The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-06
The Douglas Avenue" TO Be-
come The Orient"
OLDEST HOTEL
New Century Will See 1t a
New Hosiery.

a newly WeOQed WiuCWs VIII COAiO S1@| -
spIendent in new dress and a new
name. In letters of gold '"The Orient
viii fash upon the eyss Of the belated
travellers hunting a place where the sons
of men can lay their heads.
A few weeks ago Mr.. George Murphy
leased The Douglas Avenue" from Tim
Lane and released the hotel portion OF II
70 Captain c. M Heath Of Ponca CITY,
who will be the new proprietor. MI
Murphy has retained the west Eoom'
place historic in Wichita
CAPTAIN Heath for many years was
sheriff of Marion county. After he tired
Of official life he opened a hotel at h
Dorado, and later opened The Oxford
at Ponca City. o. T.
Yesterday a little army Of carpenters,
locksmiths, plumbers, painters, uphols-
terers, paper hangers and Tenoyators
were found in the hotel depriving it OF
articles of garniture that inspired the
reporter of a quarter Of century ago
to spread its "palatial'' fame TO the four
corners of the earth.
1.-THE Douglas Avenue IS what might
be called the Oldest living" hotel in
wichita and one of the most historic in
the state It preceded the Occidental by
two years and f1ourished while Judge
Tucker was still shooting wild ducks
where the Manhattan now stands. The
site of the Carey was still a wilderness
and the Metropole wasn't thought Of.
There were two hotels before 1.-THE
southe[- Neace to its ashes), which was
burned to the ground more than twenty
years ago, and the fremont, which is
now a private residence. 1t was at the
Southern that Judge HattOn and Dick
Cogdeu stopped when they first came to
Wichita and when Vic Murdoch first
opened his eyes in Wichita, and was I'M
mediately vaccinated, it was at THE
Douglas Avenue"
About a decade ago the fremont was
moved from its ancient moorings on
Douglas avenue to the second block on
South Fourth avenue, and 1t afterwards
came to pass that South Fourth"
name not unknown to fame in the darker
annals Of Wichita, was named after the
venerable old hosiery.
THE Douglas Avenue" was built by
Fred Daily in 1872. In its architecture
one can learn something of the topOg-
raphy Of the primitive town. 1t was built
on stills, and the wayfarer even unto
this day can observe that the first floor
Is a foot or two higher than the side
walk 1t was built high and dry. ac-
cording to the advertisements Of the day
for at that time there was water in the
Arkansas river, and whenever a food
came down the river became social and
spread all over the town. A toll bridge
spanned the Arkansas and the price be-
ing high cattle were swum across the
river. Hundreds of them could be seen
around the Douglas Avenue hotel shak-
ing the water off their sides.
The original hotel was Of amazing
height, three stories, but a fire. eight
years ago, reduced the lumber material
in it so that it was reconstructed as
two-story house, and it remains that
way today.
Shortly after the hotel was built Tim
Lane became its proprietor and it is with
his name "The Douglas Avenue" is most
associated. He began by put
ting in a swell writing desk-one Of the
kind that was 50 largely used some year..
ago for town observation-disclosures its re-
mains are still in the Office, a rather
gruesome looking thing that might be
likened unto a monument TO local com
mercial Institutions long since dead. P.
Il D. Cleveland and his famous livery
stable have long since vanished from
Wichita, but the name IS perpetuated in
one Of the tablets Of the sad looking old
.T- ;,
Tucker and John NJ Allen were associ-
ated together IN the grocery business; /
that John Fisher was an early minion
Of the barb wire trust; that Ben AIdrich
had the finest perfumery and toilet arti-
cles in the city; that George Matthews
the father OF Dr.. Matthews was in the
drug business, and that the late J. II
Alley sold the finest cowboy boots in the
west At that time, as well as now, cap
Ital was audacfous as well as arrogant.
AS II defying time itself. It pre-empted
the face Of the clock and demanded a
tribute Of 3 per cent per month. The
clock IS stTl running but the Lombard
Mortgage company" has long since gone
into the hands Of a receiver-fron which
fact a very apt moral might be drawn.
The old Mosler safe that gave security
to the jewels and money Of the guests
IF long ago IS stin in the same exact
spot in which &c was placed twenty-eight
years ago IT has contained in its time
more than a million dollars in hard cash l
and diamonds galore. Ona night q rich
,sttleman got drunk and desired to paint !
he town Tim Lane succeeded in TAX
ng SSoo0 from him before he started out.
Next morning the cattleman said 10 him:
Tim, 7 would Ike % borrow 500 7 vas
touched last night for about s. oo0. and
want enough 70 90 home on" He was
pleased when Tim opened the safe and
gave him his sea
Al another tine when 4 Temporary
military carp was in Wichita. Mr.. Lane
found an officers pocketbook contafrirx
a large amount Of money. TIE officer. (
who was boarding at the Richey house. /
,harged chamhermaid with s-ealinr 70
and had his soldiers ready n demoTish /
he house when Tim lane heard of the /
AFFAIR and gave the Officer his pocketbooE /
IN condition that h would get down On 4
his knees ard apologize 70 the chamber /
maid. which he did
AZ one tine Col Green. who usa5 70
7wn what IS known - Green's Island 4
farther up The river role into IRE
Douglas Avenue" on horseback one a. .
.ernoon and signed his name in the regis f
Ter without 6ismountfue He also regis 1
cred his horse Afesr doing this. Col .
Green rode his horse into TIRE har room +
md remained n the sadie whua he and 4
he crowd drank 70 the health ard Isnr
fa ~ Hfz --~z4- r+naa
The real interesting histo-v o. '"Taa .
oougsss Avenue~ c;inrs % the -oo-n a. .
IELL-0. THE NEW DESSERT +