The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-30
NEW HOTEL NOW
AN ASSURED FACT
Committee of Over $50 Lead
ing Citizens Appointed
BUSINESS LIKE TALKS
Prominent Citizens Address Special
Meeting of the Board.
FUND TO Be COLLECTED FOR A NUCLEUS
The Committee Composes Men in All Lines OF
Work. All Glasses of Citizens Will be
Approached For Subscriptions
10 the Hotel Fund.

| ~ IlS IhUlCl ulu'
| The prospect of new hotel for Raleigh
at last looms up in the nature of posi-
tility A committee of over $50 prominent
citizens was appointed by Mayor Powell
last night at a special meeting of the
Board of Aldermen to have entire charge
of the work looking to securing additional
hotel facilities for Raleigh. syndicate
will be Immediately formed for the pur-
pose of building hotel as soon as suffi-
cient money has been subscribed to form
a good working nucleus.
The special meeting was called by May
| or Powell last night upon the request OF
several leading citizens, in view of the
widespread sentiment that Raleigh ought
! to have better hotel accommodations, en-
phasized by recent events.
Mayor Powell, in calling the meeting
TO order. stated that the purpose OF the
board in meeting with the citizens was
to have the board endorse the citizens
movement for a new hotel which was very
much needed He hoped that all would
lend their financial and moral support
to, the proposition.
Alderman a. b. Andrews, Jr., moved
that the board hear from Mr. j. c. Drewry
and Mr.. Fl. E. Litchford who were pres
ent
Mr.. Drewry said that Mr.. G. 5. Wynne
was really the leading spirit OF the move
ment. and it was by his suggestion that
the citizens had thus come together IN
movement to secure another hotel lot the
CITY. All, he said, recognize the I'M
| portance of having another hotel, without
casting any reflections upon the hotels
we now have. 81 do not believe, contlh-
ued Mr. Drewry, that any city the SIZE
of Raleigh can flourish with only one
hotel"
The speaker then went on to say thdt
the idea was to ask the Mayor and Board
If Aldermen as representing the entire
citv TO appoint a committee of one nun
dred mr. more to form a company, ask the
citizens TO subscribe so much stock, make
monthly collections. and let the fund &C
emulate in bank These small amounts
could he paid gradually, so that nobody
would know it. Then, if any one came
along who was ready to put up a new
hotel. there would be a fund on hand as
a nucleus. and a board of commissioners
or trustees to look after it.
said Mr.. Drewry. until we can raise
twenty or twenty-five thousand dollars,
we will never get the hotel. We all
realize that we ought to have more, If
not better. hotel facilities. Raleigh has
reached the point now when she will re-
trograde unless something is done
Mr. n. E. Litchford was called upon
next and said: Il believe that every
...ar oo5 child lives the fact
that we need more and better hotel ia
cilities. There is a general impression
that only the merchants are expected to
fake mart in a movement of this kind,
but all citizens are concerned in this
movement. l believe if everybody in
Raleigh will just do what they can, 1t
will be an easy matter for the city to
have a first class, up-to-date hotel.
Mr. Sherwood Higgs was then recog-
nized He said there was no doubt that
Raleigh needed a new hotel. He had
talked he said, with travelling men, VINO
are the best advertisement for town,
and they all spoke of our lack of hotel
accommodation 1t seemed to him that
the matter might be simplified by the
present owners or management of the
Marlboro House building an annex or an
additional hotel. He said he would be
glad to do all in his power to further the
movement in every way
Mr. Ed Chambers Smith was then
asked to express his views. He said that
two years ago when the question came
up in the State Committee meeting of
taking the convention away from Raleigh.
no word was said of an auditorium or
hall but considerable was said about our
small hotel accommodations.
"The trouble with most of us is" said
Mr.. Smith, eve are too mealy mouthed.
: too afraid of injuring somebody's inter
ests When the proposition was spoken
of the other day of some parties wishing
to secure a site for a new hotel here
the owner of an excellent site said he
would not sell it, because he was I'M
willing to hurt Mr.. Raneys interests"
This, went on Mr.. Smith, was all very
commendable. and for his part he APP
preciated to the full all that Mr.. Raney
had done for the city, never having
known any one to do as much in accord
ance with his means as Mr.. Raney had
done. STILL we ought not to sacrifice our
selves to any such juggernaut. We
must keep in touch with the progress Of
the times, and if it hurts anyone's in
terests we can not help it.
"Now," concluded Mr.. Smith, els the
opportune time for us to put up a first
class hotel where travelling men will
want TO stop over Sunday when they arc
in the neighborhood of Raleigh, foi
everybody recognizes that the travelling
man is the best judge of hotel accommo
dations."
Mr.. r. T. Hay was then requested t.
: address the meeting. He said that hC
, could only reiterate what had been said
! and especially did he agree with the views
!, expressed by Mr. Smith. In his travels
all over the States of North and South
Carolina, he heard everywhere remarks
about Raleighs inadequate hotel accom-
modations. And now people in differen
! parts of the State were beginning to cas-
: slurs at Raleigh for losing the Stat'
Convention. saying that it looked like
lretrograde movement. Many Northern