The Somerset reporter., 1900-06-07
The Gerald,

The elegant Fairfield hotel, 1.-THE
Gerald, has been opened to the public.
The beautiful hotel was used for the
first time, Saturday evening, when a
complimentary dinner WAS given by Mr..
| and Mrs. w. j. Bradbury TO Mr.. and
Mrs. Gerald. Mr.. Bradbury, who will
manage the Gerald WAS formerly one Of
the towns most popular business men
| and has been connected with Mr.. Gerald
in several of his enterprises during the
past year or more. ale has managed the
| Opera house for several years and last
season had charge of the entertainments
at Merrymeeting Park. His many
| friends all over the State have no doubts
as to his success as landlord OF the
| Gerald. The dinner, Saturday evening,
proves him and Mrs. Bradbury to be
royal entertainers.
| Mr. Gerald has for years been In the
| the front rank in business enterprises in
| Fairfield.
| He was one of the prime movers 10 the
Waterville and Fairfield Electric rail-
way, the kennebec Worsted mills, the
development of water power for electric
purposes, etc. He is sole owner OF the
| Opera house, which is one Of the finest
of Its size in the State. Besides these
| larger enterprises he has carried on
many smaller ones and has made sue
cess of them all. In the hotel he has
given free rein to his taste for the
| beautiful and has spared no expense in
making the building complete in every
particular.
| The general style of the building is
| that OF the Renaissance. 1t is built OF
pressed brick with elaborate trimmings
of terra Gotta. The building is four
stories high with q graceful tower on
each front corner, each having panel OF
| Cupids In terra Gotta at the freize. In
the center, a large tower rises above the
others ending in dome.
| The ground floor Of the building Is de-
voted to large and conveniently arranged
stores.
The hotel occupies the three upper
| floors and Is reached by broad and
easy stairway from the street. At the
| top Of the stairs to the right is the office
in the northeast corner of the building.
| The dining room is one of the finest 10
Maine. The ladies parlor, is large and
| beautiful room. The private dining
complete as money and good judgment
can make it.
An easy stairway leads to the sleeping
rooms on the two upper floors. There
are AZ of these, each having a private
bath room and telephone by which the
guest can converse with anyone in the
house. All these rooms are large and
we'll lighted. The plans are made for an
elevator In the rear of the house for
freight and passengers. The hotel Is
elegance itself, throughout, ref citing
great credit upon the owner and builder.
The hotel was thrown open to the
public, Monday morning at s. O'Clock.
At noon, dinner was served to nearly 200
people. Almost every part of the
country WAS represented at the tables
during the dinner. Every travelling man
who knew Of the opening (and few OF
them did not) and who could arrange his
plans was present. 1t is estimated that
at least 1000 people passed through the
hotel during the day.
In the evening, the attraction was
grand concert and ball In the Opera
house with banquet, during intermis-
sion, at the Gerald. There was an ex-
cellent attendance at the ball and 1t was
thoroughly enjoyable affair.