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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 4, 1915)
Tim OMAHA SUNDAY BEE : APRIL 4, 1915. Many Landlords Try the Merchants Hotel 80 (Contlnuf i from Furs On) It Uk4 hi V91 Taiton, Hu1tt A Psvsnport took It and conducted It until 1W sVIr) Pandr n I.nndlnril. Tht fr s, short tlm It was mnsjrl ty Dundy Flt'lnnrr. This wss "FKIp" firartT, who Uter went to New York and hunt th hippodrome and Lwna Park at Coney Inland. They eipected to make a fortune out of the hostelry durlnf the Trans-Mississippi and Greater America. expoaltloM, but were dlnappolnted. and when the e Mrftfn rim tA & rioM thev decided that there were hlack daya ahead for I half a dollar more than uiaial he rs a Omaha. They displayed a deelra to f't out from under the Merchant and lost no time In doing so. Alas for them! They were, like pros- chanta' waa It lorAtlon, which was and la the finest Imanlnabt?. "And another thins; that helped to make It a rrat success was the rule which I made tiever to raise my prices. Kvrn during Ak-fUr-Rrn, when everything everywhere waa crowded I kept my prices' Just the same as other times. Of course. we had to crowd up a little closer, but people got their beds and meals at the same cost as they did when there was nothing going on In the city. This ex erted a great Influence In our favor. A man doesn't mind sleeping on a cot at a time like that, but If you charge him rectors who have dug a hole and finally vrodge against you and that hurts your hotel a whole lot more than the addl- tlonal money can aver pay for." Not All from Mpotlmidi Which dissertation on the art of cor hare become discouraged and eold their j nerlng ftnd capturing the nimble and claim just as meir iwks wrr ..v flnet tooUd dollar merely proves that not bring up the yellow gold nugget. j th caj)ny mpn come frV gcotland. . It was true that the expositions were i . , ihs. iaM. ui manage- over. But why did It follow necessarily 1 ment of th6 hoU, Mr Peters after his ! remarkable reign of fifteen years, to the new proprietor and his personal friend. Lan Oalnes, Is chronicled elsewlu-re to gether with a sketch of the interesting I and extraordinary career of that young man up to the present time. i Mr. Peters can't thro off the notel j habit nor get rid of the assoclatlona of ; the old Merchants", where he has spent so many happy and profitable years. ies Kaae by Keeping Busy. Aa stated, ha keeps his old rooms, hut takea life easy, aa a successful man can. He la alwaya up bright and early in the morning about 11 a. m.. thua again prov ing the correctness and profound truth of the old adage: "Karly to bed and early to rise Make a man healthy, wealthy and wise. Ha has a big automobile and his own chauffeur. This Is the fifth car ha has owned. And every day shortly after noon ha takea a long rlda in the fresh air. When It waa suggested by the lnter vtewsr, a disciple of osone and exercise, that he should walk', he aaid he would much prefer that method of taking air, but didn't Ilka tha Idea or practice of walking alone and moat men are too busy to walk much. 4 Tea, Mr. Peters Is gregarious, a mixer, aa good landlords are always. And he can be found around tha lobby of the Merchants' now as much aa when he was there greeting bis guests. that Omiht waa to suffer from that fact 7 K vents showed that the very reverse was the case. . At any rate Dundy ft BlUlnger gava over the hotel to H. U. Hake and on November 1, UP. Herman B. Peters came to Omaha as manager fthe Merchants . He didn't come quite voluntarily. He was) an experienced hotel man and the Merchant didn't look to him very promising as a money maker. However, William Paxton. the elder, persuaded him to take hold of It because he knew of his work In the Hotel Koehler In Grand Island. This Is getting ahea4 of the story a little, for Mr. Petera waa not proprietor at once. Ha managed the hotel for Mr. Hake for a while, several months, and then In 1 ha took full charge. Motel Flada Itself. WIUJ him tha Merchants "found itself." Up to that time It had struggled along somehow with very Indifferent SMocess. Mr. Patera methods and management et It off on a marvelous career of success. It Is said that In hla fifteen years of management he made half a million dol lars. In tact ha made so much money and acquired so much property, chiefly In tha ahapa of farms, that ha aold out the hotel on December 1 to Dan Gaines becauaa ho didn't have time to look after It ha waa so busy going around looking at his farms and other property. Up oa the second floor In a pretty suite ef rooms, Mr. Petera Uvea now. Ha is a guest Instead of a proprietor, but ha oocuptea tha same rooms and Uvea very much as he did while he waa the land lord and Boniface. He'oould afford a marble palace, but he. Ilka tha other guests of the Merchanta', cares mora for the solid comforts than for tha showy things ef Ufa. Mr. Petera waa born in Holsteln, north ern Germany. When he was a well grown boy his parents looked about them and took an Invoice of tha family. They saw that they had four sturdy boys, who would noon be reaching tha aga when the kaiser' minions would demand them to contribute three of the bast yeart of their lives to the glory of tha German army. fJrttlntr Away from Mara. Three times four U twelve," Kid hla parents. "Twelve years In tha army I m. i. vial Wa lm our Germany. but oh. you America.-N I Dundy and Raipn wumgor. n. o. Bo Father Peters W down to tha and tha new proprietor, Dan W. Gaines. steamship office and Inquired for ex our- "It has been my endeavor during my alon rates to a first class part of Amor- long service in tha dining room of the lea. The agent evidently knew from this .Merchants to make the department home request that ha must want to go to Jfe- j like, and I can sax that many have oom braska. So rather Pteera bought the mented on this feature of our service. I iieoessary number of tlcketa and tha , can recall that Colonel W. P. Cody, for Petera family got permission to lea ' Instance, for years would always call for while tha recruiting officer probably hls salad dressing the first thing when cast longing looks at tha four sturdy I ha eaine to Omaha. I have catered par- vouths and marveled at tha kindness or . tloularly to westerners, aunougn we nv asssssss ssssssss TV7 Trh m TT'iT A tT ffft ff) I i j i i j 5 u t y i I i m i h i i I i i i II ill It I I i tl I i i I I J i 1 li 111 MI 1 X. X I ML ' v u v o. I av m r ML U A Y ir A i 11(1 ! I J I I JIM I 1 "si. I BBBBMSHrasBBBBaaaBBBaaaBBSBBBBa - v 1 W I .- K- i bl .m . n a a av . x mm mr - w - III I r ' k "I I 1 I I I Silas Johnson Has , Been at Merchants Twenty-Two Years Haa Johnson, head wallet for twenty two years, enjoya his work. He declares that the successful head , waiter must hava a knowledge of human nature, must hava soma Ideas of system, must have loU of patience and tact and, above all, must be endowed with everyday common sens. Mr. Johnson sorted at tha Merchants In im, when Ilulett at Davenport wete proprietors. Ha haa been with this hos telry ever slnoe, except a period of a year and a half, when, he waa head waiter for Rami Miller at the Her Grand. Ha worked under William Paxton. Bklp the kaiser. i in due time they arrived la Nabraska, saining twelve years of time at once by this movement and at least one of tha none destined to gain mora property and wealth In this land of the free than ha could have gained in tha olA country la several lifetimes. Mr. Peters' mother is still Uvtn on the farm out near Grand Island and ha dlnplayed with prtd some letter In neat )ti.rdr when ha encounters a contentious Orman script wiwetj ny nis mmnn-, j patron. , , many 'easterners aa well," declared Mr. Johnson. Mast Watch the Grouches. This veteran of the dining room said that a waiter or head waiter must placo himself, in the position to do what Is rlsrht. to mak allowances' for persons who hava a grouch and to strive to please even under the most trying circumstan ces, lie aays he alwaya wonts a tittle who is now a well preserved lady of 88 years. Herman Peters, who first found tha combination to the Merchants hotel gold mine, declare there was nothing very wonderful or mysterious about his suc cess. Nor is be keeping It aeeret for future use In waking another fortune. Fecltn,r 'Veil fl'nv ieI. "I Just started tight in feeding tha peo ple," he said. "I knew what our peopto wanted to at. and I knew how thay wanted to hava it cooked. I spared no peine or expenses In putting up a meal that tasted like It had been cooked at horn by tha wife or mother, and It was served in the same was'. There waa al- "If a patron la out of humor, that Is no reuon why the person serving him should be out of humor, also," was an observation be offered. Getting tha light claaa of help la an Im portant feature In the success of this head waiter, and knowing how to drill those under bun la another matter to whloh ha haa given careful attention. He brought a green waiter here from Chey enne a few years ago and, after careful training, that waiter went to the Omaha club and became head waiter. Mr. John son says ha haa never had a fight be tween his help during all hla service as head waiter. Caring for tha traveling public is not ways good table ware, but nothing of the ! s, hammer and tonga proposition, he says, too fancy or1 formal stuff. X man could eo into my ' dining room and alt down and find all that waa necessary in tba way'jrt eating utensils, but none of tha frills that have been invented by would-be wells. "Also, I gav my guests good clean beds to sleep In. I refurnished the plao pretty thoroughly and still I did not change the general look of It I put In steel ceilings In a number of places. "I soon began to notice that trade waa flowing In very rapidly. Tha newa of those good meals and good beds and hon est prices soon spread out through the state and other states and tha business hum nearly faster than I could take t are of it. Bill Paitoa Helps. "Bin Paxton had a hard time to con vince me that I should take hold of the hotel, but after I had It I was mighty glad. I can tell you. for I saw It was a gold mine. He staked ma to half of the money, too. "II appreciated what I had don for but, rather, aa Intense business, calling for tha best thought and effort If con tinued patronage la oealred. There are many who bear testimony to Mr. John son's painstaking methods and hfs suc cess as a caterer to hotel patrons who patronise the dining room. Gus Anderson Has Held the Same Job for Eighteen Years the place In the way of improvements. also, and he was tha kind of man that I D" lne ' cldn t !t hla apprec iation ahow Uaelf I ,nt merely in compliments. He waa In the hotel on dsy and he was looking over tha steel ceilings that I had Installed. " That looks pretty nice, Herman.' ha said. Com over to my office. I want to ee you a minute. "I went over with him and he said to lis clerk, 'Make out a check. for tl.tts) to Mr. Peter-' Tha clerk did eo and he handed it to me. -That was eld Bill Paxton for yon. His son. after the old gentleman's death, waa pretty much tha earn way. I had made Mme more improveruenta tben and young ill Paxton sort of apologised for giving in a hark for only when, of course, h didn't 1-eve to giro me anything. They fr flue Unci lords. 'Aoti.tr tning tbkt helped the Mr- Gus Anderson had charge of th Im mense stock room at the Merchants hotel for fifteen yeara under Herman B. Peters and for three yeara before that time, and when Dan Gains bought the hotel he kept Ous at tha old Job. in fact. Dan Gatnea did not attempt to nak any changes In the personnel of hi staff when be took over the hotel. Paul Stanton haa been day clerk at tha Merchanta for the last twelve years proposes to keep him In he has a wide acquaintance with th cllentelle of the hostelry. O. E. Carney haa been chief clerk and booker of the hotel for the last seven years, and "wis smiling countenance Is stlil on hand to greet tbosa who wish to register or get a check cashed. Brief Decisions. Out of the roar of blatant war and all us nuriy-ixirly, a clarion call for one and all is. Do Your Christmas Khonnin Krlv! A cow out In Imltan is lupuriod to have vKiea iwemy-rive lirns. This sounds rk tror1li,ry. but, after all. it is aimHe rtn'lprw-lty. Ths world haa been consum ing uiUk-fvd ohlckena for years, and we no rraeon any mere stiouljn t be little chlckt-n-f4 milk now and then. Talk almut li, hitch cost of living! It now costs n nwmU-r of the house of rp- AMERICAN PLAN u o CbsMMMb3 CtfBfSllwSiS 1 p T7 $2.0Q A. DAY j j DAN W. GAINES PROPRIETOR The new proprietor extends greetings to the many friends of this famous hostelry and -invites all former patrons to continue to make this their home as in years gone by. No effort has been spared in making this hotel home like and the large sums which have been expended have been with the one idea of giying better service to the guests. The managementVisb.es to call attention to the many improvements which have been made at the Merchants: . . New Brass Beds have been Installed in every room in the houso. New Carpets' are found in all the rooms. , A Grill feoom has been added, where men maj secure a lonolL The new Barber Shop of marble is the finest in the west. Many new Baths have been installed. . ' Huge easy Leather phairs have been placed in the Lobby. ami W. Gaines' Policy Although I have spent thousands of dollars in remodeling the Merchants Hotel the charges will remain the same all the way through as they were under the former manage ment. All classes will find they feel at home at the Merchants. The American plan so successful in years past, will be continued!. No Changes Have Been Made in the Personnel of the employes of the hotel who cater to the wants of the guests, and former friends will find the following at their old places at their service: OFFICE. 0. E. Carney. P. E. Stanton. E. E. Sweet. J. T. Daniel. Harold Beecroft. The Merchants Hotel is proud of its Sunday dinners, which are served for 50 cents, the regular pric for a meal at this hotel Following is the menu for Easter Sunday, with no increase in the' price. Similar meals are served each Sunday: CIGAR STAND. Emma Jensen. Evelyn Foster. Rates:" American Plan ) S2.00 a Day . Table D'Hote Dinner, Sunday, April 4, 1:00 to 3:00 p. m., 50 cents. . DAN W. GAINES, Proprietor. MENU Baltimore Oyster Cocktail Potage a la Macedoine Consomme Krusel, En Tasse Pale Celery en Branche Queen Olives Fried Tenderloin Sole, Tartar. Pommes Duchesse . ' Choice Prime Cuts Beef, Au Jus Stuffed Domestic Chicken, Malaga Dressing Small Filet Mignon, Mushrooms Nutmeg Bell Fritters, Cream ' Glace Potatoes, Mashed or Hollandaise in Cream Escalloped Tomatoes June Peas Waldorf Salad, Mayonnaise . Fruit Jello, Sweet Cream ' Frozen Punch, Romain , .Apple Pie Banna Cream Pie American Cheene Wafers Wheat, Rye or Graham Bread Coffee T a Milk' ITALIAN MUSIC GENERAL HOTEL A. A. Gaines, Steward. E. R. Jones, Chef. . Nellie Gorman, Housekeeper. Silas Johnson, Head Waiter. Preston Heieronymous, Head Bell Man. BARBER SHOP. J. A. (Jerry) Conlin. Tony Folan. Al. Clouse. Joe Allen. Harry (Tex) Curry."- Lon Brundage. " Daisy Widener, Manicurist. BUFFET. Fred (Burley) Burlingim. Gus Anderson. F. G. (Doc) Lewis. Gene Lorenz. J Harvey Burr. Louis Soukup. : ,jt V! i itKnuii i.i w la a uay oil. Judy