New-York tribune., 1921-09-04

IT'S HOtelS. Even the earliest and
l. plainest of them were described in
their day with superlatives When
the old inns disappeared, with their simple
comforts and the obsequious landlord bow
ing at the door, New FORK at once set about
developing the modern hotel Crude as the
early attempts now appear to us, they werc
the marvels Of their time, establishing new
standards Of luxury for American and Euro.
pean cities.
Hotels played as important part in the
life of New York century and more ago as
they do to-day. They were the scene Of the
great social functions and Of the public din
ncrs and festivities Before the city had
spread northward as far as City Hall there
were score of hotels whose fame had gone
throughout the country and abroad The
newspapers &C the period never tired of de-
scribing those hotels, and gave many charm
ing pictures of life in the quaint old town at
the beginning of the last century. Nothing,
perhaps, gives better idea of the remote
ness Of those days than the fact that room
and board at that time could be had for as
little as 81 week.
It was difficult to find any lodging or fur
nished rooms in old New York, and the hotels
were in great demand in consequence. The
number of people living in hotels in New
York was one of the curiosities Of the town.
much as it is to-day. And the popular hotels
we're those most convenient to the business
section, especially to Wall Street. Ths leaI-
ing hotels were to be found on lower Broad
way, Pearl Street and the cross streets Of this
region. The visitor to- New York also found
these hotels convenient to the docks, from
which the packets sailed twice week for
Europe, or the landing places Of the Albany
boats and the ferries, while the stage coaches
came to the hotel doors.
Even in those days New York had it's down.
town hotels which were patronized only by
business men. The old Ohio Hotel on Pearl
Street, near Hanover Square, was one Of such
An early description of the Ohio Hotel states
that sit will be observed that the people look.
ing from the windows Of this hotel regarding
the busy scenes on Pearl Street are entirely
Of the masculine gender Amid this busy
scene the fairer part of creation rarely if
ever ventured. We should as soon expect to
see Liverpool packet steering her course
up Broadway as to detect a woman in this
part of Pearl Street"
One gains good mental picture Of the
old city from the hotel directory. In the
first decade of the century Broadway boasted
three of the principal hotels-the City Hotel
Washington Hall and Merchants Hail. On
Wall Street stood the Tontne Coffee House
and Merchants Hotel, on Pine Street the
Bank Coffee House, Pearl Street the Com
mercial Hotel and on Nassau Street Tam
many Hall. BY 1887 New York had some
sixty hotels, the population having increased
meanwhile to 100000 Three of these hotels
we're run on the European plan, the rest on
the American plan. Hotel rates meanwhile
had risep somewhat. In the European plan
hotels the rates varied from $3.50 to $3.50 q
week, exclusive of meals. In the other hotels
beard and lodging could be had at from $3.50
to $3.50 a day. AS late as 1847 an adver-
tisement of the old Astor House. which was
then the last word in luxury, gives the rates
for room and meals at So day and for pri.
vate parlors suites of rooms with private
meals So day.
The old bills OF fare as thew were than
called make very interesting reading. In the
best restaurants roast meats-beef, veal, lamb
and pork-were six pence, or 12 cents. The
highest priced meat dishes offered were on.
shilling or rs cents, including roast turkey.
goose, chicken or duck. Siroin steak was
one shilling, as boiled lobster The six
pence dishes included chicken soup fresh SAL
mon, meat or veal pie. One of the surprises
of the list is the price of ham and eggs. which
was one and six, or about SO cents The des
serts were all six pence, including plum pud-
dings and all kinds of pie. Eggs were six