The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-09
HOTEL JERMYN OPENING
Large Police Detail Necessary to
Handle the Crowd.
BY THOUSANDS.
Nearly 81. .oOO. 900 Represented In Land.
Building and Furnishings Interior
OF Elegance. Luxury and Comfort
Owner Is Compllmeuted.

Owner Is Compilmsated.
A crowd estimated to contain between
5000 and 10000 persons pulled. hauled
and scrambled about the Spruce street
entrance of the new Hotel Jermyn last
night from to 10 o'clock. At o'clock
the magnificent caravansary was
formally opened. and after that hour
the crowd that surged about the en-
trance was composed of men and wo-
men who had taken advantage Of the
announcement that during the evening
the house would be open for public in
spection.
1t was. the largest crowd Of well-to-
do persons that ever congregated In
this city on like occasion and II took
the hotel management almost un-
awares. although Proprietor F. $. God
frey and the police had expected a
moderate crush. 1t required all the
tact and patience of Chief of Police
Simpson. Captain Edwards. Lieuten-
ant Davis and twelve patrolmen, as
sisted by several OF the employees, to
guide the thousands from the Spruce
street entrance to the second or parlor
floor. to the third floor and then down
the stairs and out through the lobby
and corridor to the Wyoming avenue
entrance.
OWNER WAS CONGRATULATED.
John Jermyn. the owner of the struc-
ture. was in the lobby near the Office
throughout the evening. He was kept
busy shaking hands with hundreds
who complimented him on the possess
Sion OF the $50O.O00 structure and his
nerve in making the great outlay
Apparently no person was more pleased
with the hotel than was Mr.. Jermyn
himself. and to those who remarked
that his was a rather risky venture.
he replied that the risk was his and he
had no fears as to the result.
Proprietor Godfrey was no less an
object for compliment which he re-
ceived from scores OF acquaintances
who were more than warm In their
praise Of the magniflcence and Law
ishness which were apparent In the
furnishings and equipment from the
basement to the roof. A million dol
lars, 1t Is. believed, is very close guess
Of the value of the land, building and
contents.
II. A. Wells. Of New York city. was
the first to attach his autograph to the
register This occurred at s o'clock in
the afternoon, and following his were
written the names of william A. Pat
ten. New York city; Mr. and Mrs.
George l.. Breck and George w. Breck,
Scranton; william c. Parker, New
York city: ]. ]. Burke, Scranton, and
Mrs. and Mrs. l.. r. Stone, Scranton:
in the order named. At l o'clock this
morning the names of registered guests
filed three pages. The permanent
Scranton guests are: c. II. Zehnder,
a 90 kn "a ptssr
Ing company; Mr.. and Mrs. L. r. Stone,
George Miller. ]. ]. Burke, L. A. Bar
nett, Mr.. and Mrs. George L. Breck and
son, Major Quimby, Mr. and Mrs. Le-
beck, Mr.. and Mrs. G. NJ. Carpenter,
Mrs. Catherine f. Wilcox, Mr.. and Mrs.
j. r. Cohen. George Kingsbury.
Breakfast this morning will be the
first meal served in the house. The
hotels transient rates are from 50. so to
SIS per day; table board costs S35 per
month, and $50 per month Is charged
for one Of the smaller single rooms and
board.
FAVORABLE COMPARISON.
1t would be impossible to give a real
ly Intelligent description Of the mag
nificent interior. its arrangement and
furnishings in the restricted space Of a
newspaper article. Such description
however seems deserved by Mr.. God
frey's and Mr.. Jermyn's venture. for 1t
has given to Scranton splendid hotel
which In its equipment, cuisine and fur
nishings will compare favorably with
what are generally designated first
class houses in the largest cities of the
country.
The magnitude of the property and
large amount of money required to
maintain 1t may be inferred from the
fact that its employees number over a
hundred, that 1t has $50 guest rooms
which will accommodate double that
number Of patrons and that 1t Is the
only hotel property of Its kind in the
state, excepting Philadelphia and Pitts
burg. Other Pennsylvania cities of the
same, or nearly Of the same, size as
Scranton possess what are advertised
to be modernly constructed and mod
ernly arranged hotels. but they are no
more to be compared with the Hotel
Jernyn. than to the biggest. best and
most elegantly furnished houses of
Philadelphia.
The air of luxurious comfort and ell
bow-room which exists throughout the
building Is impressed upon one when
first entering from Wyoming avenue or
Spruce street. From the doorway OF
the former entrance to almost the Oak
ford court side of the structure Is a
long wide corridor, which opens to-
ward Spruce street into lobby much
larger than the entire ground floor
space of the avera ge- sized mansion. In
the corridor Is the cigar and news
stand and a window opening into the
Postal Telegraph company offices. The
office and cashiers desk are situated
in the lobby next to the corridor. and
distributed about this roomy lobby
space are leather finished loungine
chairs and settees. At the Spruce
street or ladies' entrance is small
ladies' reception room.
BAR AND CAFE.
Across the corridor from the lobby
are the reading room. the bar and the
billiard room and cafe. The last two
apartments are connected. Mahogany
has been used in all the woodwork OF
the bar and cabinet, and beneath the
latter and running nearly it's entire
length are cold.Storage compartments
traversed by cold air pipes. The gener.
al style Of the bar suggests unusual
richness and stability.
Inspection Of the second floor, which
contains the dining room and parlors
as well as number of sleeping rooms
gives one an impression or eleganC,
even greater than is shown on the low.
er floor. The dining room furniture l.
Of mahogany polish; its silverware Is
of exclusive and artistic design, ana
the whole apartment indicates ease ant
luxury, especially when Illuminated b,
the hundreds Of incandescent lights
which dot the ceiling and pillows
Opening from the dining room and or
the Spruce street side Is a late-breal,
fast and private dining room, an apart
ment containing four small and on,
large table and which may be uset
privately.
An ottoman or Turkish parlor which
will be used for lounging and smok
ing, is located next the breakfast room
It's oriental carnet, rich and heavy
draperies. dense cushioned furni
ture are thoroughly in harmon,