Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-01-04
BELLOWS FALLS NEWS.
TOWNS HOTEL CLOSED.

j. G. Ullery of Brattleboro Plans to
Remodel the First Floor into Three
stores-Feeing of Regret in the.
Village.
The prominent theme of discussion
the past week in business and social
circles has been the closing of Towns
hotel to the public, as is supposed
permanently on Tuesday morning.
Should the closing prove to be per-
manent it is a serious blow to the wei
fare of Bellows Falls in many ways.
J. G. Ullery of Brattleboro the new
owner. took possession that day,
f. L. Houghton of Putney, who was
interested with him in the first ar
rangements for the trade, having
withdrawn, leaving Mr.. Ullery the
sole owner.
He feels the rental of the house as
a hotel should yield him an income
of $4,000 per annum, instead of the
$4,000 to $500 for which it has been
rented in the past No one could be
found who would take the chances
at that rental, and it was closed as
stated. If present plans are carried
out the first story will be remodelled
into three very desirable stores, two of
which have already been rented and
there are numerous applications for
the third. Although these are all
extremely desirious locations and will
rent we'll it must be at the sacrifice
of other locations which have been
good enough, and the same number
of merchants we have had in the past
year or two, can make better profits
where they are, than with the addition
of three other stores in competition,
even if they themselves secure a
slightly better location. 1t is pro-
posed to change the second story into
office rooms while the third and
fourth will still be kept for lodging
purposes.
Efforts have been made to Sc if the
citizens and business men would not
guarantee the amount of rent asked
as hotel rather than have it closed,
but such effort met with poor success.
The local paper this week casts some
reflections upon Mr.. Ullery, which it
would seem were uncalled for it be-
ing a purely business matter with him,
and he has right to handle his prop
erty as he sees fit, and to his greatest
advantage, independent of public in
terests. Had it been generally UNI
derstood the property was for sale it
| is probable some local man, with local
| interests. or combination of local men,
could have been found who would have
been pleased to take the property at
the price paid.
For the present the most of the
boarders are retaining their rooms
in the house and taking their meals
at the Rockingham.
The hotel has done the largest bust
ness during the past year in its his
tory, it being well filed at all times,
and extra cots have been placed in
the parlors a large portion of the time.
A large number of regular boarders
have been kept, and transient patron
age has been very large. The embar-
rassment of Henry E. Bowtelle, the
| lessee of the past year does not seem
to be from poor business, nor is it
clear whether it is attributed to poor
management or the oft repeated Yer
mont story of mo hotel will pay With
out a bar attachment Mr.. Bow
| telle has this week returned from his
visit to Rutland and, with Mrs. Bow
telle, is occupying rooms in the house
Whatever the future may be, or the
causes which lead to such future
there is a general feeling of regret and
depression here at the seeming blow
to the best interests of the village and
vicinity.
A little time ago there was a story
given circulation that the new owners
would erect another building in a less
expensive location to be used for first
class hotel purposes, but there is alb
solutely no foundation for the report