FAMOUS HOTELS.
“GNIFICENT ESTABLISHMENTS ‘ WHICH
HAVE NO EQUALS IN THE WORLD.
IO Lnu'r To Tasmnnnn Ann vARIETr main
index THE TRAVELLER cm CHOOSE-1F
‘ one HAS THE MONEY HE can ENJOY
Couronfrs AND Luxonms FIT
FOR A KING—noon STRUCT—
URES WITH COSTLY
. , ' . FURNISHINGS. ,_
no, none of the establishments of modern life
Is the superiority of New-York more apparent
than in the number, equipment and sumptuous-
ness of her hotels. There is no limit to the va—
riety of the hostleries here, and every conceiv-
able class of hotels .is represented, from the old-
fashioned house, managedv on' the American
’ plan, to the more modern ones. conducted in the
European style. Then, too, there are numerous
hotels where both systems are in operation, and
among the last are some of the most notc-
worthy of all.
In addition, the many handsome apartment-
houses, and the more modern institution, the
Raines law hotel, provide shelter and comfort
for all classes and conditions of people, no mat-
ter from what part of the globe they may come
or for how long or short a period they may
want to tarry with us. ’.
There are hotels for the birds of passage who
come and go in a single day; there are hotels
for those'who like to live‘thus the whole year
round. If a person is exclusive he can find ho—
tels here where his privacy is absolute; there
are, on the other hand, many houses which are
thoroughly democratic. There are numerous
hotels in New-York where the simplest purse
will suffice; others where the most-sumptuous
and elaborate banquets can bedspread on the
shortest possible notice. ~
SUPERB BILLS OF FARE.
Epicurus himself might stroll into any one of
a dozen New-York hotels and find a menu
which would lack nothing that he might desire.
Those who are fond of poring over figures and
who like to make comparisons and investiga—
tions, have often been led to remark that the
hotel,_business is being overdone in ‘this city.
Tiréquill tell you that there is not room enough
for,,.,t,h-e immense buildings, and that there is
not‘enough patronage to go around. But despite
such utterances, new hotels are continually be-
ing built, each seemingly more lavish than its
predecessor, and the business of all appears to
be moving along serenely and satisfactorily.
Occasionally a badly managed house. or one
that has outlived its day of usefulness closes its
doors, but these are the exceptiOns, so rare as
almost to call for wonderment. No one can
make a study of the hotels of New-York and
not be amazed at the remarkable resources, pro—
gressiveness and energy of those who operate
' them. Years ago, when the Grand Central and
the New-York hotels represented the limit of en-
deavor in this direction, no one dreamed that a
few short years would see a dozen or more
hotels reared above Twenty-third-st. that would
far surpass anything that had then been thought
of. It would be impossible to surpass such a
row of magnificent hotels as is represented by
the Waldorf-Astoria, the Windsor Hotel, the
Hotel Nethesland, the Holland House,_ the
Gilsey House, the Brevoort House, the Hotel
Imperial, the Marlborough Hotel, the Hotel Ven-
dome, the St. Cloud Hotel, the Manhattan Ho—
tel, the Hotel Empire, the Hotel Endicott, the
Broadway Central Hotel, the Astor House, the
Hotel Martin. the Sinclair House. the Park
Avenue Hotel, the Gerard Hotel, the Hotel Bris-
tol and the Hotel Majestic.
IN ACCORD WITH AMERICAN TASTES.
The American people are famous travellers.
and if there is one way that an American en-
joys spending his money more than another it
is in seeing the country. New-York is the ob-
Jective point for all. Its attractions are unlim-
ited, its opportunities for pleasure and enjoy-
mentso varied that it is a mighty magnet tow-
ard which all are attracted. .
The Horse Show brings the wealth and society
of the entire country within our doors, and at
such a time the hotels are radiant with beauty
and fashion which no capital of the universe
can excel. New—York, also, is the great clear—
house for European travel, and every one who
goes to Europe or comes from there passes
through the city. Most of these travellers lin-
ger here for a time. . _
At other seasons the merchants congregate
here from all parts of the country. Then there
are the thousands who, having a few weeks’
leisure, desire to spend it here. Most of them
are obliged to go to the hotels, and thus the
mighty tide of business flows continually.
That conditions have changed materially in
the hotel business in this city there is no doubt.
Guests are no longer willing to be. on hand for
meals three times a dayrat a stated hour, and a
poorly furnished room with a buvl, a bed and
a. chair hardly suffices. Nowadays the hotel
must offer a great deal more.
RESTRICTIONS ARE FEW.
In the European hotel the guest to-day finds
.perfect freedom. At any hour of, :he‘o‘ay or
night, whenever the mood or fancy strikes; him,
he can have his meals served prom’ptly and
with no [unnecessary waits toltry'l’ris 'fatience.
He is not confined to any proscribed mm], but
finds a (bill of fare upon which thefvar‘ety is
infinite. He orders only what ."¢.5"'a“1§. and
pays only for what he gets. Theadvantagfis of
such a system are obvious. Under the 01.] r-la-n
aguest frequently paid torrmeals he did not
get, and more often paid for a variety of arti-
cles he did not want. For many persons the
big hotels of New-York provide a substitute for
home. In various parts of the house there are
apartments that are completely separate from
the rest of the hotel The apartments vary in
size and price. Entrance to them is effected by
I. door from one of the hillways. and’wnen this
/
METROPOLITAN ’Hoilibliv ; f. , UPPLEMENT; -
. door is closed there is no-other entrance to the.
apartment. It is nr&lically-the same. as »- the
floor,.o.f a private house, and here everything is
provided. There are the parlor and lounging.-
room,‘the bedroom,‘ the bathroom, the kitchen.
‘and the pantry. The guests in the apartment
may have their.» own servant-s or they, may Jpake
use of- the house r:mploycs. The hotel stables
may be used to keen horses, or the hotel car-
riages may be utilized. The cares of house—.
keeping are thus reduced to a minimum or done
away with altogether. When the family wishes
to take a trip 'or to move elsewhere there is no
furniture to be packed, no big house. to be closed
and no servants to be looked after.
WHAT THE HOUSEWIFE CONSIDERS.
Another advantage is the tact-that the rent.
ceases with the moving,_ and the ,Juemlxrrsfiqi
the family can come back at any time and'lake
.up their old quarters. '
The modern hotelkceper, in order to be up
with the times, must cater to every little want
of his guests, and the butt-ls hem provi-le a
thousand and one things which adri to the com-
fort- of those who patronize them. No expense
is: spared in the building and furnishings. The
plumbing is of ‘he most approved style, and the
most improved methods of lighting, healing,
elevator service and call bells are used; in tact,
everything relating to the mechanical service in
the house is as nearly perfect as modern science
can make it. It is hardly necessary to mention
that the provisions against fire are as adequate
also. '
In the building of the great modern hotels
only the finest materials have been used, and,
in the interior decorations the artist as well as
the artisan has contributed to the general re-
sult. Nothing tawdry has been used. Good
pictures adorn the walls, and the finest statuary,
brie-a-brac and tapestries add to the general
effect. The apartments are decorated after va-
rious styles, but harmony is sought in each.
The best-known decorators and firms here con-
tribute to the result. One suite will be Moorish,
another French. another German, and so on,
but each will be perfect in its way. -
In some of the suites old furniture, is used
that is almost priceless. The Old Astor family
plate and furniture are in one of the rooms of
the Waldorf. The Netherland has an old
Dutch room of quaint and striking beauty. In
the Savoy the great marble ramp of palms in-
vites attention, and the great rotunda of the
Manhattan, with its broad marble stairway, is
exquisitely beautiful. The Imperial has a palm
garden handsomely finished in onyx and marble,
and the Astoria's corridors are always gorgeous
with fashion. '
A METROPOLITAN SCENE.
A view of any one Ofithc great hotels during
the season’s height is in itself worth a visit to
New-York. During the Horse Show week, or
at any time when New-York is crowded with
visitors, the hotel rotundas present a picture,
particularly in Us evening about dinner time,
which cannot be surpassed." The' broad rotun-
das’ are filled with men in evening dress, and
women gorgeously gowned, who saunter to'and
fro, or spend their time lounging in the easy-
chairs' and settees. The rotun‘das are redolent
with flowers and palms, from the shelter of
which come the strain." of Hungarian music. No
hotel in New-York now offers many claims for
recognition as a modern house that does not
spend hundreds of dollars each year for flowers,
decorations and music.
For persons who avoid the glitter and glare.
and whose tastes are quiet, there are many
hotels. There are any number which are fa—
vorite resorts with business men or those who.
having no home, find their comfort in a quiet
hotel. Away uptown. around the Park, where
the air is sweet and the scene at all times pict—
uresque, there are a number of hotels which
cater strongly to families. They are furnished
as completely as, a modern home. and provide
every comfort for their guests. While accessi-
ble and convenient at all times, their situation
is such as to relieve them in a large measure
of the bustle and turmoil incident to the great
hotels for transients. -
9—_.___._
PER FUMERY MA NLWACTURE.
AN INDUSTRY WHICH HAS BEEN CON-
DUCTED IN THE ,. METROPOLIS
WITH GREAT SUCCESS. '
A visit to the large warehouse of one of the
perfumers of New-York" suggests a walk in a
garden rich‘ with the full blossoming of sum-
mer. The air is redolent with many odors blend-
ing sweetly, and the senses are assailed by de-
lightful excitations. -
The skill of the chemist has preserved th
richest of nature's perfumes, and here they are
found in concrete and useful form. Flowers
wither and fade; their petals are scattered by
every chance wind that bloWs, and their es-
sence would be transitory and fleeting were it
not for the skill and research of man. Therein,
at least. he has improved on, or at any rate
made permanent, what in nature is ephemeral.
There are some kinds of flowers which are re-
stricted to certain'localities; their delicacy pre-
vents them from being transplanted. The per-
fumer says that no one locality shall have a
monopoly of the sweet essence of those particu~
lar flowers, so he culls them, and by the magic
of his laboratory robs them of their sweetness,
imprisons it in vials, and sends it to all parts of
the earth.
Again there are flowers which spring forth for
brief periods at certain seasons of the year, and
are not seen again until a twelvemonth has
passed. But my lady cannot wait so long for
those choice odors, so the chemist must like-
wise steal from them their fragrance, that it
may be had in and out of the season of the
flower’s growth.
._ The use of perfumes is confined to no class or
race of people, and sweet-smelling flavors were
much favored by the ancients. Even among
uncivilized nations the. practice of using per-
fumes seems to have been general. “In the very
'heart of Barberie," wrote an essayist, “the
Scythian women did sprinkle, dawbe.and powder
all their bodies and faces over with a certain
odoriferous drug that groweth in their coun—
try." The same writer continues: "Physitians
might (in mine opinione) draw more use and
good from odours than they doe. For myselfe
have often perceived that according unto their
strength and qualitle they change and alter, and
move my spirits, and work strange effects in
me; which makes me approve the common say-
ing,'that_the invention of incense and perfumes
in ‘churches, so ancient and far dispersed
throughout all nations and religions, had; an
especial regard to- rejoyce. to comfort. to
quicken, to rowse and to, purify our sense, that
so We might be the apter and readier unto con-
templation." , _
The manufacture of perfumery is an industry
that has been -succeSSfully carried on'in this
city for many years, and there are Several firms
here-whose businesshas deVeloped to enormous
proportions. One manufacturer has made no
less than ten‘or a dozen tripsto Europe simply
for the, purpose‘ of studying the methods of
- manufacture. . ‘
The variety of godds made by the New-York
firms is inimitable, and includes everything
from- the cheaper grades of perfumery to the
choicest_. and nwstwexpensive ”extracts." ‘The
goods are carefully assorted and placed in vials
made expressly for thevpurposep Large quanti-
ties. are sold directly from the manufacturer’s
warehouses or jobbed'by‘the wholesale drug
houses of the city... . , .. _ ,
_____ . .
HUGE PACKING INTERESTS.
ENORMOUS BUSINESSDONE BY CONCERNS
IN THIS CITY.
The packing business has developed rapidly
in NeweYork and its immediate vicinity, and
within: the last ten or fifteen years has become
an industry of extensive and important propor-
tions. Several large plants are operated, and
in addition to a large business in this country, I
they have considerable trade abroad:
The trend of all manufacturing businessis to ~
get the factory as near as possible to the source
of supply. This fact has been largely responsi—
blc for the development of the great slaughter-
ing interests in the West. The trimming, cur—.
ing and treating of the killed product are
matters into which the question of water, air
and process enters, and in which the facilities
for cOnsumption and transportation are large
factors. ,
This city possesses all of the former advan-
tages, and its enormous population and unex-
celled transportation facilities have aided in the
development of a great packing industry. Some
idea of the importance of this industry may be
gathered from the fact.that one of the large
packing concerns of the country issued a state—
ment in August last, showing that it had paid
dividends since April 1. 1885. amounting to
$11,857,931. The capital stock of this firm on
April 23, 1893, was increased to $15,000,000. Its
distributive sales from January to June, 1898,
inclusive, as compared with the same period of
1.897. showed an increase of over $15,000,000,
equal to 25 per cent. , '
The development of the packing and slaugh-
tering industry of the country and the progress
in the methods of preparing meat have been ac-
companied by progress also in the treatment of
.hides, bones, fat, grease, glue and blood. In
.the, olden time these adjuncts to the slaughter-
house did not receive much attention, being re-
garded as mere accessories to'the business, and
they were seld for little or nothing, much as
‘junk might be disposed of to-day. This applied
less to hides than to the other items mentioned,
but even in the matter of hides a remarkable
change has taken place.
In the old—fashioned days of slaughtering
hides were taken off without any care or with-
out any regard as to their subsequent value as
a commercial commodity in the market. Cuts
and “scores" were the rule rather than the ex-
ception, and the result was that dealers or tan—
ners bought hides “fiat.” In other words, they
"bought a pig in a bag,” took the good with the
bad and paid a uniform price. The crossroads
slaughterer still does his business in this way,
but as a general rule the whole system is
changed. A bullock or a calf is “stripped" or
"‘drcssed” with every regard for the value of
the hide, and the result is that this important
branch of the business is now much more profit-
able.
In the treatment of the other products the
progress has been rapid and interesting. Every
year sees the discovery of new methods to be
applied in the packing-house. and what was
formerly considered insignificant refuse is now
put to some use. The manufacture of common
fertilizer has :grown correspondingly with the
development of the packing and slaughtering-
house industry, and the annual production of
fertilizers now reaches $40,000,000.
Some of the foremost chemists of the world
are devoting their time to a study of the sub-
ject with a view of discovering processes for
reducing the cost and increasing the efficacy of
fertilizers. The farmers of the country have
also given more attention to the question of fer-
tilizers in recent years, and now know exactly
what they want. It was recently predicted that
the production of fertilizers will reach an ag-
gregate of $100,000,000 annually within the
next ten or twelve years. '
While this industry represents only one of
the many which are factors of the packing and
slaughter-house industry, its importance as a
single item suggests the extent of the business
in general. .
THE HOG-SLAUGHTERING INDUSTRY.
Previous to 1870 New—York City received its
supply of live hogs from the farmers,~drovers
and commission men, who made it their business
to' see that New-York was kept in full supply.
The business at that time, both in the shipping
and slaughtering of cattle and hogs, was in a
crude and primitive state. Large numbers of
dressed hogs were shipped .here from the West
in winter, and thousands of them could be found
on sale atthe different stations used as sale
places. They were in a frozen condition, and
many days were required before they would be
fit to cut up ready for sale. The'process at
that time for slaughtering hogs began with the
driving into an. inclosed pen, about ten feet
square, as many hogs as could possibly be
penned—say, twentyvto twenty-five. The killer
then with iron mallet crushed-in the skulls of
the'animals until they were insensible; then
with sharpened knife cut the throat of each,
and left it to bleed in the narrow inclosure
until life was extinct, the blood'flnding its way
to the sewers, to remain summer as well as
winter, andto poison the air coming from the
river, especially at 10v»r tide.
All this is happily changed now. and, with the
modern facilities at present in use, a great im-
provement exists, which is a benefit to the
dealers as well as to the public. The old method
of 'slaughtering hogs has entirely disappeared,
and in its place has come the new and better.
The animal is now raised by the hind leg and
.19
'hung on an iron rail, and its throat cut in that
. position; ‘, which thoroughly drains the blood
,from the animal,‘and is left until life is extinct
i before being dropped inthe scalding. vat, with a. ,
=temperature of about 140 degrees,. the whole
process consuming about thirty seconds. As.
soon as scalded the animal is thrown by a
steam lifter to the bench, to enter a hair—scrap-
.ing machine, which removes the hair; afterward
‘it is moved along the bench .to be finished by
I the scrapers and shavers until every hair, from
‘head to tail, is removed. The animal is then
,cast off the bench with a gamble and hung on
ithe iron track With iron roller wheels, to be
opened and the entrails taken. out; then thor-
oughly washed by the use of the Croton water;
iron— -19“? -. running .. opposite 'Ial‘oh‘g‘“ wooden
fifties; The hog is hung up, ready for delivery
the next morning. _In the slaughtering estab-
lishments in 'New-York City and its vicinity
two hundred hogs can be “slaughtered" in one
hour. Formerly all blood entered the city
4 sewers; now every particle of blood and offal is
saved, and, with the aid of iron tanks and
dryers, in twenty-four hours produces a fertil-
izer 'of dried blood which analyzes about 15 per
cent ammonia. It "is not alone of commercial
value, but in a sanitary way is a, great benefit
to the community. No offence is given to the
public, which formerly was c0mpelled to breathe
the unwholesome air proceeding from the vari-
ous slaughtering districts of the city.
The first improved slaughtering abattoir with
all modern methods was erected in 186-1 at the
foot of West Thirty-ninth-st. by the firm 0!
Crane & Sperry. In 1885 a State law was
passed setting off the district bounded on the
south by \Vest Thirty-ninth—st., north by Forty-
, first-st. and west by Eleventh-ave. to the North
{River, which is the only territory where hogs
can be slaughtered Without violating the law.
The first blood-dryer used in New-York City
was put in use by Mr. Crane in 1873. Now
every establishment engaged in slaughtering
has them in use, and many of the pork-packers
have found it profitable to use them for drying
the residuum from the rendering of fat from the
hog, which was formerly hardly salable.
The‘present hog-slaughterers buy their sup-
plies 1n the West, while formerly ample sup—
plies were on sale in this city. Only a small
percentage of the hogs. received come here for
sale. Before the Civil War the names of Ar-
mour, Swift, Morris and others were unknown to
the pork trade. To-_day these great merchants,
known over two hemispheres, are -rc—aping their
profits from the new device for utilizing all
parts of the hog, which from lack of knowledge
were useless in the early days of their business
career.
New-York City uses in various ways about
two-million hogs auyear. The. trade has kept
pace with all modern improvements, and in a
sanitary way never received more commenda-
tion from the Board of Health than at the
present time.
0-.
STOCK YARDS.
.EXCEPTIOXAL RAILROAD AND WATER FACILI-
TIES ADD To. THEIR CONVENIENCE
' AND ACCESSIBILITY.
Enormous quantitiesof cattle, sheep and hogs
arehaudled every year through the Stock yards
of Jersey City. . '
The Central Stock Yard and Transit Com-
pany has a capacity for 120 cars of cattle, 100
cars of sheep and vast numbers of hogs. It has
also added recently a ring for horses, and the
new feature is proving’exceedingly popular. It
has facilities which weretested during the war,
and handled as many as 125 cars of horses on
the way to and from Camp I’Vikoff and Cuba.
The yards cover an area of sixteen acres. with
every facility for buying, ' slaughtering and
keeping of; stock. .All meat is inspected and
stamped by Government inspectors. 'Among the
firms who do an extensive business through the
medium of these yards are S. Judd & Co., D.
.icPherson & 00., Sherman & Culver, Newton
& 00., M. Collins, S. Sanders, Harrington & (30.,
J. Schamberg and Sanders & Eckstein. The
last two firms do a large business in exports. .
The company operates four ferryboats for the
transfer of stock.
Exceptional railroad and water facilities add
to the convenience and accessibility of the plant.
At the Central stock yards as many as 3,000
hogs are killed in one night, and from 8,000 to
12,000 sheep and about 1,200 calves are han-
dled in a day. -
The receipts for 1897 were as follows:
IIea d. | Head.
Cattle .............. 165,524 I Sheep ....... . ...... 1,089,853
Hogs ............... 778.7421 Cal ves’ ............. 74,245
________.—__—
LITE STOCK MERCHANTS.
CATTLE FROM ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY SENT
TO NEW-YORK FOR SALE.
A large, amount of business is done in’ this
city by firms who are engaged in selling cattle
on commission. Stocksra'isers fromall Over the
surrounding country, as. well as the. Western
States, send their cattle, sheep and hogs to be
disposed of at the local yards and those in Jer-
sey City. The Baltimore‘and Ohio,’-Pennsyl—
vania, Chesapeake and Ohio, Erie, “’est' Shore,
Delaware and Lackawanna and Lehigh Valley
railroads are called upon daily-:torfurnish trans-
portation for stock shipped "to this market.
The stock is sent on consignment to the com-
mission merchant, who‘assumes the-risk of the
sales. A commissiorrmerchant may sell cattle
and take a note in payment, but he incurs the
responsibility, as the money is at once paid to
the‘man who sent the cattle to be sold. The
Icommissions paid for selling are $1 per head
i for'cattle, 10 cents per head on sheep and lambs,
520‘cents per head "on calves, and 2 per cent on
'hogs. As the sales' of each of the larger firms
. average from $300,000 ‘to $500,000 a’year, it will
f be seen that the business is a vast one.
i From the beginning of May to the middle of
December the 'Jersey‘ City commission mer-
chants handle 'large .quantities of stock from
Sduthern States, such as West Virginia. Vir-
ginia and Kentucky. From January to May,
,NewLYork, Pennsyl‘vinia, Ohio, Michigan and
{the Western States supply theyards. ~A large
share of the business in calves" is done by the
New-York firms, and their'sales for' the year
I of this‘fi'né item will; probably average two hun-
'dred and fifty thousand head. In addition,
fifty thousandsheep and lambs are sold by local
firms. a.An important feature of the business in
.this city is the slaughtering of hogs, which is
done on an enormous scale atithe yards on tb'
, West Side.
then placed on an iron track by-the use of an“.
‘something like, one million tw‘b hundred and.
Norwalk Chronicler