Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-04-30
1HE FORD HOTEL
CHANGES HANDS.
yoted Hosiery to be Renovated,
Improved and Renamed the
Southern.
WAS BUILT BY JOHN MORGAN.
,.st.r D. Freed, the Well Known
Furniture Man, aud Fred Wood, the
Hotel Man, Secure the Lease.

Gal, Lake Is TO have new hotel.
m, old Ford hotel on West First
9th which has had as many ups and
souns as an elevator, has been leased
=. Lester d. Freed, the furniture deal
and Fred Wood. the well known ho-
-, man. 1t will be completely remod-
,,.a and elegantly furnished, and VIII
onen on June / under the name of the
southern, which name is commemora-
live Of st. Louis greatest year and
greatest hotel.
The lease was signed up several days
,so and covers period Of five years.
r,om 10000 70 $4,000 will be spent on
furnishings and from $4,000 to $4,000
,or the renovation Of the place. The
SinIn- room and kitchen on the top
door will be taken out to make place
sor sleeping rooms. On the lower floor
ain he a parlc- dining room, kitchen,
rsntry helps hall and lavatories, be-
sIdss the Office. This arrangement Will
Give space for IS sleeping rooms above
,ha office floor. Early Monday morning
,hs renovation viii begin, with painters
and paper hangers and plumbers In
,he house. A brand new electric eleva-
,or will be one OF the first things in
stalled. TO take the place Of the rickety
did affair that was formerly the terror
Of guests
While. as stated, The house will not
he formally opened until June 4, there
will be some rooms occupied by Mon
day. Mr. Wood, who Is to be manager
Of the new house, will open an office
there on Monday and he has hit upon
tbe unique plan of allowing prospective
regular boarders TO select their rooms
rom now on and, II they agree to stay
from six months TO year, they may
also select their favorite style OF furni-
ture. There will consequently be much
variety In the furnishings OF the hotel.
Mr. Wood is very well Known to the
hotel custom all through the west.
Since the opening Of the New Wilson
he has worked from chief clerk to
manager Of that institution. He leaves
The position tonight. He started as a
bell.boy about IL years ago. Mr..
Woods popularity and ability should
contribute much towards the success of
,he Southern. The hotel will cater to
The transient trade, as well as the reg
ular.
The new Southern, that Ii to be, was
built by John Morgan, at cost OF
$4,000 and was opened In May, 1891,
by John Clark as owner of the lease,
and with Theodore milford, now pro-
pietor Of the White House, as the
manager. But the hotel was opened
at an unpropltlous period-when the
boom had just bursted. Then the rem
tal figures were too much for Mr.. Clark
800 month, In year he was
ruined financially and Mr. Morgan took
the house himself and kept II for a
year with Mr. Milford stll at the helm.
About this time Mr.. Morgan fell III.
lie made brave fight for the recovery
OF his health which had been greatly
impaired by the business depression
that was so widespread at that time.
But death came and Mr.. Morgan's SON.
in.law, Mr., Snyder, tried In vain to
keep the business anoat. After that the
house which was called the Morgan,
was closed for considerable time.
when II was re-Opened by Mrs. Ford,
who had previously engaged In the ho-
Tel business on Safe street. Mrs,
Ford, It Is stated, made money out Of
the venture. Receiving an offer for the
place she sold to a lIr Green, sheep
man, who in turn leased the property to
Johnny Norris, who got In hard straits
and then got out. The ground and
building are both Owned by eastern
parties