The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-06-09
The Severest Competition Was Pre-
scented by the Two Local Firms
That Submitted Bids.
A TOTAL COST OF S1,5OO,ooO
GROUND, BUILDING AND FURNISH
INGs REPRESENT THAT FIGURE.
Award of the Contract Based Upon
the Report of Architect Andrews
-Eight-Story Structure.

The board of directors of the Indiana
Hotel Company, which is preparing to erect
the new Claypool Hotel on the site of the
present Bates House property. last night
awarded the contract for the construction
OF the new building to George B. Swift q
Co, Of Chicago. The board was in closed
session most Of the day and met i'm the
evening at the home of Medford 3. Wilson.
on North Delaware street, where the con-
tract was awarded.
The awarding Of the contract was based
on the report to the board made by Archi-
tect f. NJ. Andrews. who has had the diff
ferent bids under consideration for the last
ten days. There were twenty-four bids IN
all. The directors declined to state the
amount which Swift & Co. will receive for
erecting the building. 1t was an
nounced last night, however, that the sum-
mary of values in the property-the ground
value. the value of the building, its decora-
tions. furnishing and equipment-win reach
the sum OF sl,5OO,OOO.
The contractors will be allowed fourteen
months in which TO have the new building
completed from the time the present one is
vacated. Henry w. Lawrence, proprietor
of the Bates. and president of the new
hotel company. said last night that the
present building will be vacated within the
next thirty days. 1t is understood that the
work of demolition will then begin.
GREAT HOTEL.
This great hotel to be erected on the
present site of the famous old Bates is the
elimination of the many years of it's won
derful financial success. 1t is pointed out
that probably no hotel in the United States
bac hoH nd
has made so much money in proportion to
its investment as the Bates. The present
proprietor, Henry w. Lawrence, has been
the last successful manager of this prop
erty and will be at the head of the new
establishment.
The contract" said Mr.. F. NJ. Andrews
last night, was awarded only after the
most thorough and careful consideration of
the. bids, which were very numerous and
exceedingly close. So important is the
character of the structure in the opinion of
the building fraternity that it has received
the earnest competition of some OF the
greatest concerns in the country, and II Is
no small honor to the successful firm,
George b. Swift * Co, that, out of such a
high class of competition, they should be
selected as the winners of this great con-
tract. The severest competition to which
this firm was subjected was that of the
local firms, whose capacity for handling
work of this character, together with their
Intelligent and detailed estimation Of the
TO the many outside firms that inquired on
the work
In awarding the contract no change was
made in the original plans and specifica-
tions of the architect. The head OF the
lucky firm of contractors is former Mayor
Swift. of Chicago. The interests OF the
firm have been represented on the ground
by Mr.. Swift's son and junior partner, Her
bert b. Swift.
EIGHT-sTORY STRUCTURE.
The building is to be eight-story, alb
solutely fire proof structure, of the best
grade of construction and equipment. The
president of the company, Henry ". Law
arence, and the architect, f. NJ. Andrews
personally inspected all the great hotels
of the country with detailed thoroughness,
not for the purpose of copying their fea-
lures, but with a view to profiting by the
mistakes found therein, and TO gain valu-
able knowledge contributed by experienced
managers. These results" said one of the
directors, will be embodied in the struc-
ture which is to beautify this city. Hotel
men of experience as we'll as contractors
have pronounced this result in the points
of practical arrangement, equipment and
beauty, superior to most, and second to
none of the leading hotels in the country
The directors of the company have labored
for a protracted period with the greatest
zeal and energy, in the face of adverse con-
dtions and Oft-repeated expressions of
doubt arising from the failure of previous
the consummation of this useful enter
prise
The directory of the new company is COM
posed of Henry w. Lawrence, president; G.
E. Coffin, first vice president; A. A Barnes.
second vice president; A. f. Potts, secre-
tary; NJ. B. Wilson, treasurer; f. M.
Fauvre. Joseph C. Schaf, Franklin w.
Hays, ID. NJ Parry, George c.. Tanner. AL
bert Lieber. 4. NJ. Andrews, Henry SEVERN,
Harry j. Milligan and George j. Marott.
The active management of the work of
tr-rrr ion will he m nf
executive committee Of the company, of
which Henry w. Lawrence is chairman.
The other members are III. j. Miligan.
Franklin w. Hays, A. A. Barnes and Geo.
i MarOtt