Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-27

OF The sub surface retained by the city |
fol subway purposes, and fairly good |
prices were obtained.
There is an added complication in
connection with the old Aston House, |
however The north half of the prop
erty is owned by William Waldorf AS
ton and the other half by the estate
OF John Jacob .t5tor. The city will re
quire only Il portion of the nCrth half,
and ii is an open question whether
the courts would permit the condem-
nation of only half the property.
Foundation experts are divided in
their opinions as to whether the an
cient building can DC propped up or
not. TIC trutces of the Astor estate
have mad plans prepared for twenty
story building in case the foundations
of the old structure are found unable
to withstand the excavation beneath
them The character of this building
has not been decided upon. It may be
hotel with store and Office accom-
odations. or it may be solely big Of
flee building. Ina any event-since the
route oG the subway cannot be chang
edit is almost certain that the old
Astor House will have to go. Its fate
will be decided within the next few
months.
The Astor IIoase celebrated its sew
entN-hfth birthday July 1, 1909. Il is
not the eldest hotel in active operation
il the city The Eastern Hotel, at
Whitehall and South streets. was
ninety years old last May. The next
Oldest is the Stevens House at Broad
way and Morris street. The Astor
House comes third, but with its 900
rooms is much larger man those that
outrank it in seniority. The Aston
House has been a very profitable prop
crty from the very lightning. when it
was the most Fashionable hotel III the
metropolis Its corner stone WAS laid
at G O'Clock III the morning Of July 4,
1884, in the presence al about $50 spec
tators. II the structure is torn down
a box will lee found beneat! this tone
bearing . silver tablet with the fol-
lowing inscription
Laid the 4th Of July, is34
The Hotel TO BE Erected by john Jacob
AStor. Builders.
Philetus II. Woodruff. Peter storms.
Campbell 4 ADAMS.
Supcrntendents:
Isaiah Rogers and Nm. W. BurWick,
Architect.
Isaiah Rogers
In this same box are the daily pa
pers OF the preceding day-July 3, 1894,
the latest number of the Mechanics
Magazine, containing full. length
portrait of Lafayette, and Goodrieh's
picture of New York. In the Constella-
tiOn newspaper then published at
No. Is Ann street, it was stated al the
lime, together with the other dimen-
sions OF the vast building" that lin
the centre there will be Il courtyard.
measuring los feet by 76. Each of tho
fronts will be built OF blue Quincy
granite. As the principal entrance will
| be from Broadway, there will be four
columns-two of the Doric and two of
the Ahtae-surmounted with entabla-
ture"
one by one the famous old hotels Of
| New York nave gone, the Sinclair
House. the Gilsey, the Ashland. liz,
| Fifth Avenue and the rest that haSr
outliVed their usefulness. Nowadays
When some white haired old man asks
| Il cabman at the ferry or at the Grand
! Central or the Pennsylvania station To
| drive him to one of these obstetrics
of years ago-places where he stopped
| the last time he was in New York
| when d Young man--the Astor House
| is usually the one that he goes to in
| the end The .Astor House still pre-
| serves much the same appearance as
/ III the days before the civil war, when
| il was America 6 leading hotel. It's
| rotundd-whch the Old newspaper
| called "eourtyard.-iS now thronged
| at noon by hundreds of hurrying bus
! mess men. who sit on the tall stools
| around the long, curving counters and
/ get things To eat such as are served in
! a few of the older restaurants. Many
of the walters there and in the other
| dining rooms are gray-haired men,
| and have been working at the Astor
| House since they were boys. 1t is the
| onl, place in New York where every
| waiter is known both to the guests
| ana each other by his first name. 1t
| Is enc of the unWritten rules of the
| place that When one waiter addresses
| another lie shall always call him by
| his first name.
| The Astor House was finished in
| 1896. It's first proprietors were Cole
| man 4 Stetson. The annual rental
| WAS placed at $50 zoe, but as Coleman
| K Stetson were beginners at the hotel
| business old John Jacob Astor took Oft
| $500. thus reducing tie amount to
| 81, 500. This was one of the few acts
| of generosity that this hard listed old
| millionaire ever was guilty of. The re-
| duction WAS not attained, however.
| without furious bargaining on the part
| of the lesSees. Stetson continued as
| man1 ger. nearly tWo-score years
| The Astor House was begun on an
| aristoCratic basis. The terms-s3 "A
| daE-WerC more than double the rate
| charged rs any Of the other hotels.
The Southern gentry and prominent
! politicians made it their resort, and the
| proprietors placed number of lead
| ing statesmen on the list of invited
| guests. The most distinguished OF
these We're John Quincy Adams and
| Daniel Webster each OF whom had Il
| parlor and suite of rooms. Web
| ster's rooms adjoined those occupied
| by ThurloW Weed and We're Nos. l.
! and t.. All who occupied them in his
| absence took them on the condition
! that they must he vacated al a mo-
| mentS notice on bis return ON Web
! ster's death the partitions that divided
the rooms were torn down so that they