New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-23
THE BRUNSWICK TO CLOSE.
PROBABILITY THAT THE FAMOUS OLD HOTEL
WILL BE TORN DOWN COMPETITION OF
THE NEWER HOTELS TOO MUCH
FOR IT.

night. and 1t Is more than likely that Ii Will be
dismanted. Josiah H. Baker. who was ap-
pointed receiver OF the hotel on January %,
after a struggle to compete with the newer
houses has given up the contest, and yesterday
said that it would be impossible to keep the
house open any longer. lie announced TO the
guests that all must seek other quarters by the
end Of this week The trouble has BEEN" said
Mr. Baker. yesterday. that the rent has been
too heavy. The hotel stands upon ground that
Is owned by several estates, and the landlords
contend that IL is the finest hotel site in the
city. facing. as it does. Fifth-avc. ard Madison
Square. We do not deny this. but we contend
that the values OF the building and of the
ground long ago parted company. so far as
hotel purposes were concerned. l made what
considered fair offer to the landlords | Of
fered to pay them rent for the months Of
July and August. and then to pay one-half rent
Of what we have been paying the last few
months from September To June |. 1897 The
entire rental has been $1,000 year This has
been excessive. and were hardly able 10 pay
e-half OF It. The landlords to
think they do better than they doing AT
present with the property. and We shall close.
Our old guests and our help have been loyal. and
it does seem too bad to turn them out
A HARD TIME OF IT.
The Brunswick has had q precarlous existence
Of late As far back as lSNJ the hotel had
monetary difficulties and February g. 1Ssj,
the hOtc, firm. then Mitchell & Kn2ler. made
assignment: to 4. u. Southgate. The firm
subsequently became Mitchell kinzler d South
gate. Mr.. Southgatc some time ago drew out
and devoted ali his attention To the Auditorium
Hotel. in Chicago. In January. when Mr..
Southgate drew out. the firm asked flr tho APP
pOintmcnt II receiver and Josiah II. Baker
wac named. MI Baker saw that It essen
tia 20 get the rent reduced lie has been keep
ing the house going on the hope that pur-
chaser might be found Three persons opened
negotiations. but nothing could be carried
through Tho ground is owned ~ the Lott
mer estate. Baroness do Sci'llere. formerly En-
ma r. Llvermorc. the estate q \ Gerald Hun.
Alexander ". Hume Thomas Hume. and the
estate Of J0eiah VI. FIske. Two suits are pend
Ing The lot at Fifth-ave. and Tweniy-slxth-st
VAS leased - tho Hotel Brunswick Company for
a term of POO years Tho owners 4 the proper
" are now trying to disposs"sa the company
upon the ground that the rental has not been
paid. The lease ia cousilere. - he worth So
900 Mr. Baker says that hc viii hoi on - the
lease as long ae possible. aui VIII mt iet ~
| until the courts decide against him. The second
/ sui: was brought hv Mr Baker against tho
! Farmers Loan and Trus, Company and Henry
! Zahn t. declare a mortgage = $lonuOo invalid
| on December II. 1894. the hotel company is-
| sued n cha'tel mortgag - the Farmers Loan
! and Trust Company 20 sccur" Slh"p. IN re-
| turn for witch all the furnitdrc 4 the hotel and
| other appurtenances were given as 7ocurity. as
well as the lcases on the property. The ass"r-
ton IL made that corporation cannot mort
| gage ali - iis personal property ard Mt more
than two-thirds ~ is real estate. AMI tho nlii-
| ;.onal claim IS made that the mortgage was
| never recorded. and s. IS ouilawen The contest
over the lease "a the corner property ana tho
attempt to have the $4,000 mortgage de-
ciared invalid will hc kept up.
FAMOUS HOTEL
Tho Hotel RriInsrirk is one x the most famous
| hotels that the ctl,has ever had. In 1872 james
| Mitchell. on. of 'hc proprieton4 of the Hoffman
| House. conceived the idea 4 making hot"'
that should eclipse any in the city. lie selected
! as a partner a practical man. Francis kinzler.
who was the head f the culinary department "i
the Hoffman House and who had done much 10
hiring 70 a hirh standard the cuisine - New- York
hotels. Moreover Mr.. Klnzler had comforiahl"
hank account I, ass,ei IN the venture. Mir
Mitchell and Mr.. Kinzcr had jointly about
$1,000 The old Hotel Brunswick was
| J,
ing II into the greatest hotel of the time. EX-
| Comu,lssl lner Van Wort and y. ". B.anch be
came special partners in the firm.
The oh hotel enlarged - that It com
! prised the full frontage from TWeniE-sNth 10
! twenty -scvcnth-st Mr. Mitchell died On De
cernher J. 1889 but his widow retained h's IN,
tcrcst In extending and eIuipping the h9'el
Si1oooo was expended Ihe par ann ,a' an1
| came famous at once. pnd the iurnlshhss anu
| decorations = the lining and ball rooms were
greatly admired After good business had p''h
secured Mr. Knzler, confident OF Us pennam'".H
pad each Of the special partners H""o"" ana
| took their stock For time the plac" was p"pu-
lar with society people. nnd many iorcisn'fS
stopped there. Many fashionable balls. ETC. were
| given there. and Mitchell x klnZicr were rd''u
at $50OOO0 by Brads'rects
"BrLLY" MGIORY's NIGHT.
One evening" when the rejuvenated hotel was
| in The full flush Of prosperity mild-mannered
man Of ministerial appearance entered, ana en-
ragcd the lower ballroom floor for eject party
Of friends" AT . =. m. thirty coaches arrived
They were crowded with women. young ana "Id'
in dccollete costume who blew tin horns smoked
| cigarettes and sworc IN iIesier-st dialect whic
rushing through the cafa and throwing oranges
at every in sight The mid-uanner"d man
appeared with the select party, and ahh"""'-
irg himself as Billy" McClory Uhe then notorious
concert hall keeper. said that nothing was 700
good for him and his friends An offer OF Slooo'
II IL soid was made to MctilOry to take his party
away but he declined. The unwclcome guests
sat down TO "A dinner which had been ordered
by McC;lory before hts identity was known lhcE
remained at the hotel Til sunrise ana theil
| streamed bOstcrously through Fifth-ave. toward
| their homes I'm the East Side slums. with their
departure the prosperity Of the BrunswicN began
| TO Wanc.
Every effort made 10 regain lost ground
but other hotels were Opered and business d.
,ded The closing of the hotel has long been
anticinated but many Of its oldest guests have
retained their apartments through all It's vcissi-
tudes A. GOdchaud who Is known 10 almost
every hotel man In the country, has been con-
nect.d with the house for twenty years and
has stuck TO It IN prosperity and adversely. Mr.
Knzler. one Of the original members Of the firm