The Helena independent., 1890-11-30
Another First Class Hotel Added ia
the Capital City At
fractions.
Expense Not Spared to Make the
Hostlery a Credit to
the State.
From Basement to Roof 1t Has BAen
Rebuilt and Refitted-The Results
of Careful Inspection.

Next Thursday, Dec. 4, another Hr6t-class
Helena hotel will be thrown open to the
Montana public, and for some time to come
there will be no ground for the oft-repeated
complaint that Helena's hotel accommoda-
tions are not up to the city's growth. Last
July the work of rebuilding. renovating and
in fact the making of new house. was
commenced at the old Merchants site, and
after five months of steady work the task
is about completed. So thorough have been
the changes that old patrons will scarcely
know it as the same place-and all the
changes have been for the better. Money
has not been spared either in the altera-
of those thoroughly acquainted with the
hotel business have been used, 80 that the
resort is gem of a house-one in which
the comfort of the guest ana smoothness in
running have been amply. provided for.
The new Merchants will have double the
capacity of the old house, two stories hav-
ing been added, while the Brown block has
been joined to it, and will be hereafter
known as the annex. The new house has
121 rooms, with accommodations in case of
a rush for 25O guests.
The Office, which has three entrances, is
fitted up in California redwood with
har dwoOd floor, and contains besides the
usual office fittings, q telegraph department
for the convenience of guests. just back
of the Office is the billiard and bar room,
also finished in California redwood, with
new billiard and pool tables. while the bar
and sidebOard are among the handsOmest
in the state. All the glassware in the bar,
as well as that throughout the house, is
marked with the name of the hotel. From
the Office there is an entrance to the dining
room, large and we'll lighted apartment,
capable of holding larger banquet party
than any yet given in Helena. The floor of
the room is OF inlaid hardwood, known as a
parquet floor, while the furnishings are of
oak. Back Of the dining room is the
kitchen-one of the most, If not the most,
complete of any in the northwest. Here,
as else where in the house. everything is
new, and from the big ranges, of the latest
and most approved make, down to the
smallest utensil. the same idea is apparent,
adaptability and convenience.
Down in the basement are two big boilers
and an Atlas engine, used for heating the
hotel and driving the dynamo for lighting.
Here also are the dining rooms for the help
one for white and one for col0red. There
are also in this portion of the house re-
frigerators and ice houses, for the storage
of the perishable supplies which it is nee
Returning to the Office, just off the clerks
desk, is the entrance to the barber shop, in
the basement, which has been fitted MP
With all the latest improvements in the
tonsorial line and is by far the handsomest
pf the barber Is % shop Is ' the toilet rooms lea-
joining the main entrance on Warren street
is that for ladies. leading directly to the
elevator. Here also ls ladies'
waiting room, handsomely carpeted and
furnished. The changes made in the
house are nowhere more apparent than up
oko i've Tho ho1lu all ui%E VIII
ton velvets, while moquettes and brussels
are used in the bed rooms. The reception
hall on the first floor 10 an elegant affair,
while the main parlor. carpeted with Ak
minister, reflects great credit on the person
who selected the furniture. Al the rooms
supplied with heavy and handsome oak fur
nitnre, and all the mattresses and springs in
use were made on special order. The result
is that no hotel in the country can provide
its guests with more comfortable beds than
can the Merchants. Another point in fa-
dark room in the house; every guest room
has an outside window. Still another point |
is that every room has either closet or all
wardrobe, something unusual even in the |
big eastern hotels.
The new part of the main house is sol
shaped that all the rooms on each side of
the hall can be thrown together, or can be
arranged to be used singly or en- suite. i
In the annex the eAlne elegance is seen as |
is displayed in the main building, and in |
going through one cannot tell which part |
he is in. In this portion particular atten-
mercial men, with the result that the boys |
will find no cause Of complaint when they
want to display their samples. Five large
rooms have been set aside Tor their use, and |
the number can easily be added to if occa- |
sion requires. In the annex basement is |
Ah AhoD ISs,sAH o1l ho
proved labor-saving appliances.
One thing which strikes the visitor par
ticularly is the preparations which have |
been made to take care Of large number
of people. There are duplicates of almost
everything in the house, while. in addition |
handsome folding beds, there are large |
number of them placed at convenient
points, go that in case OF q rush, q big crowd |
can be taken care of easily and conveniently. |
The house from top 10 bottom is lighted
With electricity, while every room viii have
overlooked which q frst- class hotel should
have and Helena people may now refer
with pride to the Merchants, and recon- |
mend it to their friends, with the assurance
that it will more than meet expectations.
The improvements have becn made and
company, with C. l.. Vawter as president,
John G. Vawter secretary and treasurer,
C. A. Dresser ice-president, and Dresser
d Rohrbaugh managers. MIR. c. L. Vaw-
ter is too we'll known to the Helena and
Montana public to need any introduction,
while John j. Rohrbaugh, who will have
charge of the Office, is known to the travel
ing public through his long connection
with the Grand Central. Mr.. Dresser will
see that the guests have the best to eat
there is in the market and look after that
most important part Of hotel, the buying
and the dispensing. The rates will be from
$3.50 to - a day, with special terms for a
week or longer.
Take it before breakfast"
Leather Goods