The Fort Wayne Sentinel from Fort Wayne, Indiana • Page 12

mum wwn. Ml TEE FOltT WAYNE SENTINEL. Saturday, Jtm.Y ms. Fort Development of City's Hotels Marks Epoch in History of City's Business AdYancementFprmerly Commercial Travelers Avoided Fort Wayne Because of Lack of Adequate Hotel Facilities Now They Make It a Point to Centralize Work in This Territory Here. ABOUT four year ago, qr say five, to allow for th necessary com pariaona, the verage.mimbet of out Ida commercial travelere remaining in Tort Wsyn over Sunday was not mora than sevuty fiv.

Tblt number, of, courts, doet not include all the tran elnta who Sundayed here, but refers mainly to tboaa who stopped during the Kabbath at the three leailinR hotels in Fort Wayne live or more years agothe AvellM, Wayne and Randall. Today, after the erection of new ho tela aid tinea the older 'onea have been remodeled, thereby raising the standard of their usefulness, the average number of commercial; visitor who remain In the city over Sunday frequently exceed fba 300 nark. Thta la laying a great deal, when one considers the fact that not to many Tear ago commercial men avoided Ktirt Ways oa Sunders and holidays. Neither doel thli 3X) estirnnt include the largo number of present lay Sunday trantlenta, and we are at liberty to aay that those named 111 the latter elan ire coming to the city greater numbers now than ever before. According to Home of the leading hotel man, thoa who have been here contmu for many years, and.

knawomdl tlona ai they eilated then and they art at preaent, not more than 223 vis ltors registered daily at the lortl hotels five yean ago, and proprietor consul ered themselves fortunate if three fourfht of their total number of rooms were occupied at night, aa thoy rarely And themselves In the cltv ther are usually glad of it, and aa a rule, If they are In a neighboring town at the close of the day'a work, they carefully make arrangements that Will ultimately land them safely in fort Wayne for the night, and enter their well furnished rooms and ilip Into their comfortable beds, well pleased that tha territory is bo bounteously blessed with a city of modem hoetclnos. The increased number of transients of all hisses, visiting Fort Wayne daily Is due to the opening of new hotels and to the Improvements at the older ones, and the rit has become famous throughout the middle west as a city of good hotels and is a stronghold for our mod orn "knights of the grip" Results Art in Evidence, Business and jirofi ssional men and lommcreinl executives 01 tlifl city say I Ills la true, and for further confirms tion all one needs do to be coiivinceu of the results is to glnnee about and note the monstrous strides taken in every line of business and social en ilea lor In five years; then look Jmek cirefiillv over the records of past lorn men ml activity, and it will be eusily seen that 1 ort Wayne great progress l7ic'rogreHs that J1 rapidly one of the leading of the middle class cities ociurred and bus hi in going on since tho coming of more modern hotels lnsteaPVf driving commercial men to seek better places in other cities, ther were except at times when the city was imlu.ing them to come hern, to puss a a 'at. Hints ana tiAid ltsarn nttil fi entertaining a convention, county fair or aome other assemblage, Commercial men would Hock Into the city In great numbers for business pur poses, but they usually" managed to com early and go early, planning des perataly to avoid remaining here over night, Tha present Condition. Now on a conservative estimate, the total number of traveler who atop over night at Fort Wayne hotela ia in the neighborhood of 030, and on an especially good day during the business season for selling, thli figure will stand a generous Increase. If tha drummers their snare time here, and to Idle About the liotela and principal places aniuEurneTit, cn if they haVe no sfecjul buainesv prospects In the words of one of Fori Wji oldeftt hotel men In point of servo "years ago they used to run away from lort Wayne If they could convenient! do to pud not spoil a sale or miss a bill of goods." "Hill aamo man yesterday declared thstjn spite of the increased facilities In hotels, almost every one of them Is filled to the roof each night now, and the older traveling men who malco th rltory usually wire In advance 16 I i fores mwM I ''TTiiprinri 'irTHi WKELiiJLJiSIBmvSSmnLK BBBHBtiftfla SaiaaBr JLH HmWvllKtHHLw9l9pSHBKHk 'aanmtJ yn Wayne Hotels House Good Sized Army of Guests Each Nidit the Entire Year 'Round a.MMj r1 i i jysasey 'J wJ't Vlb(llKV, r1; JkakakakH98HOBBBBB.Hii4 i I1 lit i ii? IVK fttSPWNlB2i'l 1' f3 HI THE BALTES HOTEt.

THE ANTHONY HOTEL. room at 1 I W1L 'tlfl i l.i. X. lU 1 a nJL 1 yrr vf. ajkirL.

i nil .111 1 in itmmumtSimmmmtmm nii'ii 'iiil wiiiiwwawMasasasaaia THE CENniVKE HOTEt. ervntionn, em Mil of mmsinn' sis laAorite stopping place. There Is a Resson. The resson given for the ehnnged and ilmprovpi! conilitiffns is that flvq 01 more 1 1 ears ago tlm liavelm publie, toiisint ing of men ptLiTiKsinn or trade called thun upon Hie roiul, utie not nsed tu ami H'lv 111 111I1 dixliked thcr poor ho tel aeuiiuiuodntiniis olfired bv fort H'ltvim at that time It Is tine tint thete were ceitum of the old guird who remained lure Bt all times tlma territory but as a rule the rank ami Hie of commercial travelers avoided the nty if possible, it is suld becuuite other utim oiTri.cd better lioiil ueioiiiniuilutions. r.

iiiuiog boiiii' tu in, 1 ot'ii loog 1 mg iwiiiii mere not iiioie than 3tMi rooms for guests hotels where men who sill to the best trade ilisind to stop It is sikI Unit few cirs 040 traveling men coming to tort Uuvne I would rush 11 tou'li with their day's I 1 woik and tlien leave as qunkl 11s ptS 1 lute iarivnti among mime of the nidi fravilmg turn mid viLeiuns ol tins 'ternloiy ronlirms tins Some Recent Changes. Hve jevis ugo Una suimnir work was vfiuttd nil tin ill liottl and lort vuvnes 'wise heinU woggid in specu Intivv 11111111I1I1I. olfillllg Uie sugKt itiuii that it may In 11 niu hold out it tim b'g (or lort Wuviie right now In a sliurt tnni in tut during that Illlne jenr tlu Millie, dm tly fiiini the AiiHiioiv opt 111 its lii)utulili ili.ore for biisimts and it got nkit it ilisind 'J Inn the Hiijne one of the old Foit Movin liostpliim, stoiteil to and, when tlie wiirknieii left the place after" a few months' Julior it looked like a new. hotel. Its Undo increased nod itbared alnn in liminelng the eommerclal traveling fraternity that Fort Vnjno could take care of any reasonable number of laborers of the road.

Shortly after the Wayne improve ment were the ltandall hotel vvns subjected to a thorough remodeling, arm in a few innntlw the Alt Heidelberg vys built. Still the business men saw that Fort Wayne was not suf IJcuntly suppliod with hotels, snd the new C'entllvro was erected down on Baker street, near tho south depots, While track elevation at Calhoun street waa in progress, proprietors of th Weber hotel'saw a chance) for Improvement and immediately taking ad MM, edLda' jeje iiiaMiaiiMBMLT lBMMMIBjrBWnBffrtaQMyMitJtMfc 4" BsBBWaBtiiiBaliilBniliiW' jJ'St fc'ft REEEEBIEEWNEEMKut bLnH fininH ILnflM flflininH I tinh I 4 R'WvH lH cinV 1 tfeaiH 1 'fkJ jJaWjaaaTBPT BrB a i Ijaxl I MhT 4 5i tj. sW 11 Jl" njjwtttf HHHa aP9CinHaiaJ3inaxaattajHPfbHHKiljlBMlSsCS fibftPaVeVHWrVr9VlH9HK flL1tfivLiiiV, inininHaM iiHiiVSaCriMiaaTwMalBl aaaaaB If: THE WAYNE HOTEL. ALT HEIDELBERG HOTEL. vantage of the opoprtunity offered, remodeled this hostelry.

Increased Business. All of theso cIuhik'bs camo about within the last tiiii years, rt liethef w.o dar lay the prtiisc at 'the. feet of those whose fa.r lgfitcdnc; resulted in the erection of new hotels and remodeling Of nncient ones, of to sohie other cause, we must admit, ail of us, that Fort Wayne has been ''going some" tu that length of time. New industries have come to the city and old industries have increased their scope of operation, daily taking on more employes. The direct result of has noted one of the iuost remarkable Increases in the entire country sine 1010, There, is scarcely a day but what representatives of somp big do not come to Fort Wayne, calling upon commercial orgahuatlona'ahd biisM ness men, seeking a location lor tour Institutions.

We make all. due allowance for the excellent railway facilities and, then take occasion to add once more, that it aeemf since the opening of the'Anthony and othor hotels the city hat assumed a mora metropolitan air, While it population Is steadily becoming of a more cosmopolitan nature, typical of real American growing tnd prosperous municipalities. Vlsitora in Fort Wayne today who tlveme here yeara ago agree (hat something baa: 'wrought a wonderful change In this city; and ay that from a mere eojintr village of few year ago it ia rapidly becoming tho commercial center of the: state. The Little Hold. 'Tho ity holda a work it more of little hotel and new ones of this clai are being for business almost every season of th.

year, sll of them doing their eomoaratlve there in taking care of Fort Wayna't transient visitors. It la truly remarkable how many people patronize the smaller hotels, but while this ia strange for Fort Wayne, In a way. It la not aa most cities liars similar conditions in this respect. These smaller houae ran from thirty to fifty rooms. Soma of them tr modern la verj respect, will other art a ancient aa it Is possible for hotela to he.

actually1 burning oil lampa for lighting purposes sni.l containing wooden bwls. with, oldrfashioned for the guests. The Pioneer Hotels. According to aothoritative Information, the pioneer hotels of Fort Wayne wer the taverna of William, Suttenflcld and Alexander Ewing, built in 1824 at tho corner what is now Barr and Columbia streets. Then came, those built and operated by Joseph MeMaken, Samuel Lillie, John Spencer, John Trentman, and included In this list we must not forget to mention the old time hostelry Known as Liie isio aivu.

ias iatier was built in 1840 and stood at the cor ner of Wayne and Calhoun streets. It was deatroyedby.flrein.188S, Tha celebrated Eocthill houae, now forming a part of the atructure of St. Joseph' hospjtat, wa commenced in 1838, but was noVttscil as! hotel until fourteen yeouv afterwasdr and then for TlWUvuildilU. uaa etac ted 4a 889 and period of only thirteen ears. The lfedikin house, still standing and until recently used ns a hotel, Is located on Harr street, between Columbia And Main streets.

Jt was a famous hotel in the earlier da.vs. and in talking of 0rt Wayne in its village days, with some of the pioneers of the city, one today frequently hear the mention of the lleuc? kin house, one of the best patronised of the early hmtclries The old hpencer house stood on Calhoun street, between Main and Berry, where the court house is now located, directly opposite the Seidol block. This was a typical hotel of the old days, with its wide verandas and spreading' bal conies 'out over the street. It was of early southern style and also enjoyed a generous patronage. The Hotels of Today.

Fort Wayne ia how noted through the middle west a a city of good hotels, This reputation, ''however, has been tpreud broadcast only duung recent years. Included In the list of leading hotels are the ArUobny, Randall, Wayne, Ualtej, tntlivre, Alt Heidelberg, Kich, Weber and Hayes. The Anthony waa erected in 1900 at a cost of and recently a new addition waa completed, owing to the necessity for mors rooms. Was recently reinotleloil, as was tlio Wayne, erected 111 1H87 The Unites ho been In operation for four years and enjoys good patronage 14ie AH Heidelberg was opened about three yeara ago and is operated strictly on the "stag'1 nlnn, except for the cafe and grill rooms. The t'entlivre opened only a short tune ago anil its pntronage, it is said, comes mainly from travelers who desire to remain close tp tho railways, as this hotel is within less than five minutes' walk from eitlgr tho Pennsylvania, Grand ft'pidf'and Indiana and the Wabash, ia Iroad stations.

The Bath Houae, In addition to hotels, Fort Wayne ha one of the most modern Turkish bath houses In the state and nightly this place Is filled with guests. During special events in the city, such as conventions, the bath house contributes generously in relieving the room scarcity, Its baths are modern in every respect and the increasing demand for rooms, both permanent and transient, has led the manageemut to plan for an extensive addition. Thia was to hare been built thla season, but it has been delayed on account of certain property (Continued on Page 31. Column 1 JlyiBiEawjiA' VH JRfflWhlLSSHallHSaarat' Mwrf hw "11Wk i i ft Ii wY' Hwefc. THE RICH HOTEL, ry I i I XHX KANDALL jaajitogj.