The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-30


From the New York World
Just about the time Wall street
discovered that the salary of Charles
M. Schwab as president of the Billion
Dollar Steel Trust was not a million
dollars a year, as had been currently
reported, but a beggarly 500, 000 the
statement was made that a man in
New York receives a salary of 100000
for running a corporation capitalized
at $1,000. He is George c. Boldt, and
he is commonly spoken of as the pro-
prietor of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
1T should not be supposed that Mr.
Boldt receives a stated salary for con-
Quoting the big hotel. There are profit
sharing arrangements based upon the
half-million year for Mr.. Boldt if he
succeeds in adding a 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 it is that he gets about five
times as much for running a hotel as
Senator Depew gets for running the
Vanderbilt railroads. He receives
more than six times as much as the
new president of the United States
Steel Corporation. Ever so many de-
auctions may be made from this fact,
one of which is that it takes a rarer
genius to run a big caraVansary profit
ably than to run a trust, and that MIR.
Boldt is the greatest living hotel man.
From Waiter to Proprietor.
CAS- a matter of fact Mr.. Boldt pos
seSses great industry, remarkable or
ganizing Skill daring and imagination.
He happened to drift into the hotel
business in his youth. He would have
succeeded in making a few millions
no matter in what business he had en-
tered. But he has proved that he is
peculiarly fitted to conduct a hotel
For some reason it seems a longer
step from waiter to the head of
hotel and a salary of half a million
year than it does from a mechanic
to president of a manufacturing COM
pany. And it is worth knowing that
as a waiter in a restaurant not two
blocks from where the Waldorf-As-
toria stands Mr.. Boldt was Just as
suave just as dignified, just as atten-
tive to his customers and just as in
dustrious as he is now-and that is
saying much.
When he came to this country from
the Island of Rugen. a favorite water
ing place for people from Berlin and
the interior of Prussia--it is on the way
from Stettin to Copenhagen-Geo
G. Boldt was sufficiently poor, although
he had money enough to travel TO
Texas and begin life in America as a
poultry farmer. 1t was not a success
full venture. When disease didn't de-
stroy his fowls the floods came and
drowned the chickens, while the ducks
sailed away. Mr.. Boldt returned to
New York. That was about 1871 and
ne mad not penny in the world
Gould Pick a Winner.
He secured a place in Parker's res
taurants that used to be at Thirty
fourth street and Broadway. Mr..
Bolut became an omnibus a walters
assistant, and then swiftly became a
full-fedged waiter. Proprietor Parker,
good hotel man and good judge of men,
swiftly singled out the former Texas
chicken farmer from Germany to make
MN a check man. and Mr.. Boldt held
that place nearly two years. He was
a remarkable check man. and he i'm
pressed that fact upon certain custom
ers, as well as upon the proprietor
Those two years were valuable ones TO
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 men who visited the place. One
of the check mans restaurant friends
came from Cornwall-on-the-H Hudson.
which was popular summer resort
IN those days, and he was instrumental
In having Mr.. Bol5t made steward of
one of the largest hotels in the river
town.
Pretty nearly every hotel man In
the country was looking toward phil
adelphia In 1876, as well as everybody
else IN the country, for the centennial
the hiOpnct c1Or
been held in the United States. Mr..
Boldt had neither the money nor the
inclination to speculate in a temporary
Motel; he was looking for something
bigger, more permanent. AS a hotel
town Philadelphia was in a bad way.
When Mr. Boldt evolved the plan
OF leasing the old mansion at Broad
and walnut streets, converting II into
hotel on the European plan. with a
restaurant that should become famous
all over the country for its excellence
ne had no difficulty in securing the
money needed. There was never anv-
thing exactly like the Bellevue. as Mr..
Boldt named his Philadelphia hotel
1t is more like a club than any hotel
in the country. And he could do the
most astonishing things, particularly
for people whom it was wise to please.
The prices were extravagantly high for
ran the Stockton at Monmouth Beach
and made it pay.
AS prosperity grew he decided to
buy the Hotel Stratford, which was just
across narrow Walnut street from the
Bellevue, and he made that paw until
ii was torn down to make way for a
hig office building. Plans were long
ago drawn for n great modern hotel to
replace the Bellevue. but the old red
building still stands. Mr.. Boldt had
left Philadelphia for New York.
Where He Met Mr.. Aston.
1t is said that Mr.. Boldt was really
responsible for the Waldorf. 1t is true
that William Waldorf Aston had long
considered building the hotel-the AS
tors have found that hotel proprietors
are highly profitable-but that he
couldn't make up his mind about If.
The story runs that on one occasion
Mr.. Aston visited Philadelphia with his
family and sought the Bellevue with
out having taken the precaution to en-
gage rooms in advance. The little ho-
tel was full, and he was so informed.
Mr.. Aston desired to see the proprie-
tor. Mr.. Boldt appeared.
Mr.. Boldt regretted to inform Mr.
Aston that every room in the hotel
was occupied. but If Mr.. Astor would
wait ten minutes Mr.. Boldt would va
cate the apartments occupied by his
family and they would be at Mr.. As
tors disposal. In the meantime Mr.
Aston might order dinner
1t was a famously good dinner. Mr.
Aston was deeply impressed. He in
quired about Mr.. Boldt, and straight
4. H.