Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-08-26
i Thousand Dollars a Week
EXPENDED FOR THIRTEEN WEEKS ON THE
| IMPROVEMENT OF STAUNTON's

OAAA
nibusses of the Virginia Hotel made pro-
cession up Main street, and with their
four horse black team and four-horse gray
team, attracted general attention. One OF
these buses was just turned out that day
from J. M. Lickliter7s Staunton factory,
and IS fine piece of workmanship in every
respect. On the panel of the door is pic
ture of ''Spot" a pointer dog, who, during
life, was familiar to the guests Of the hotel.
It was painted from a photograph, by
Rowzee.
The turn out Saturday afternoon was, in
a manner, a celebration of the finishing of a
very arduous work-the renovation and re
modelling Of the Virginia Hotel, a task
which enterprise, good judgment and good
taste have all been brought to aid. On the
the 1st of April Councilman J. G. Scheffer
bought the Virginia Hotel with the view of
making new one Of it and putting it on the
footing of a 6rst-class hotel. 1t was well
built, roomy house, but with appointments
and conveniences long out Of date and
everything needed change. The problem
to be solved, was to make structural
changes, put in new furniture, new carpet
ing, new bath and toilet rooms, electric
bells and everything, and yet keep the hotel
running. About thirteen weeks ago the work
was undertaken and since then a thousand
dollars week has been paid out for work.
Some part of that time night shifts of
workmen were at work by the electric
light. Carpenters, painters, plumbers and
paper hangers have had possession of every
floor, and last Saturday the work mny be
said to have come to complete finish.
While the workmen were busy the buyers
were equally busy. The entire old fitting
Of the hotel was bundled out and sent to
auction and everything was bought new
furniture, table ware, linen, silver,
so that the 'Virginla'' might make
thorough start as anew hotel
The expenditures on the work footed
up last Saturday to $4,000. After
Mr. Scheffers usual style he paid as he
went, and the receipts of Staunton mer-
chants and workmen have been increased
that amount-for everything was bought
from home men or ordered through them.
On Saturday representative of the VIM
took note Of the renaissance, for it is as
thorough new birth as he ever saw an es-
tablishment undergo.
The exterior of the building has been re-
painted and Alhambra hoods placed over
each window as sun projections for summer.
20 4Lo ;o%o L o1c
painted and every room handsomely repa-
pered, On every floor the halls are carpeted
with Brussels and in every chamber is the
same carpeting. In every chamber there is
new suit of antique oak funiture-bed,
wardrobe, dressing case with large mirror,
lavatory stand with mirror, chairs, rock
ers, oak hanging racks for clothing, SC.
The beds are hair mattresses on steel
springs. Every room is lighted with gas,
and has an electric call with return call
so that the Office clerk can notify the guest
that his call is being attended to. And
every room has inside blinds of Georgia
pine.
On the first, OIL Office floor, are five cham
bers fitted up for the use Of commercial
travellers with folding tables for the exhi-
bition of their goods, and on what is called
the ground floor are three rooms fitted up
exclusively for the exhibition of goods by
commercial travellers, and lighted with gas
and electric light. The proprietor seems
to have made a speciality of providing for
| this class of patrons. On the Office floor
also are two rooms not excelled in the State
for beauty and convenience. One is the
dining room. 1t has a steel ceiling Of
French gray, hydraulic fans, lace curtains,
inside blinds Of Georgia pine, a buffet
twenty feet long by sixteen in height with
mirror extending the whole length; ten
| foot square mirrors at the other end of the
room, chairs of antique oak and glittering
supply Of silver ware. 1t is lighted at
| night by "a gas jets springing from the
| iron pillars that support the ceiling. The
parlor is a model of luxury tempered by
good taste. Its carpeting is of Brussels
and the furniture of antique walnut richly
upholstered. The heavy, solid gas fixtures
are of gilt and the room is set off by gid
ed mirror 10 by - feet. A most import
ant part of the furnishing to the feminine
guest is grand piano.
On this floor also is the lavatory and
toilet room, one of the most complete and
perhaps, the most expensive in the South
1t is a novelty in that only marble, slate and
silver plate are used in the furnishing.
The room itself is cased in hard wood, set
diagonally, and the ceiling is OF the same ma
terial with heavy moulding.
The second floor (they number floors in
this hotel from the office floor, that being
the first) like the rest of the building has
everything new, the furniture even down
to cuspidors is new. This floor has
the same antique-oak furniture which pre-
walls throughout the house and the same
Brussels carpeting both in halls and cham
bers. The beds are models Of luxury. On
this floor has been introduced a ladies bath
room beautifully fitted up and having hot
and cold water. The gentlemen's bath
room is on the ground floor and is also open
for the public. On the third floor the ap-
pointments are similar to the other two.
The food department has undergone as
much change as all the others. The kitchen
has been remodeled, new steam table, bake
oven and range introduced. The old wash
house has been abandoned and the work
transferred to steam laundry.
In short, it has been made a new hotel,
one Of which Stauntonian may speak
with pride when he gets abroad. The re-
suit, even in so short time, is apparent
and the Virginia is now the centre of more
Southern and Western travel than it has
had for many years.. In the enterprise
shown, Mr.. Scheffer has had the hearty