The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-17

the way of drink that the world produces,
and the Kitchen will furnish anything you
are willing TO pay for At the Mills you can
get meals for s. 10, Is, 20 and % cents, and al
the way up TO 80 cents, but the speciality
will be ten and fifteen-cent meals. Ten cents
for a breakfast, 10 cents for lunch and 70
cents for dinner with a. five-cent cigar after
dinner while you read the papers, and ~
cents for ROOM makes the expense 10 cents
day for every comfort man can possibly
need which averages about 50 week You
can pay for your meals and lodgings in ad-
vance if you choose, by the week or the
month, but there is no reduction in prices
After the hotel gets fairly running some re-
duction may be made for permanent board
ers, but all corners will be treated alike at
present.
There are laundry privileges at the Mills
Hotel as we'll as at the Astoria, only at the
former they will not do up starched clothes
You can make an arrangement, however, 70
have your Sunday shirt and collar done up
outside at little more than cost price
/ did not find terrapin or broiled breasts
of spring turkeys with truff1es on the bill or
fare at the Mills Hotel, but you can get
mighty fine Irish stew with onions In IL Ior
cents that is just exactly as good ana
plate of hash or corn beef and cabbage Tor
the same price. The Mills Hotel is not run
for charity any more than the Astoria, al
though it is the first attempt ever made IN
the United States to provide comforts and
cleanliness for workingmen at low prices.
Both hotels are commercial enterprises az
though the men responsible for them do not
expect TO derive any proflt from the invest
ments. 1t is not reasonable for the Astors
to expect dividends from a S15,0OOOO0 hotei,
even at the prices that will be charged
there and Mr. d. o. Mills did not erect his
model hotel for workingmen with any idea
of adding to his already great wealth. Both
he and the AStOrS are actuated by the same
motives-by pride and public spirit ana a
desire to erect monuments by Whlch tnelr
fellow-creatureS may remember them. Ihey
are mixing beneVOlence with business. AT
the same time there is no more intention OF
giving people free lodgings or free food at
the Mills than at the Astoria The patrons
of both places are offered accommodations
at certain prices, but they are expected to
pay for what they take. Mr.. Mills has fur-
nished q beautiful, wholesome and comfort
able home for men of small means at rates
he believes that it would be an injury IN
stead of a blessing to make it free. IT would
destroy the object of the undertaking. 1t
would encourage deadbeatism and pauper-
pendence, his individuality and his self-re-
spect. A workingman in New York or from
Chicago or any traveller can ride up to the
door of the Mills Hotel in the street cars
or on the elevated railroad write his name
in the register and call for room on the
fifth floor or the seventh floor, as happens
to suit his fancy and pay for 1t. just as the
rich man can ride up to the Astoria IN a
carriage and ask for a room that meets ms
taste If they cannot get what they want
they can both go elsewhere but the one
is under no more obligation to Mr.. Mills
than the other to Mr.. Aston. and that is the
spirit Mr. Mills desires to stimulate in the
workingmen of this country, for he was
once a workingrnan and knows how it is
himself. Everybody who admires progress
and fine architecture and likes to boast
about the United States being at the top
side of nations ought to be grateful TO both
Mr.. Aston and to Mr.. Mills, and for SINH
lar reasons, and will be if they inspect these
two hotels.