The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-19
THE HOTEL HISTORIC

Montgomery woman who wishes in the Woman's Department of The Advertiser to have something to say on the subject of the contest for naming of the new hotel She writes:
 Way any citizen of Montgomery should wish to wrap the shroud of oblivion and forgetfuiness over the name very dear to many who spent much of their lives in the Exchange Hotel" and, whose days there were days of pleasantness. I cannot understand.
 ..So one viii deny, that, for a good many years back it's has been inadequate while all around Us in towns, especially on the coast of Georgia and Florida, ho- tels have assumed palafial proportions. for the reason that miflionaires of the North and West spend their winters and their money there.
 The glory Of the "oid Exchange dates back of the last decade, and prior D that. Away back In the forties and af- ties. and even as late as the, seventies. the Exchange held iordiy position as a hostelry. At the lime. of it's buildings about 1s4s or '49, soon after the Capitol, was re- moved here from Tuscafoosa, 1t was the mecca for all Alabamians, Vas the largest and best kept hotel in the State. except. possibly the Battle House in Mobile. There were few in our Southern coun- try that were considered handsomer, or more excellent in any particular. The St.. Charles at New oorleans, and the Exchange at Richmond, also most his- toric. and one remembers of old that the Exchange and Richmond, as almost sy- nonomous. 1th . s I would prefer the new hotel to be call "The Exchange so interwoven with Montgomery life and history. or commercially. that the world might know of the new" that 1t be called the New Exchange for of course. in time the New would wear off and it would still be 'The Exchange Hotel, Montgomery. Ala"
 If not the name suggested, let it be ''The Historic Hotel" or the Hotel His toric," and it's history would be full of interest.
 Built about 1S4s by the best and most public spirited men in any community. being away ahead of its time, and for many years owned and kept by business men of high, order and ability.
 In the stirring times of our codntry s preparing for the withdrawal of the State from the Union, mighty statesmen were gathered there as the political headquarters of the State-aye, of the
 
 sounded. and Montgomery became the mobilizing point for armies to prepare for the war within its walls our greatest generals who fought that glorious fight gathered.
 When the Southern Confederacy was born, this was the cradle, and dare as- sert there was never assembled a great CT body of men to deliberate over mat ters of more momentous and grander patriotism and importance to the world $ history than were those in the Exchange Hotel, for within its rooms President Davis and cabinet met and I we'll re- member. as a, child, the occasion of his arrival there as the President of the Con- federacy, having been met by a conn pany of citizens and State and city of- ficials at West Point.
 When he reached the Hotel there was collected what seemed to my young thoughts, the handsomest room I ever saw, the long parlor and hall, the most brilliant array of beautiful young wo- men, bright and gorgeous uniformed sol- diers, elegant elderly ladies and spleIi- did statesmen. He made speech from the balcony to a surging crowd of en- thusiasts, who screamed and yelled their welcome again and again, that echoed and resounded through that old building that can never be forgotten and never should for every sound that was echoed back from Capitol Hill and surrounding buildings, was one of hope for free country, and belief in the success of the beloved newborn Southern Confederacy. The earnestness and important delib- erations of that cabinet the worlds his- tory has no parallel.
 Tn the days of reconstruction, after our defeat, the strong and determined men. to save our country from utter ruin, too, held their conferences there. Again, 1t was an historic scene when the great Cleveland and his then beauti- full bride held a reception in those par lors.
 Again, when MT. Davis. after years of silence and retirement from the worlds din and distractions, came to lay the cornerstone of our great soldiers monu- ment on Capitol Hill.
 There also the immortal Bard and | Poet" Sidney Lanier, commenced his lite | erary career.
 Indeed, many occasions of genuine his- toric interest hover about 1t. The Ex- change is a synonym to that name I would be glad to have 1t called, The Ho- tel Historic" M.