The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-08-18

tria. The French hotel keepers have
arranged for the opening of a hotel
school on October 8.
The Swiss school gives an eight
months course, the course of study
being as follows: Languages -
French, German, English, and Italian;
arithmetic, from the hotel keepers
standpoint; geography, from the tour
lists point of view; Swiss history; PEN
manship, artistic and plain; bookkeep-
ing; general information; service
study, relating to the care of guests;
customs and manners; hotelerie; hy-
giene; athletics; dancing.
While knowledge of foreign Ian
guages is advantageous in the largest
hotels of America, the need is not so
great as in Europe, where the areas
of the principal countries are COM
paratively small, and the hotels are
patronized freely by people of many
nationa1ities.
There is no reason to doubt that ho-
tel schools would be useful in Ameri-
ca, but here in Vermont we need first
to school the public to the need of
hotels. The attention of the editor of
this paper recently was called to the
fact that in Philadelphia automobile
guide few of our Vermont
hotels on the White Noun
tain route were mentioned and on the
west side of the State hostelries ex-
listed as far north as Rutland, but all
the northern part of Vermont was left
a desolate waste. Montpelier, Bur-
lington, ST. Adams, st. Johnsbury
were left off the map so far as hotels
were concerned. 1t does not appear
whether the fault was due to negli-
gence on the part of our local land
lords or to ignorance on the part of
the compiler of the book. In any ev-
ent CUR hotel keepers should not rest
until such a serious omission is cor
rected. A recent issue of the Troy
Times contained this Item
Vice President and General Mana
ger c. S. Sims of the Delaware and
Hudson Company has completed az
engagements for the rebuilding of Hotel
Champlain, destroyed by fire at Bluff
Point, on Lake Champlain. The con-
tract for erecting the hotel was award
ed Thursday to Raymond NJ. Booth of
Albany. The edifce will be entirely
of concrete, including the floors, with
tiled roofs, and will be $50 feet long
by fifty feet wide There will be run
ming water in all rooms, and most of
the rooms will be provided with baths.
The cost of construction will be $780,
600. The work will be begun immed
lately.
AT Lake George the foundation of
the new Fort William Henry Hotel is
laid.
The new hotels, which will be ready
for next season, will occupy the sites
of the structures that were destroyed
by fire, and will be cerditable to the
magnificent scenery in which they
will be located and to the Delaware
and Hudson Company"
If these hotels. both destroyed by
fire within a year or two can be rebuilt
with profit on a. larger scale, why can
not big hotels be erected on this side
of Lake Champlain, and in the Green
Mountains? The need for such hotels
exists. Vermont can furnish the raw
material in the way of scenery and
climate. The qualities required are
faith in the future and plenty of good
advertising. There are plenty of pros
pective patrons. The number of sum-
mer tourist is increasing by the tens
of thousands every year. The novelty
of a new region would appeal strongly
to the public if the attractions of Ver-
mont We're fairly set forth and assur-
ances of comfortable accommodations
were given.
A great and prosperous future for
Vermont as a banner summer tourist
region may be had almost for the ask
ing. A little doing will bring it
speedily. Hotels and advertising will
bring the people. Isn't it about time
that Vermonters woke up to realiz-
alton of their opportunities? Maine
and New Hampshire are growing rich
out of this lucrative trade. 1t is time
that our own State obtained a share
of this business. Perhaps we shall
be obliged to establish schools ito
teach the people of Vermont the value
of tourist hotels to a State.