The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1911-01-02

llI u III IlSllfN
nls PLENTY Of CONFIDENCE.
EXPERIENCE GAINED IN CON.
QUOTING OLD CLARENDON
GIVES HIM aRlcHT HOPES
ron THE FUTURE.
z. L. Potter. president Of the
Clarendon Hotel Company and the
man Ia the private office Of the
Hotel Clarendon, u very much henr
titled with Daytona and Seabreexe|
in that It was in this place that he |
entered his true vocation. Coming |
to Daytona from Columbus. Ohio, he
first leased and afterwards purchased
the old Clarendon Inn, small board |
ing house ON the ocean front. This
was his first venture in the hotel
busmt SIS but it proved fortunate
one as it soon became apparent that
the role of an affable and generous
host was natural to him. The repu-
tation of the old Clarendon grew
and grew and to meet the needs
Of enthusiasts: guests the size Of
the house was first doubled, then
tripled and still enlarged until Feb
ruary IA, 1909, the devouring flames
consumed the plant of $50 sleeping
rooms, and with reputation second
to none in the South.
The old Clarendon showed the
effects of good management and
taclful supervision and the proof of
this is that the first persons to en-
gage space in the new house are
those who had been longest at the
old hotel
After the fire Mr. Potter went to
Los Angeles, CAL, with business acu-
men at once saw the possibilities
OF the hotel business in that enter
prising city, and, strange to say, pur-
chased from NJ NJ Potter, an old
Florida Cracker the Hotel Van
Nuys. This house is situated in
the heart OF Los Angeles and has
long enjoyed the very cream of the
patronage of that vicinity. With his
customary enterprise and thorough
knowledge Of the needs OF a hO-el
Mr.. Potter at once made several rad
ical changes and innovations in the
house,. and today the Hotel Van Mugs
is unique ON the Pacific Coast. AS
an example, the truck growers, fruit
growers, meat markets and
all produce men know that for the
best of their goods they cam get more
money from the Van Mugs than from
any other house in Los Angeles. but
they also know that nothing but the
best will be accepted. For this reas-
everything in the Los Angeles market
and the prices charged in the Van
| Nuys restaurant are probably higher
than any other house, but full value
/ for the money is given. This is the
motto of E. L. Potter: Nothing is
too good for patrons of my house, =
and with the discriminating public
this always has and always will
/ find favor.
After putting the Van Mugs on the
footing where he wished it Mr.. Pot
ter returned to the place where he
had made his first start in the hotel
i business and at once took up the
task of giving to the Daytona vicinity
q hotel adequate to the rapidly in
creasing demands of a high class
patronage. February IA, one year
to day after the fire had swept
away the old Clarendon, work was
commenced on the new structure and
today Cess than a year from that
date Mr.. Potter stands welcoming
his guests to a house that has no
equal in the world for a strictly
winter season house. Mr.. Potter
has been criticized for permitting the
investment of SO much money in a
house with such short season, but
he has faith III this community and
states that he is firmly convinced
there are enough people who are at
tracted by the beauties of Daytona
and It's enyiroDS to fill the Hotel
Clarendon were it double the size,
and more SO because the guests can
lie down at night free from fear or
anxiety on account of fire.