The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-16

w. T.. Curtis. in Chicago Record.
The two largest most costly ana
complete hotels in the world are to be
opened in New York this month. one
of them is situated in Bleecker street,
near Broadway, and the other at the
corner Of 5th avenue and Gath street.
One-the Mills hotels ten stories
high, 200 by 100 feet in size, cost $l,Ooo,-
OOO has 1854 lodging rooms, 200 bath
tubs, $50 wash basins and II dining
room in which $50 men may sit down TO
meals that will cost them from to 90
cents. The charge for lodgings Is ~
cents a day. The baths and wash bas-
ins, with plenty of soap and towels,
are free.
The other is the Astoria on the site
of the old Astor mansion, adjoining the
Waldorf and under the same manage
ment. In fact, the two Will be prac-
tically the same hotel except that VIII
liam Waldorf Astor owns one ana John
Jacob Astor the other Archways are
cut through the party walls upon every
floor. There is to be only one ONCE,
one kitchen and no division anywhere
except in the rent and taxes The
Waldorf Is thirteen stories hiGh and
cost over $5,O00,OO0. The Astoria has
seventeen stories available for guests,
two for kitchens and storage under
ground and three in the mansard roof
and towers for servants. 1t cost over
s7000,000. One million dollars more is
being expended in furniture, in addi-
tlon to similar equipment of the Wal
dorf which cost $500,O0O. Thus the two
hotels represent an investment of near
ly $15,00OO 900. Together they contain
l. hot hs n n
175 with parlors or sitting rooms. There
will be 1,275 employees, more or less,
on the pay roll. OF these 125 will be in
the kitchen, 45O in the dining rooms, 200
chamhermaids, 100 bellboys, and clerks,
cashiers, laundresses, porters, engi-
neers, mechanics and electricians make
up the rest, including full orchestra.
One man will have nothing to do but
look after the clocks, and that will keep
him busy.
THE BALL ROOM.
The new ball room in the Astoria is
100 feet square. without a pillar and
three stories high The banquet room.
or the Astor gallery as they call it,
will be 100 by GO feet. The two are
considered the finest rooms of their
size in the world. No palace in Europe
contains any so beautiful The dining
rooms will seat $50 persons without
crowding, which is 200 more than the
Mills hotel can accommodate, but
everything at the Mills hotel will be
lust as neat and wholesome and the
proprietor intends to serve as good
coffee and bread for cents as one can
get at the AstOr for 25 cents. There
is considerable difference in the prices.
At the Mills hotel the charge is uni
form--20 cents a day. At the Waldorf
and Astoria the cheapest room will be
$3.50, and the rates will run all the
way up to $50 a day or more. The beds
are just as comfortable at both hotels,
and come from the same factory. At
the Astoria the beds are made of brass
At the Mills they are of iron. Both
have similar wOVen-Wire mattresses,
with hair mattresses upon them. At
the Mills the hair mattresses for single
beds weigh twenty-nne pounds and
the blankets cost 500 a pair by the
gross. There are two pillows, one Of
feathers and one of hair; the sheets
are of the finest Utica mills cotton
and the Counterpanes are spOtless
white. At the Astoria the sheets are
linen, and there is a bolster instead Of
an extra pillow. There is IA velvet car
pet on the floor, also, and various beau
tiful and expensive pieces of furniture,
couches and easy chairs. and in each
of the sitting rooms there is a piano.
All you get in the way Of furniture at
the Mills is a cane-bottOm chair, two
shelves, a row of hooks and a rug on
the floor before your bed.
OTHER CONTRASTS.
The rooms at both hotels are lighted
with electricity and heated with steam,
the ventilation is perfect and the
plumbing is up TO the limit of sanitary
science. Both have all the necessary
elevators, and, being built of steel,
stone and fire brick, are as near fire.
proof as modern architecture can be.
The marble stairways and Vestibules
are as white and las handsomely carved,
the oak trimmings are as highly poll
ished at the Mills as at the Astoria,
and the actual comforts are as good
in one house as in the other; the only
difference is in what we poor worms
call luXuries.
At the Mills hotel there is a beauti-
ful library and two reading rooms, 30
by 200 feet each, one of them for smok-
ers, and pipes as well as cigars are
permitted. There are smoking rooms
at the Astoria also but pipes are for
bidden, and you have to buy your
books, magazines and newspapers at
the news stand, while at the Mills they
are furnished free.
No liquors are sold or allowed at the
Mills. At the Astoria you can get
anything in the way Of drink that the
world produces, and the kitchen will
furnish anything you are willing 10
pay for At the Mills you can get
meals for 5, TO- To- 20 and 20 cents, and
all the way up to so cents, but the
speciality will be 10 and Is cent. meals.
Ten cents for breakfast, 10 cents for
lunch and 20 cents for dinner. with a
scent cigar after dinner while Won
read the papers, and 20 cents for a
room, makes the expense 20 cents a