The San Francisco call., 1909-06-04
WILL BID HOTFLMEN
OF WORLD TO CITY
James Woods Will GO East and
Plan Special Train for
Portola Festival
Unique Plan to Be Carried Out
by Manager of the St.
Francis Hotel

With credentials from Governor Gill
lett and Mayor Taylor, James Woods,
manager Of the St Francis hotel. will
leave for the east tomorrow morning as
special commissioner OF the Portola
festival He goes on a unique mission,
for he viii undertake to bring the hotel
men Of the world TO San Francisco for
the carnival next October. II his plan
succeeds, and he has high hopes that it
will. he viii arrange for a special train
to run across the continent from the
Atlantic 10 the Pacific to bring the most
powerful and influential men of the
hotel world The train is to be the
most elegantly appointed that has ever
travelled the tracks
Woods will be the second commits
sioner TO go forth in the interests Of
the Portola festival. To c. c. Moore
has been entrusted the important task
of obtaining the cooperation of the
foreign nations through the presence
here of war vessels from their navies
he has met with great encouragement
and has enlisted the aid of the state
department. The plan which Woods
viii endeavor to bring TO fruition will
call him TO all the large eastern cities
and TO the capitals of Europe.
WOODS THE BEST MAN
Himself a hoteIman of long expert
ence in New York, Woods was selected
for the task because OF his acquaint-
ance with men that the festival COM
mittee desires to invite He has not
made definite promises but has stated
his belief that the project is feasible.
II the hotelmen of New York express a
willingness to come Woods is of the
opinion that the others will join. He
viii therefore devote his initial efforts
10 work in the city OF New York
San Francisco is the greatest hotel
city in the world in proportion to its
population said Woods yesterday ut
is 70 the interest of these men TO
come I think they will see that
shall endeavor 10 convince them that
IL is
II is the intention TO ask the pro-
prietor mana gers OF the big hostelries.
They are all men of large means and
not only will they be shown San Fran
cisco but they viii be Afforded an op-
portunity to see the entire state The
train IN which il is proposed they shall
journey Will be remarkable not only
for its elegance, but it will be in every
particular a hotel special" Aside from
the engineer and fremen. the special
be q chief clerk from one of the big
eastern houses. bellboys in place OF
porters, noted chef in charge of the
kitchen, hotel walters in the dining
room. and staff assistants in every de-
partment from hotels throughout the
country Even the stenographerS on
the train will be those from noted ho-
tels and the telephone board will be
operated by central from a hotel
exchange.
If I can interest the New Workers.
the work will be more than half done
said Woods. 1T will be my intention
TO get such men 10 join the excursion
as Mr.. BoIdt of the Waldorf Astoria.
Mr.. Weatherbee Of the Manhattan. Mr.
Ham OF the St Regis. Mr.. Sterry OF
the Plaza. Mr.. Bates Of the Belmont.
Mr. Regan Of the Knickerbocker. Mr..
Auschenheim of the Astor, Mr. Bau-
mann of the Holland, Mr.. wooIley of
the Marie Antoinette, and Mr.. Sweeney
Of the Victoria and MARLBOROUGH. II
they are agreeable, the men of the
other eastern cities and of the big
European hotels Will certainly co-oper
ate.
EUROPE WILL TRAIL NEW YORK
If New York is with US. I know that
London, Paris. Berlin and other big Eu-
ropean cities will fall in line The En-
ropean hotelmen know the value of
their American trade, and 1 do not be-
neve they will hesitate to make the
trip
i expect the railroads to cooperate.
so that we have a train Of splendid
equipment We will start from New
York as we travel and pick I'D the
hOtelmen Of such cities as Boston, Phil
adeiphia, Baltimore, Washington. Buff
falo. Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit,
Chicago. Kansas City, New Orleans.
Denver. Salt Lake City, and the cities
of the Pacific coast It is our plan that
there shall be no sections on the train.
but rooms Every member of the ex-
cursion Will be assigned to a room by
head clerk who will be in charge. In
fact in every particular it viii be
hotel special
AS we come westward we can stop
at the big cities and visit the big
hotels At each city we can take on
provisions or have special dishes pre-
pared for which the city is famous.
7 would have each man bring his
family and make the trip one of enjoy
ment for all We would not only be
able to show them the new city of San
Francisco. but the train could tour the
state so that the visitors might see for