The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-23
HALF A MILLION A YEAR
PRINCELY SALARY OF HEAD OF THE
wALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL.
No Luck About 1t, but Immediate
Grasping OF Opportunities Pre-
sented-Noyv a millionaire.
New York World.

Trust was not 100000 year, as had been
currently reported, but a beggarly 10000,
the statement was made that a man in
New York receives a salary Of $4,000 for
running a corporation capitalized at $1,000.
He Is George c. Boldt and he is commonly
spoken of as the proprietor of the Waldorf
Astoria Hotel.
Ii should not be supposed that Mr.. Boldt
receives a stated salary for conducting the
big hotel There are profit-sharing ar
rangements based upon the half-million a
year for Mr.. Boldt If he succeeds in adding
q certain amount to the income Of the
Astors- 1t is maintained by those aware
OF Mr.. Boldt's income and who are fond
of superlatives that he Is the highest sal
aried man In the world.
Certain 1t f. that he gets about five times
as much for running a hotel as Senator
Depew gets for running the Vanderbilt rail-
roads. He receives more than six times
as much as the new president of the United
States Steel Corporation. Ever so many
deductions may be made from this fact. one
OF which is that it takes a rarer genius to
run a big caravansary proitably than to
run a trust and that Mr.. Boldt is the great
est living hotel man.
FROM WAITER TO PROPRIETOR.
AS matter Of fact, Mr.. Boldt possesses
great industry, remarkable organizing skill.
daring and imagination. He happened TO
drift into the hotel business in his youth.
He would have succeeded in making few
millions no matter in what business he had
entered But he has proved that he is
peculiarly fitted to conduct a hotel
For some reason 1t seems a longer step
from a waiter to the head Of a hotel and
salary of half million year than il does
from mechanic to president Of a manu-
featuring company. And it is worth know
ing that as waiter in a restaurant not
two blocks from where the Waldorf-As-
toria stands Mr. Boldt was just as suaye,
just as dignined, just as attentive to his
customers and just as Industrious he is
now-and that is saying much.
When he came to this country from the
Island of Rugen, a favorite watering place
for people from Berlin and the interior of
PrusSiaiit is on the way from Stettin 10
Copenhagen-George G. Boldt was suffi-
enough 10 travel to Texas and begin life in
America as poultry farmer. 1t was not
successful venture. When disease didn't
drowned the chickens, while the ducks
sailed away Mr.. Boldt returned to New
York That was about 1871 and he had not
q penny In the world.
COULD PICK A WINNER
de secured a place in Parker's restau-
and Broadway. Mr.. Boldt became an ''om-
nibus," walters assistant, and then swift
ly became a full-fedger waiter. Proprietor
Parker. good hotel man and coed judge OF
men. swiftly singled out the former Texas
chicken farmer from Germany TO make him
a check man. and Mr.. Boldt held that
place nearly two years. He was a remark
able check man. and he impressed that
upon the proprietor. Those two years were
valuable ones 10 the young man; he learned
all that could be learned about the business
in Parker's and he wanted TO rise in the
world.
Mr.. Boldt carefully cultivated the rich
mer who visited the place. One OF the
check mans restaurant friends came from
observation-disclosures which was pop
ular summer resort in those days, and he
was instrumental in having Mr.. Boldt made
steward of one OF the largest hotels in the
Pretty nearly every hotel man In the
country was looking toward Philadelphia
In 1876. as wei as everybody else in the
country, TOR the centennial was the biggest
show that had ever been held in the United
States. Mr.. Boldt had neither the money
nor the inclination TO speculate in tenn
poraIy hotel; ne was looking for something
bigger, more permanent. AS a hotel town
Philadelphia was IN a bad way.
When Mr.. Bolot evolved the plan OF leas-
ing the old mansion at Broad and Walnut
streets. converting it into a hotel on the
. EurcueSa man, with a restaurant that
should become famous all over the country
for it excellence, he had no difficulty in
securii re money needed. There was new
er any thins exactly like the Bellevue, as
Mr.. BolLl JaTreo his Philadelphia hotel liz
is more like 2 club than any hotel in the
country. And he could do the most aston
ishing things, particularly for people whom
IL was wise TO please. Inc prices were ex-
travagantly high for those days. In the
summer Mr.. Boldt ran the Stockton al
Monmouth Beach and made il pay.
As prosperity grew he decided to buy the
Hotel Stratford, which was just across
narrow Walnut street from the Bellevue,
and ne made that pay until IL was torn
down TO make way for a big office building.
Plans were long ago drawn for great
modern hotel 10 replace the Bellevue, but
the old red building still stands. Mr.. Boldt
had left Philadelphia for New York.
WHERE HE MET MR.. ASTOR.
1t is said that Mr.. Boldt was really re-
sponsible for the Waldorf. Ii is true that
William Waldorf Astor had long considered
building the hotel-the Astors have found
that hotel properties are highly profitable
but that he couldn't make I'D his mind
about IL. The story runs that on one occa-
sion Mr.. Astor visited Philadelphia with
his family and sought the Bellevue without
having taken the precaution TO engage
rooms in advance. The little hotel was full
and ne was so informed Mr.. Astor desired
10 see the proprietor. Mr.. BOldt appeared.
Mr.. Boldt regretted TO inform Mr. Astor
that every room In the hotel was occupied.
but II Mr.. .Astor would wait ten minutes
Mr.. Boldt would vacate the apartments &C.
cupIed by his family and they would be at
Mr.. AstOrs disposal. In the meantime Mr..
Astor might order dinner.
1t was famously good dinner Mr. As
tor was deeply impressed He INQUIRED
about Mr.. B0ldt. and straightway decided
that he should build the hotel at Thirty
third street and Fifth avenue and that Mr..
Boldt should run H.. But he was in no great
hurry.
In the course OF time Mr.. Astor sum-
moneG sdr. Boldt TO New York to discuss
the hosel proposition. Mr.. Boldt showed a
grasp CT the situation, wealth OF ideas a
knowledge OF the financial problems, that
startled Mr.. Astor's curious brain Also
the man who. twenty years or SO before
was a waiter In a secOnd-class Broadway
restaurant demanded terms that nearly
paralyzed Mr. Aston. But the man of mill
lions was determined 10 have Mr. Boldt
The hotel keeper had other conditions. The
plans must be changed. He had his own
ideas and he insisted that they be carried
out Nearly all OF the Innovations includ-
ing the palmroom, which have made the
Waldorf famous were his ideas
So Inc Waldorf was built furnished and
decorated with a lavishness that made IL
known the civilized world over before IL
was inished The former Broadway waiter
became known the proprietor OF what
was then the finest hotel ia the world.