Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-01-22
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
a Great Rotel and Its Proposed Rival.
People Who patronize Such AoSe
telries-Cooke's Grave.
Especial correspondence.l

j
New York city is we'll supplied, 1t
would seem to be hotels. Still. If one
is to put any value upon the opinions
of those persons who have money to
invest and have more of it after each
investment, there is room here for more
palatial hostelries. When the gorgeous
Waldorf was built and the public heard
of the heavy charges made for accom-
modations there, it was freely predicted
that either the prices would have to be
reduced or the proprietor would be
ruined. The prices were not lowered,
and the proprietor made money. In TACT
the Waldorf was such success and
there was such constant demand Tor
rooms which it was impossible to meet
that it was decided to enlarge the build
ing. This was done by building the AS
toria and consolidating the two under the
hyphenated title Waldorf-Astoria, IN
honor Of the Astor family, who own
the property. The Astoria is really about
twice the size of the Waldorf and
dozen times as elegant. The walls be-
tween the buildings were broken down
sufficiently to admit of free access be-
tween them, and it is i'll fact as Well as
in name one establishment now.
Built to Make Money.
This was the acme of imbecility to
the people who have no money and are
vet good enough to instruct those who
have earned millions how to acquire o
few more. Mr.. Boldt, the proprietor,
these compassionate folks declared, was
the victim, and an unwilling one Mt
that, Of the Aston greed If he had not
taken the lease of the Astoria, the multi
millionaires would have run 1t in oppo-
sition to the Waldorf and thereby killed
his business, when the way would have
been open for consolidation OF the IN
terests and the successful bulldozinG OF
some weakened manager into taking
the two places and going resignedly on
to his ruin. OF course all this was the
most inane rot. The Astoria was built
because Mr.. Boldt thought he could
make money with it and asked that he
be given the opportunity to try. That
he was right is amply attested by the
fact that the Astoria has been practical
" full ever since the day il was thrown
open to the public.
Where Do They Get 1t?
Now it is said that syndicate is to
build hotel here which shall eclipse
the much Wanted splendor of the
Waldorf Astoria The runor may have
no foundation in fact, but then. again,
there is no more reason to doubt it than
scores of other hotel rumors nearly every
one of which has proved to have been
based on reality and to have been backed
by the cold cash. But here is where
the wonderful and inexplicable part OF
the thing comes in. Where do the peo-
ple come from who fill these ultra ex
pensive and superfashionablo hotels?
Where did they live before these palaces
were built? How many more OF them
are there, and, to sum 1t all up, when
is the limit to be reached in this city:
The new ones do not seem to injure the
patronage of the others either One pro-
prietor told me the other day that he
welcomed the announcement that more
hotels were to be built His idea is that
so many persons inspect what he calls
these "show places" that their minds
are upayoidably directed toward hotel
life, and as they cannot afford to try 1t
in establishments like the Waldorf-As-
toria they are obliged to go to the less
expensive houses. These latter have I'M
itated their colossal rivals IN the matter
of providing apartments en- suite and
so arranged that one can have all of the
comforts of housekeeping without the
annoyances. This has induced many
elderly couples whose children have
grown up and married to adopt hotel
life, and surprisingly large percentage
of tins patrons of the most popular and
respectable hostelries outside Of the
"show places will be found to be per-
sons who live in this city and have be-
come tired Of housekeeping.
The Grave of TraEedien Cooke.
The attention Of Beerbohm Tree, E.
S. Willard, Henry Irving or any other
English star is called to the condition
of the grave of George Frederick Cooke
in St. Paul's churchyard. The last rest
ing place Of the once famous English
tragedian shows signs of neglect. When
Edmund Kean visited this country IN
1924, he visited the grave of Cooke and
found it marked by q wooden slab bear
ing the name and age of the tragedian.
Kean at once ordered the pillar and Oh
the south side had the following in
scription carved: Erected to the mem
DRY Of George Frederick Cooke by Ed
mund Kean of the Theater Royal, Dru-
ry lane, 1924" Then followed this
couplet:
Three Kingdoms claim his birth.
Both hemisphercs pronounce his worth.
Twenty-Five years later Charles Kean,
son of the tragedian, came over on
starring tour and also visited the grave.
1t was in need of repair, SO he ordered
it to be fixed up, and on the north side
of the pillar had inscribed, Repaired
by Charles Kean, 1916. -
First Visiting Male English Star.
From that time until 1874 the grave
was practically neglected. E. A. Soth-
ern, the wit, practical joker and all
around good fellow, came over IN that
year and straightway hied himself to
St. Paul's churchyard, where he gave
the necessary orders, and the east side
of the stone bears the words, Repaired
BY E. A. Sothern, 1874. -
The west side Of the pillar is still
blank, hence the gentle reminder to the
English stars.
For the benefit of the rising genera,