New-York tribune., 1906-10-24
HOTEL CHANGES HANDS.
Nerr Managers of Cambridge Court
Find Trouble Waiting.

Harry R Rand whose two San Francisco
hotels. the Langham and the Renaissance. were
destroyed in the confagration which followed
the earthquake, has, with John H. Trageser.
leased the Cambridge Court Hotel. in 4sth street.
near Seventh avenue. from HaIlihan & Ahearn
for term Of years at aggregate rental OF
100000. They took possession OF the premises
on Monday. F z. Malone was the broker in the
deal. The building has been named the Hotel
Rand.
Since July, 1905, the hotel had been managed
by Roland w. MeCurdy. 1t Is said that Mr.. Nc
Curdy left the city suddenly Monday having
gone TO Boston. and left the hotel management
without a head. According to the employees he
had not paid the hotel servants for some time
The scrub women and those who did the hardest
work they say have not been paid in three
months All told. about seventy-fiye employees
have money due them. Last night the day force
was about. waiting for the possible return of Mr..
McCurdy. saying they had not been paid in
weeks
The new lessees have placed Mr.. Watcham as
manager Of the hotel, and the hotel the man
agenent said. will be run stricter basis than
heretofore.
I'VE do not know where Mr.. McCurdy is" Mr..
watcham said last night He left very sud
denly on Monday and his books have also all
disappeared So we are paying cash for every
thing until we can out
find Just how much is owed. We were able to
make more advantageous terms with the owners
on Monday than probably would have done
otherwise When they saw what condition the
finances OF the hotel were in they accepted our
first offer and began right away TO take
charge"
"One of the principal reasons that led me to
become a boniface here" said Mr.. Rand last
night was that the majority OF ideal hotel
sites In San Francisco are either owned or con-
troIIed nv syndicates. These syndicates have
large capital and therefore able success
fully TO carry out perfect their hotel projects
enterprises being profitable TO themselves and
attractive to the public. Superb locations ana
vast sums of money TO maintain or erect MOD
ern hostlertes are the main factors Whlch assure
profitable hotel projects in San FRANCISCO foT
the individual such operations just at present
are OF doubtful outcome; they may prove Tor
tunate or disastrous 1t will take time before
any one man will feel positive that san fIah-
cisco offers 10 him an allRTing hotei nelu a.
many othsr places. I know OF many FORMER no no
tel proprietors of San Francisco VINO view lhs
hotel business there in the same way uo anu
who are seeking hostleries here. -
The Hotel Langham was one or the land
marks of San Francisco. In IciS II was pop--
ular place with scores or persons wno hSo
staked out good claim IN the soid nsias. ~
nuggets The earthquake played peculiar
prank with the building II split a glass DOW
on the bar In two as nicely as O. giazier eouIa
have cut the bowl in half, and turned snlaii
safe upside down and then sent u lnroush two
foods The safe contained a large sum OF
prietor bv racetraek bookmakers. NO other
damage was done to the hotel oy the earIi- i- =
quake. A few hours later IIe consumed tue
structure.