New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-17
looked the noble Hudson and its constantly chang

looked the noble Hudson and its constantly chang
iEg panorama.
out in the stream lazy schooner is trying 10
stem the ebblng tide. with scarcely enough wind
to keep a stationary position; putting tugboais
with long trains Of scows and barges, are taking
advantage OF the tide and moving down the river
The water is dotted with small sails everywhere
and although the busy city is in plain v.e" mere
everything Is quiet and serene. squirrels chlrp IN
the branches OF the chestnuts they gather their
winters store and birds sing roundelay at sun
rise.
The hotel already mentioned Is modern In every
sense. The large light and airy
broad hall extends from en>/o end on the second
floor. The paror. receptZM-room and d'h'hs-fooih
are everything that cq,N be wished. There were
electric bells through4It the house and 1t was all
thoroughly and uxuriously furnished on III"
northern and most unpleasant portion OF the hotel
is a barroom and thereby hangs a tale.
TIE present gloom and decay Is due to too much
prosperity In this barroom. Beer-anl Sunday
beer at that-frst drove away respectabiity, then
brought murder and at last caused suicide 10 the
temporary financial prosperity which IL had
brought with It. At last the name Fort Lee has
become a synonyme for scenes OF sunday Deer
guzzng and carousng OF the most disgusting KIND
placs made famous and historic by the patriots
OF the Revolution has now been made notorious
By a glass OF SUNDAY beer And set in spite OF
The fact that the hotel IA visited BY rough gang
of drunken loafcrs almost every sunday afternoon
in pleasant weather. IL has been Impossible 10
efface the natural beauty Of the place
True. the lawns are now unkempt ana rough
the shrubs have become a mass OF scraggly under
brush the trees untrimmed. the gravel walks
full OF and rubbish, and the hotel has be-
gun show signs OF decay. But the view Is sim
there the sycamores are just as stately as ever In
spite OF their dead limbs the squirrels are just as
sprghtly and the birds sing just as sweeuy at
dawn; and when the moon rises over the city ana
casts its rays tho ripping waters OF the HUDSON
the scene from the hotel veranda Is just as en-
trancingly romantic as OF old.
The recent history OF this particular spot - In
teresting No one who Is familiar with the beauties
OF the place will doubt the wisdom and good tasie
OF the men who invested their money In palatial
hotel Ii had all the elements OF superb summer
lis A sail OF thirty forty minutes up the liud-
son from the downtown portion OF the cry was
And It proved. For a time IL prospered Bath
ing floats were built, and the incoming tide made
we're , snsay Drncd %o a. b forgotfeH was the
nincent view with which the trip was rewarded
se Tns my IN ppaar ana s4
convenient TO the city that a sunday crowd be
Cold beer in the barroom at about the time.
Nothing loath to increase hs receipts from ms
Sunday crowd grew so large that II was obnoxious
to the better class OF guests and they gradually
| began TO seek other summer homes Apparently
more money could be made from Sunday beer than
from Sunday dinners. and the manager, feeling the
loss of trade In direction, encouraged the beer
business and the hotel became more and more the
resort for a rough element. IL was not long before
| the respectable people remained away entirely.
Finally "A point reached where the bar trade
was practically the entire business OF the hotel
But that increased each season Then II became
so large that the thirsty ones would stand eight
and ten deep before the bar large part OF Sun
day afternoon and evening. Disturbances were
Inevitable Fights were OF frequent occurrence and
| finally a murder the result. Then the sluggish
morality Of the resident community was aroused.
| and the liquor license was taken away from the
hotel
That was its death knell. from financial stand
point The respectable people had been driven away
| long ago, and without the bar trade the hotel
| could not be profltably. One or two managers
struggled along with It for time, but they all
gave up in despair. and the hotel has been closed
| for three or four years With the closing OF the
| hotel everything began to 80 to decay. Attempts
| have been made to establish II on a respectable
basis again. but It's reputation was too bad to at
| tract levehcadcd managers. and those who wanted
| to II in the old way could not secure license.
Decayed planks and posts are fast appearing.
| broken windows not repaired and there Is a
general air of decay about the whole place.
Vendors Of hot frankfurters fresh-roasted pea
| nuts and lemonade now hold supreme sway. The
rcspec liability of the place has gone. probably never
| to return. What was once and is yet intrinslcaly
q fine property has been turned into n beer-garden,
rather II has become too bad for beer garden.
| and is merely place for Sunday loungers.