The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-07-02
WEISS Now OUT OF
THE PLACER HOTEL
FRED E. KESSLER ACQUIRES OP-
GRATING COMPANY OF HELL
ENA'S LEADING HOSTELRY
Maurice Weiss, Best Known Hotel
Man in Montana, Retires; Is Go
ing to Spend Summer and Winter
Loafing; Knows More Politicians
Than Any Other Montanan

BY a deal completed last week
Fred E. Kessler becomes the owner
of the Placer Hotel Operating COM
pany and has assumed charge of the
property. The new owner has not yet
completed his plans for the conduct
of the hotel, but Maurice Weiss who
has been manager since it's opening in
1913, will remain in charge temper
arily.
In selling out his interests In the
operating company, Weiss adds an
other chapter to his successful bust
ness career in Montana. He remark
ed in discussing his latest move that
he had started several businesses in
Helena and every time he sold out
one his successor made money out of
the deal He never yet has unloaded
a failure, he says, and he is proud of
that record.
Probably no hotel man in Montana
has a wider acquaintance and circle
of friends than has Maurice Weiss.
He knows every politician, big and
little, in the state. He has listened
to their troubles, schemes and aims.
He has lent a sympathetic ear when
their plans failed and has rejoiced
with them when they put one over. In
fact, he has been in pretty close touch
with legislation as 1t has been made
in Montana ever since he has been in
charge of the hotel, it being recog-
nized that a considerable portion of
Montana's legislation has been franz
ed in the Placer.
Weiss left st. Paul for Montana
when he was IL years of age. That
was in 1888. Figure his age for
yourself. He was Is when he got
here, travel being rather slow in
those days, especially when one was
travelling as was Weiss. He started
to work and he is proud to have it
said that he has been working ever
since. In 1901 he bought the Old
Stand, one of the better class resorts
of the kind in the old days before the
18th amendment put stop to such
enterprises. This place he sold IN
1905 to the late George Hansen.
After selling the Old Stand he
opened what later became known as |
the Gordon bar. Then a year later, |
in 1906, he opened the Weiss cafe. In |
1912 he sold the bar to Mike Gordon,
who has conducted it ever since, first |
as saloon and then as a soft drink
In 1913 he retired from
the management of the cafe to as
sumo charge of the Placer hotel,
which had just been completed, SELL
a half interest in the eating place to
Zeb Melhorn, who continues it's oper-
alton.
Weiss, as soon as he is relieved |
from his duties at the hotel, plans to
spend simmer loafing. He is just
completing a summer home in the
Blackfoot country and intends to put
in the most of the time there Then
In the fall he is planning on a short
visit to some of the southern resorts,
in Florida. He says he will
hen return to Montana and look
around for some sort of business ac-
.ivity, but he adds it will not be a
lotel and gives as his reason that
here is too much grief in connection
With running a public place of that
Kind. He admits he is seeking some I
hing that will give him the mini &
mum amount of worry. {
While his plans are entirely indefi- :
lite, he is almost certain to return to
Helena and gives as his reasons that |
f he goes broke he figures he will
tand better chance of being cared /
or among his friends than among
trangers.