The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-29
LEAVING 4 FAMOUS HOTEL
wErHERBEE or or THE R,Ck-
NGHAM ALTAR - IElRS.

mas ocen Just twenty-eight wears
and one month since Charles l.. wether-
bee became one Of the proprietors Of the
nosel Buckingham and fifteen wears
since he became sOle proprissor Of that
hotel. Next Sunday morning. Just be-
fore they start the breakfast preparations
N the kitchsn. Mr.. wetherbes will retire
nom the PROFESSIONALLY OF the hotel. which
viii then pass into the hands Of the Buck
tngham Hotel COMPANY
Inc buckingham ever sincs Il was
opened IN January. is5e. has had a place
ONE o~a. IL was built by the late George
Kemp. and at tina, time Il was so far up
town. cost 10 much To build and was so
hvshiy furnished and equipped, consider
Ing the hotels oT that dav. that IL was
dubbed -kemp's Folly II was con.,el-
cred marvellous because every bedroom
IN the house had a bathroom attached
20 Il.
The hotel has many long time residen,s
For instance, there 10 Judge George W
Van siuyk. who went to the hotel on the
day Il opened and took a suite on the fiTth
foor. He still occupies the same rooms.
Mrs. J. r Murray and william Hinchman
have lived In the hotel almos, 40 long.
while Mrs. Henry Sands Brooks has made
the hotel her home for twenty nine wears.
All sorts OF foreign notables and even
potentates have been patrons OF the hotel
Within q few weeks after il fret opened
Dom Pedro. Emperor Of Brazil was there
for time with his Empress and in the
employ Of thu hotel 10 still Patrick Durkin.
a Waterman. whose great boast is that
when the Empress wished 20 take a look
at the hotel kitchen Il was he Durkin
who was selected TO conduct her through
the cooking place.
W. r. Wood. who has been manager Of
the Buckingham for just twenty years.
also retires. Two years ago he and Mr.
wetherbee formed the partnership Of
Wetherbee a Wood and took over the
proprAetorship OF the Hotel Gotham
which had had q stormy career from the
beginning. They will devote their time
20 it exclusively. though MIR. wetherDee
will leave the active conduct oI the hotel
largely TO his younger associate
u had been In business in San Francisco
when in April. 1882. bought out the in
tereet Of A. c. Joslin Of the firm Of Joslin
a Fuller. who had had the Buckingham
from the beginning said Mr. wetherbee
yesterday. The firm then became we,h-
erbee q Fuller. Then in IseS bought out
Fuller's interest.
Whom | frat came here John n Rock
X .,sssa SeFs or %S several " y Ss when
In New York. and since he has been Occu.
pytng a house in New York he has often
been IN to talk over old times Then
30 have always had a great many Flu
ropeans. II has ni~avs been nv aim 10
keep tho place very QiIiot and the people
who stop here have always considered "
IN the tight Of . home.
Ed Kemp. who vas a brother Of the !
kaS = 81 ~.
Regiment. and he used TO give a great .
many very sumptuoue hanquets 10 the
Ofncsrs OF the reg ment. when often there .
would he TOD 20 iSo quests. Then We
receptions. The house was furnished
throughout IN the beginning by Narcotic
a Co, perhaps the first oig job Of THE .
kind ever done over here. aud the fur
90 that while not modern ~ 10 mas good
ehape 40 any that could he put in The
hall and lobby IL all finished IN niahoR-
any. which has become rarely beautiful
Nith aRe. This 10 still q fine old house
II has an air OF refinement and homeyness
that you cannot get away from.
when I took the hotai all there vas
% IL vas house thirty feet vide on Fifth
e E;,1S and and extending ~, tce, along
tiOn. 5TxI0o. on Forty ninth street. aud
IN 1850 added another. 2SGiOo. on Fifth
avenue.
Ia 10 surprising bat the hotels that
have come uptown have helped business.
Some Of our guests may have been at
tracted away. bat there have always
been otherA TO take their placcs. Tn.
Windsor vas opened Only three years
before this hotel IVES. ] Jaw the Wind
sor fire Of course and many Of the psopl.
from there came up here I remember
that the late Abner AIcKinley's daughter
camS here all by herself from the fire
Her father and mother were both out
~ a AZ he 3 ma he fire.
place. Mns. Wotherbe~ heard some one
say that there vas q woman TN great
diaere&s sitting IN a carriage in Fifth
avenue. and abe went out and brought
AcKinley's father easily but u was the
longest time before We could find her
mother. Al length one Of the telephone
operators AZ central: who hAppsned 20
res for Mrs. Mckinley, found her az the
home Of the Rev. DR.. J. Parker Morgan.
and there WAS a happy family reunion.
Another kiient that came here from
the Windsor was Gen. SOrrell, q famous
Confederate soldier. some 81 the pho
toRrapha taken AZ the time Of the fire
showed Gen. Sorrclis paintings being
rescued from the fre. He stayed here
NO, the hathtnbs that were put in the
hotel when IL was first butt were not
porcelain lined They were Of zinc. but
they were sr&1t NHaus toF tH~E tltur
We had 20 strip them out in Ises and put
IN porcelain tubs and also wire the house
for etectriaity That year we spent sl0o. O0o
on furnishings. One Interesting thing
recall IN that before the SIXTH avenue
elevated was running We used to run
q free bus to the Ninth avenue elevated
station. some ten years AGO the bag ,
annoking room on the Fifth avenue side.
which commands q good view Of the
avenue. Nsed TO be the place Of Tneeting
for about o dOzsn m~a who used TO call
I henselves the Buckingham Club They
,Issd IN come In about o'clock and at
and ohae for hours 4
The rental9 oh. that has gone up
about 80 per cent. since ! came here. 81 !
the same time I understand that stores :
N this nsighbOrhood on the avenue
are renting on . basis % 81 a square foot 4.
90 course a great many members 81 the
stat have been here for q long time In
fact We consider that 81 employee Who !
has noe been lIere ~ least ten years ~ a
newcomer The barber has be~n with
ua for seventeen year,. and there ~ an ;
Enkliahman downstairs. an oyster opener.
Who has been here TO my cert am knowl- ,
edge twenty I've OF course have some
regrets 90 giving the place mp but twenty
- - Ia ~ ~ ~ ma