The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-06
FACING OPERATION
GIVES AIDS $4,000
johnny Bittncr Promises !
Employees Hotel Profits
Over $4,000 Yearly.

The mirrored mahoganied ale room OF
the century old Eastern Hotel, on the
shaded corner OF South and Whitehall
streets. was uncommonly quiet yester-
day. and seafaring men, old and young
who gathered there. az is their wont on
winter afternoons. held their tongues In
the way they do when the sea is angry
and the morrow uncertain. One entering
the place Immediately sensed the strange
ness. and inquiring was told that Johnny
B.ttner. for twenty-five years proprietor
OF the famous hosiery. was operated
upon In the morning
On the night before Bittner was taken
severely III and summoned DR. John F.
Erdman. who was Theodore Roosevelt's
physician Then he called william +.
Stiner. manager OF the hotel; Albert
Either and Cornelius Costello. two other
| employees. and before leaving for Roose-
| welt Hospital he said;
This Is the third time I'm going under
the knife. boys and now | want to do
something to reward your faithfulnesa
| You. William. get so per cent; Albert,
YOU get % per cent. and COMFY Is per
cent. Of all the profits over $4,000 a
year"
! As the hotel pays about $4,000 a
year according TO conservative estimate,
the gifts are considerable.
Those who thought the northward
march Of bushes would end the career
OF the hotel were mistaken. for Mr.
Bittner purchased the property about
year ago. Immediately afterward he
ANNOUNCED the New Eastern Hotel. a
modern ten story structure, soon would
! be built on the site. Plans for the
new building have been In the making
! for several months.
! Ever since the days of Daniel Webster,
Robert Fulton and Jenny Lind the East
| ern has been one of the landmarks OF
New York. II was originally the Eagle
Hotel, built back in 1922 by Capt John
| Cole. a we'll known skipper. who used In
Its construction great mahogany beams
foot square that he had brought on his
ship from South America as ballast. II
! was originally -four warehouse
Wall Street. merchants. soldiers. sea
men, sportsmen and politicians patron
! lied the Eastern in its heyday, NIFTY
years ago. when II was the liveiiest rem
dezvous in Manhattan.
There F. T. Barnum parked his Car
diff Giant al night after his freak show
at Park Row and Ann street; there
Jenny Lind stayed when she sang al
Castle Garden: there Dynamite Johnny
O'Brien. the fiiibuster. planned his raids
on Contra, and South American coun-
tries there Gen. Hancock recruited hi,
regiment Of Zouaves. and from the win
dows OF an entire floor OF the hotel
which he rented. Commodore Wander
bilt and his guests watched the races
on regatta day.
When ships docked at South stree,
in those days their bowsprits used &c
extend across the street and almost uI
20 the windows OF the MOTEL. The skip.
per OF the schooner Arthur Seawel
when in port occupied room In the
hotel. a step from the jibboom of his
ship, and at all hours OF the day and
night sailors carrying messages 10 hin
used TO ignore the doorway OF the hote
and take the short route Of shinnyhs
up the howsprit The custom had thu
cops Of the day running on false alarm
burglar scares all the while.
II was reported at Roosevelt Hospita
last night that the operation upon Mr.
Bittner had proved successful.