St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-12-06
new HOTEL MEETING
Principal Nj. G. Benedict.
Continued from page ID

Principal Nj. G. Benedict.
Principal NJ. G.. Benedict said he
should confine his remarks to one
incident, an effort on the part of
himself and Mr.. Palmer to get the
Vermont State Teachers association
to hold its annual meeting here.
They were simply unable to invite
it because they could not find ac-
commodations for the people who
attend it. This last fall 1911 peo-
pie attended the meeting at Mont
pelier. To show what such a gath
ering is worth to a place he said he
found that he spent $12.50 there
without making any purchases at
the stores. Many did spend large
amounts in the stores but taking his
expense as an average one it would
mean. that SIG, 3S7.50 were spent by
the teachers in the place where that
convention was held. We never can
have such a gathering until we have
accommodations for it. He said
aside from the financial loss there is
the loss of the moral and education
al uplift which such body gives to
a town and this is of even more i'm
portance than the money end.
Jerome f. Hale.
Jerome F. Hale said he was glad
to find the new hotel proposition
was being taken seriously here. A
good hotel here will help st. Johns
bury, the whole east side of the
state and even the west side. A
hotel proposition is a serious one.
You must have a good building, set
a good table and have comfortable
beds. You must not stop with
those who say you can't because too
many people are saying that. People
are stunning Vermont today be-
cause they cannot get good ac-
commodations here. 1t is not
question of what it costs with these
people but simply a question OF get
ting what they want. So roll up your
sleeves and build your hotel and
then help a man to keep a good no.
tel Don't say you can't but go
ahead and do it. You can raise the
money if you try. There is no rea-
son why a good hotel should not
succeed here Down in Wells Riv-
er they raised the money and this
last season 46O automobiles carry
ing 1000 people had stopped at
Hale's Tavern.
Max l.. Powell.
Sen. Max L. Powell, proprietor of
the new Hotel Vermont at Burllng-
ton, was next introduced. He stat
ed it as a fundamental proposition
that nothing aids a town more than
a good hotel. If rightly conducted
it brings visitors to a town. ST.
Adams has a fine park but it does
not bring people to the town. Mont
pelier has a splendid convention
hall but it would not benefit the city
as a first class modern hotel would.
Newport has a lake and beautiful
scenery but they cannot draw the
people without proper accommOda-
lions when they get there. He then
told of taking an automobile trip
down the west side of the state to
Narragansett Pier and back through
Boston to the White Mountains and
back across Vermont by way Of st.
Johnsbury to Burlington. That trip
acquainted him with Vermont and
he never understood it's charms and
possibilities until that time. His
party often in going through Yer
mont would exclairn as passing
some view point "what fine place
for a summer hotel!" Yet barns
were seen on these places more fire.
duently than other buildings with
the house set in back of them and
only the cattle enjoying the scenery.
You're against a practical problem
here but it is capable of a satistact-
! ory solution. Burlington had got
a modern hotel after wanting it for
I2O years but the conditions here are
more favorable because you are
united here while there was a seri-
Gus division in Burlington. The
most powerful interests there were
in open opposition to a hotel there
But It has been built and at the END
Of the first five months of its opera
| ton it has made money enough tt
pay six per cent dividend on the
money invested in it, Independent
from the income from the bar. Bur
lington has SO per cent. more tour
lists as a result of that hotel. Man!
people who had always stayed
across the lake in New York hat
come to Burlington and many made
long stops this season. Seven hund
dred and one automobiles were
kept over night in the hotel garag'
and over 900 stopped there TO
meals during the past summer. Il
four months Hotel Vermont haC
1858 registered guests and serve'
% banquets.
Burlington wants you to join u
in the hotel crusade that is on IL
Vermont. Vermont has not onl!
been hiding it's scenic talents but i
has failed to furnish the napkin t.
. keep it in ST. Johnsbury has beau
r tifuI scenery and very attractiv
drives in all directions. He spok
, of the view to be obtained from tn
hill side along through Danville a
one of the finest mountain scenes il
the whole country. Since his hote
; had opened he had had many op
: portunities of sending automobil
lists here but he could not do it be
cause we did not have the proper &C
Communications for them. He Away
favored the route through Stow
, and Morrisville here because Their