. The
failure 90 90 this threw every thing into con-
fusion. and caused the scheme 90 miscaIft.
! Tie said that. in his opinion. ihc best thing
10 do was first 90 agree upon a site. ana
| That while Doc had "rcliTcd from The hotel
business" he would advise as The best step
first tO bee taken. 90 secure an option ON
site. and them ask for subscriptions. Then
people would know what they were sub
| -cribing i0I. and would not Doe throwing
money in ihe air, NOT knowing whore 30
would fall.
MIR. MiILER's VIEWS.
Mr.. Polk Miller recalled the fact that go
one time 49,. james y. Pace consented Co.
build "a hotel f0 cost $4,000 on the site of
] the old su0tsNo0d Hotel. 10 T@,Om could ie
raised 60 pay him for the ground. "N Il
raised $lDNlu" said Mr.. Miller. "hut wei
never could reach the other three thousand.
"What 40 YOU think Of am attempt Tod
build an uptown hotel now ~
-Betfol one uptown than none at alI.
said Mr. Miller. "lut ! think The h'ei
place for "a hotel would have been
-ite The idea is this: Suppose
ID drummer calls % see me, and tells nt
fhat he has line of goods az % downtown
hotel. Why ] tell hiH / can't go 10 sen
| ihom. IRE brings them 10 me Will look
ai them. but can't lind time 10 leave ml
! business and GOO out of my way 20 look az Dds
samples. n tho hotel was at Monroe Park,
d 'I'HH. N.I.H..
ON iir-f-class principles. with board 40 $40
or SIS per day there, would attract wealthy
residents. cause them 90 break up house
! keeping and board there. IL would also
entico class of visitors that do not stop
here now. because they can't BE accommo-
datcd.'
SPEAKS PLAINLY.
Mr.. Louis Booker was found at his Office.
"Whai DO YOU think OF building rev ho-
telt7
at is badly needed, hut it viii never Doe
built because there is too great a lack OF
energy here. oar people take it out do iaih-
ing. They know the need of hotel. hui it
seems that it is "a need that is cultivated.
There are plenty OF SITES but tine trouble is
% get the hotel started. We are behind any
city OF like size i'm the Union in this respect
and ! ann afraid likely 90 remain so Tor
some time"
MIR. HILL HOPEFUL.
-Richmond can build new hotel-onc
mp o. the requirements Of the day. All that
| has been lacking has been public enter
prise" said Mr.. Frank ID. Hill. at is use-
less 90 start until You get am option ON %
piece of ground suitable for % site. That is
| lhe first thing. Get the press Co help the
matter. and then press for money. The pa-
| pcrs have done good work in This matter
and the people can't complain that the ne-
cas.ity for the work has not been fully set
forth. / feel ashamed when ] go to
places like Buena Vista, Salem. Roanoke.
| Newport News and other places that have
| lately sprung mp. and see how iar ahead OF
| MS tine men are ln matters OF public spirit.
just the other day ] came from Salem with
au order fora contract for "a fir-t-clas- hotel
there. The business men raised the money
at once. and The b9lel Will be am attraction
To- the place ] believe that our people VIII
! take hold of the question in earnest now,
and that the hotel VIII be built
MIR. WINCO's IDEAS.
For sound business acumen. mo- man in
Richmond outranks Mr.. Charles T.. Niugo.
Build q hotel: Yes. it can he done, aud DO l-
bound 20 be done. sooner or later. ] ktOn
DO would DE "a valuable addition 90 the city.
| Do is something we need. ] have been talk-
mg 90 my friend k. A. Powers about the
matter. been thinking about DO
great deal, and trying TO devise some
means by which the thing cam
Dee done. ] meet with great many men
from lhe North. and l hear their view,
about our hotels, and ! ann sorry % say.
that they are hy mo- means ilatDring. ! r0-
call personal cases that have come under
my observation in which Richmond has
been a great loser hy reason Oi lack
OF proper hotel accommodations. The
/ question is serious one. and
something should Doe done. The pres
idcnt 90 the Cotton and Grain Exchange
| the president of the Tobacco Exchange and
the Chamber of Commerce should call Inject
ing-. and take steps looking 90 the purchase
| of land for "a Site This is one idea that ha,
occurred 90 me. / am certain Of one thing
thlt IT. there is an organized and persistent
effort made the hotel can Dee built 10 viii
DE q great thing for the city.
MR.. BROWN.
81 am very busy" said Mr.. }. Thompson
Brown. "and wish ! had time TO talk t0 you.
/ can say, however. tnat / am certain that
the hotel can Doe built. and ! ann equally
certain that when built IL will pay. ihc
need of one is apparent. The public wants
one. Travellers would stay with MS longer
and come oitencr d. there were acceptable
| stopping places. Look at Winston. Blue
field. and scores of places that ouistrp u-
i'm thl. respect. When y0u write about
hoom-. give Que 90 the new hotel idea. lt
will take here. There is tAeprtiie-i sort OF
field for Che project, and DO BIS going 90 take
root and grow
TIE PUBLISHER.
81 have once before tried to -oi the po0-
pie of Richmond Interested iu plan iD
build ueW hotel" said Mr.. p. T.. johnson.
"und so Gar from being discouraged. ! aH
perfectly willing now i0 give all the as
,isilucc in nay power % ihc effort 90 secure
for Richmond what really think is "a direct
necessity. 10 is mienabie that the city b.
neglected hy the travelling public 0n ac-
count Oi poor hotel accommodation. that
cannot Dee concealed hy sounding names. !
| think the Chamber of Commerce ought t0
call meeting and take hold OF the matter.
| Meet monthly or twice a month. IL neces-
sary. aud never give up until success is as
siued."
MANCHESTER MATTERS.