The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-11
4 GIFT OF $4,000
Brings Mills Hotel Fund Up to
$4,000 Mark.
H. c. AKELEY is THE DONOR
Changes to BE Made in st. JAIME =
Hotel Building for Its New
Purpose.

H. G. Akeley has pledged $4,000 toward
the purchase of the st. James hotel prop
erty by the Union city mission directors
for the purpose Of remode!ing it into
Mills hotel The pledge is made on con-
dition that $4,000 is raised.
Nerved by this happy announcement,
the mission management to-day secured
an extension of the option to enable it
to raise the whole amount in order that
possession Of the property may be taken
free from debt and with enough money on
hand to make the changes. ~
Mr.. Akeley's offer has given great i'm
petus to the securing of subscriptions
Already 100000 is pledged and no effort
has been made to secure sums under
$1,000. -".a .......
The St. James hotel is so built that
with minor alterations under the super
vision of Architect Harry w. Jones, and
thorough renovation it will be an ideal
Mills hotel building on scale suited
to Minneapolis needs.
Plans for Remodeled Building.
The ground floor will contain cafe,
assembly room, club room, lunch counter,
mothers waitingroom, day nursery and
cold storage@room. In the basement will
be provided cheap lodgings, baggageroom,
mems laundry, house laundry vegetable
cellar and barber shop. The second and
third floods will be divided into lodging
rooms. .....
The present hotel lobby, 74x7O feet, will
be made into public restaurant sepa
rated from the main lobby by glass par
titions. The cafe and the lobby will be
for the public. The present bar-room
will be arranged as a rival to the sa-
looms. 1t will have lunch counter open
day and night. The former Amor under
taking-rooms will become an assembly
hall with an entrance from Washington
Here will be held religious services and
congregate as in the present mission.
Set in the Washington front of the
building will be an ice water drinking
fountain for the public.
Bathrooms will replace the St. James
kitchen at the rear of the barroom. Free
shower baths will be provided. In the
new kitchen will be cooked the viands for
both the restaurant and lunch counter.
On the Second avenue side, back Of the
restaurant, will be clubroom provided
with newspaper files, library and easy
chairs.
Mothers Waiting Room.
A fine feature will be the mothers
waiting room and the day nursery, where
mothers may leave their children while
they go on to their places of work. The
children will have a bathroom also.
The greatest change will be necessary
in the basement. Considerable excava-
tion must be done to make it of respect
able depth. The barber shop will be re-
tanned. The remaining space will be taken
by baggage room, large cheap lodging
room, laundry where men may do their
own washing and drying of clothes A
general house laundry will adjoin, also
baggage room.
There are sixty-two rooms. A division
OF the, building will be made along Sec
ond avenue All rooms. to the rear of that
division will be for the needy, the bal
ance with frontage on both Second and
Washington will be for the public. It is
possible that on the third floor some par
titions may be removed, thus forming
dormitories for cheap lodgings running
in price from 15c to 25c.