»• ** "^^'.o ^Ot? '-^^ (^'•^^S a^.^mJ^^X o°^^^^% • «• V 0°^^^'.% y\'>^.\ o°*.^^>o . ^°-^*>. b. * 0' >• .^^•^^. \ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/hotelhenrypittsbOOhenr (I PITTSBURGH, PA. [library of congress] Twe Copies Received MAR 2 1304 Copyright Sntry f ?^ To those who enjoy and ap- preciate a good hostelry this book is cordially dedi- cated. HOTEL HENRY PITTSBURGH, PA. February, 1904 Pittsburgh in 1904 Pittsburgh in i 8 i 7 HOTEL HENRY PITTSBURGH, PENNA. S^.%26 J^otel Upon a commanding site in the very heart of Pittsburgh, that glowing metropoHs of un- tiring industry, stands a pre-eminent contri- bution to the city's greatness. It is a massive structure, eleven stories in height, of inde- structible steel, stone and terra cotta, and bears the title of the Hotel Henry. Monu- mental, though unpretentious, in the solidity of its exterior elevation, it contains within its walls a wealth of architectural design, artistic embellishment, and the acme of perfection in the vehicles of service. Strong though the statement may appear, yet it is boldly made, that under no other roof in the world can be found a more comprehensive con- tribution to ease, comfort, convenience and utility. From sub-cellar to roof, science, mechanism and human endeavor are made subservient to the beck and call of mortal desire. The Hotel Henry has been styled a struc- ture of specific features, and the foremost of these is its fire-proof construction. Every girder, joist and rafter is of non-expansive steel, every partition is of terra cotta, every floor of marble, tile or cement, and every stairway of iron. It is absolutely fire-proof. While every precaution has been taken to insure absolute protection to life and prop- erty, an equal measure of attention has been devoted to safeguarding health. A fortune has been expended to make the plumbing of the Hotel Henry a model of sanitary excel- lence. Each room in the house is provided with a stationary wash-stand supplied with hot and cold water, and two hundred apartments are connected with thoroughly equipped bath and toilet annexes. The floors and walls of the toilet rooms are composed of white enam- eled tile, the tubs are porcelain, and all sup- ports and water pipes are of highly polished nickel. The most modern system of ventila- tion prevails in each apartment. It may be stated as a matter of interest that the plumb- ing feature of the Hotel Henry called for an outlay of over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Another feature designed for the safeguarding of health is the filtration, vapor- izing and refrigerating plants. Every drop of water used in the house passes through the latest and most scientifically constructed filters. That used for drinking and culinary purposes is vaporized, and every ounce of ice used in the premises is the congelation of the same purified element. Lobby, Hotel Henry Light and heat comprise a duo of features that add to the Henry's pre-eminence. Illum- ination is obtained from electricity, and heat from steam, and both are dispensed lavishly. The smallest guest chamber is supplied with four incandescent lamps of sixteen-candle power each, while the larger rooms are al- lotted a proportionate increase commensu- rate with their dimensions. The Hotel Henry has the largest and most perfectly equipped private telephone ex- change in the world, and the volume of busi- ness transacted therein exceeds that of many towns of 10,000 inhabitants. Four hundred and eighty-seven long distance telephones are in service throughout the hotel, thereby giving every room and every department instant intercommunication and placing them in im- mediate touch with the outer world. The maintenance of this exchange requires the services of eight experienced operatives and two cashiers. It is never closed, its employ- ment is continuous throughout the twenty- four hours of every day, so that at any minute a guest may be placed in conversational con- nection with the house officers, or, as is often done, with his family in some far distant part of the country. The Hotel Henry contains upwards of four hundred rooms, arranged singly or en suite. There are four suites, consisting of parlor, boudoir and bath, whose richness and artistic atmosphere compel especial mention. Each is furnished with a lavishness bordering on prodigality. The golden canopied beds with their wealth of linen, fleece and down; the deep napped carpets into which the foot sinks as into velvety moss; the satin-covered and gilt-framed sofas and chairs; the golden tables and tabourettes; the frescoed walls and ceilings; the fairy weaves of web-like lace that hides and yet reveals the deep-seated casements — all tend to inspire a dreamy vision of opulent magnificence. Presenting a lesser degree of grandeur, but still maintaining a princely individuality, are twelve apartments designated the Napoleon chambers. Space, airiness, solidity and comfort are the prin- cipal components of these tributes to the memory of the Little Corporal. The big, broad, low-framed structure of mahogany, with its equality of head and foot board, and its mountain of bedding, which is popularly supposed to have constituted the great Cor- sican's ideal of somnambulent paradise, is naturally the most conspicuous object in the Napoleon chamber. The accompanying fur- nishments are in consistent accord with the masterpiece and create a combination pleas- ing to the eye and richly restful in its sug- gestion of repose. The walls and ceilings of the Napoleon chambers are covered with the 10 Lobby, Showing Business Offices 11 12 choicest specimen of the wall-paper maker's art, and in this respect differ from the deco- rative design otherwise employed. In all other apartments the walls and ceilings are tinted and frescoed, thus combining sanitary consideration with artistic ornamentation. While particular mention has been made of certain suites and apartments, it is almost superfluous to dwell upon the general fur- nishment in vogue throughout the house, the fact being self-evident that the liberality displayed in creating this model hostelry would not halt in providing for the ease, comfort and aesthetic taste of its patrons. In presenting the many characteristic at- tractions of the Hotel Henry, care has been taken to give precedence to those features that are naturally of the greatest interest to all who may take up their temporary habita- tion beneath its roof. The security, comfort and convenience of its guests is its first and greatest consideration; the elements that ap- peal chiefly to the eye and senses, many and varied though they be, have purposely been given secondary consideration. As a practical illustration of the possibili- ties of its cuisine and service, the Hotel Henry on one occasion, and at one sitting, served luncheon to 1,346 persons, and at another time carried to a successful and satisfactory issue the simultaneous service of 13 X h < 14 four separate and distinct banquets. Eight magnificent saloons are devoted to the dis- ciples of Epicurus. These are known as the Grand Cafe, the Grill, the Crystal Restaur- ant, the Moss Rose, the Red Lodge, the Flemish Court, the Green Saloon, and the Banquet Hall. The Grand Cafe is hand- somely decorated and arranged; it opens from a lobby and has a seating capacity of 400. The Grill is also on the first floor and will accommodate 60 persons. The entire second floor, with the exception of a recep- tion hall and a ladies' parlor, is dedicated to the artistic glorification of the science of gas- tronomy. Upon this plane is the majestic banquet hall, 150 feet in length, 80 feet in width and 60 feet from floor to ceiling, lav- ishly decorated, dazzlingly bright in its illum- ination, perfect in its acoustic properties, an ideal surrounding for the feast of reason and the flow of soul. Eight hundred persons may be seated within its hospitable walls. The Green Saloon, a commodious hall, airy and roomy, is equipped for the entertain- ment of 112 persons, although its actual capacity is much greater. The Moss Rose room, the Red Lodge and the Flemish Court are bowers of beauty, furnished and deco- rated as their titles would imply. The Cry- stal or Ladies' Restaurant is a triumph of scintillation, the embodiment of brilHancy, 15 fairly revelling in the spectacular glamor of unstinted richness and yet preserving the inviolable modesty of good form and taste. From floor to ceiling its walls are completely covered with the heaviest French plate mir- rors, in which is reflected the glow of hun- dreds of incandescent lights. Magnificence and consistent discrimination prevail in every detail of its furnishment, in its snowy napery, its service of sterling and Haviland, and in the refinement of its attendance. The con- tributory cuisine is a marvel of culinary completeness. It contains every appliance designed for the artistic and scientific prep- aration of food, and their manipulation is entrusted only to masters. In these days of liberal ideas it is generally conceded that a bar is a necessary adjunct of a hotel, and one that may be mentioned with- out offense. In the regulation of this depart- ment the utmost care is constantly exerted to eliminate every objectionable feature and to present to the public a resort pleasing to the eye, agreeable to the senses, and con- ducive of good cheer and sociability. It is elegantly appointed, beautifully decorated, and stocked with only the best and purest products of the still, vat and press. Adjacent to the bar is the Dutch room, a buffet with floor of Holland terra cotta tile, walls of dark enameled Belgium tile, and a 16 17 18 ceiling crossed and recrossed with massive oaken beams. Heavy and solidly built chairs and tables, and high backed leather-covered settees, so arranged as to form stalls, consti- tute the furniture of this cozy retreat. Its decorations consist of appropriate pictures and hundreds of steins varying from three inches to two feet in height. The illumina- tion of the Dutch room and the fixtures employed for that purpose are original and unique, and form one of its chief attractions. Fastened upon the side walls are a dozen hand-wrought iron arms, and from the hook of each there swings a squat, iron framed Red Rooi^ 19 Rose Room lantern, its sides crossed with thin iron bands and encased in heavy glass. These lanterns were actually in use in Holland years ago, and the softened glow of light emanating from their ribbed sides is suggestive of the freshly trimmed candles that served to illu- minate the sedate conviviality of congenial Dutchmen long since sleeping with their forefathers. Hanging from the centre and either end of the ceiling are heavy chains of black iron, 20 Crystal Room Flemish Room 21 Ladies' Parlor with links hammered into shape by the sturdy hand of some dead and forgotten Dutch blacksmith. These chains support an iron hoop from which dangle more dimly glow- ing lanterns. The centre hanging is the more elaborate of this transplanted relic of old Holland days, as in addition to its swing- ing lights it is decorated with several leather tassels, and upon its iron hoop stand stacked four guns of ancient make and service. Although the Hotel Henry towers two hundred and fifty feet in the air, it has been found necessary to delve deep into the earth 22 to secure space for certain of its require- ments. One part of its first subterranean floor is devoted to the use of its patrons and includes the lavatories and toilets, the barber shop, and billiard room. The toilet room is encased entirely in marble and is a model of sanitary plumbing, ventilation, and scrupu- lous cleanliness. The barber shop is one of the handsomest and best appointed in existence. Its fur- nishings are of the very latest model, and its operatives are acknowledged masters of the tonsorial art. In connection with the barber shop is a manicure parlor in charge of a mas- ter of the digital science. The billiard room is a commodious apart- ment, containing fifteen billiard and pool tables, and five tables devoted to that fascin- ating game dedicated to his satanic majesty and the professors of the sartorial art, com- monly known as "The Devil among the Tailors." Forty feet below the street level is a vast chamber, a subterranean wonderland, in which, by day and night, there beats and throbs the mighty force that imparts mechan- ical life and energy. As in all other features of the Hotel Henry, its power plant possesses an individuality peculiarly its own; it stands unequalled in its completeness. It is not an "engine room" but a veritable machinery 23 hall filled with the latest products of mechan- ical genius and invention. The installation of this plant required a cash outlay approxi- mating two hundred and fifty thousand dol- lars. Electricity is the dominating force employed, and to produce this gives constant employment to two Westinghouse generators of 800 amperes each, with a third of equal power held in reserve. These generators are operated by two Walrath gas engines of 150 horse-power each. The Walrath is the most modern and expensive gas engine made and in addition to the pair in constant service a third of similar horse-power stands in readi- ness to take up the burden in case of emer- Reception Hall 24 25 Parlor, Colonial Suite 26 gency. Inaddition to this sextette of electrical producers are two Ideal steam engines of 90 horse-power each, coupled up with a team of Seaman and Halskey generators, each capa- ble of producing 460 amperes of irresistible energy. A 90 horse-power electric motor imparts action to two 30-ton refrigerating machines which supply the hygienic ice and the cold storage used upon the premises. The steam used for heating the building and for distilling purposes is furnished by two Scotch Marine boilers of 150 horse-power each, which also operate two pumps, one 12x10x12, the other 8x10x8, which dis- tribute the thousands of gallons of hot and cold water consumed daily. A third boiler of the same power, and two auxiliary pumps, are held in reserve subject to de- mand. The water thus distributed is sub- jected to the sanitation of a quartette of filters of the largest size and most scientific construction. Three electric motors of 30 horse-power each find constant employment in the operation of the elevators. Another 30 horse-power motor drives the twenty-five different machines which perform the me- chanical labor in the laundry, the equipment of which is conceded the most modern and complete of any in the country. A small motor provides power for three dumbwaiters which travel from the kitchen to the upper 27 28 29 dining-room. And still another produces a speed of 350 revolutions per minute to an exhaust fan, 100 inches in diameter, and to two ventilating fans, each 5 feet in diameter, w^hich from their positions upon the roof create an unceasing circulation of purified air in every nook and corner of the building. It v^ould be difficult to conceive anything more cheerful, bright and artistic than the lobby of the Hotel Henry — a long, w^ide, high ceilinged hall, through the center of which stretches a classic colonnade of mass- ive marble pillars. Each column is highly polished and surmounted by a gilded cap, and at the base of each stands an ornamental n \ '^ ^^- Marie Antoinette Bed-Room 30 Bed-Room urn filled with rare plants, palms and ferns. A wainscoating of Italian marble rises from the marble floor to a height of 5 feet, the walls above being decorated with frescoed panels. In each panel is emblazoned the Henry crest with its Latin inscription, ''Amat Victoria Curam," the literal translation of which is, ''Success is attained by careful at- tention." A profusion of heavy leather- covered chairs, sofas and high-backed settees add an air of appreciable ease and comfort. In its adaption to the utilitarian require- ments of the Hotel and its guests, care has been taken to provide amply for the needs 31 Parlor, Louis XV f:- mi^ ^"'^^' ■ ^Ue E^%i 1 m- 1 1 1 J 1 :^jf"^ liM 1 ,hk'^ ij iU&s=^ 1 i |H^ MMk il ■ w ■ 1 Hi m 1 Bed Room, Louis XV 3Z of both, without disturbance of the artistic unities. Near the main entrance is a flower stand stocked with the choicest specimens of floral growth. Midway in the lobby's length, in a bank-like enclosure, are the offices of the manager, book-keeper, auditor and cashiers, and the clerk's desk. Opposite is the news and cigar stand, the telephone exchange with its sound-proof booths, and a telegraph office. In a balcony at either end are the individual writing desks and the stenograph- ers' stations, and in the center is the music balcony, where three orchestral concerts are given daily. The most noticeable feature of the lobby is its ceiling, upon which appears Bar, Hotel Henry 33 Billiard Room Barber Shop 34 a decorative design absolutely unique and characteristic. It is the conception of Mr. D. F. Henry, owner of the hotel, and in its execution is reflected that gentleman's favor- ite pastime, the study of history, particularly that appertaining to Pittsburg and its sur- roundings. The sw^eep of ceiling is fash- ioned in large and small panels, each encased in a projecting boundary which imparts to it a frame-like appearance. The body of each panel is of a rich golden hue, with the ends and sides embellished with the frescoer's choicest efforts. In each corner of the larger panels is a medallion, and each medallion contains a pictorial representation of some scene or episode pertinent to local history. The interest manifested in these absorbing chapters of historical reminiscence has been and continues so great that it is deemed proper to append herewith a catalogue of the subjects, together with a brief but care- fully compiled sketch of each. w Catalogue ^//Historical Pictures Picture No. i , in Panel No. i , is a view of Fort Du Quesne, which was situated on the tip of the tongue of land formed by the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers where those streams join and form the noble Ohio. The location of a fort at this point was largely due to the recommendation of George Wash- ington, who arrived here on the 24th of November, 1753, while on his way to a con- ference with the French commandant fur- ther up the Allegheny river. In his journal under the above date he writes: ''I spent some time in viewing the river, and the land in the fork, which I think extremely well situated for a fort, as it has the absolute com- mand of both rivers." On the 17th of Feb- ruary, 1754, Captain Trent with a company of about thirty-five British soldiers arrived at the point, and at once began the erection of the new fort. Their labor progressed without inter- f^ ruption until the i6th day of ', April, 1754, when a French officer. Monsieur Contre- coeur, in command of a large army of Indians and French- men, appeared upon the scene and demanded an im- mediate surrender. France 36 Fort Du Ouesne and England were at peace at that time, and the action of Contrecoeur was based upon his assumption that the Enghsh were invading the territory of his King. Resis- tance to the overwhelming force of Contrecoeur being out of all question, the English complied with his demands and capitulated. Having thus secured possession, Contrecoeur immediately pro- ceeded to complete the fort, which he named in honor of his commander. Marquise Du Quesne de Menneville, Governor of Canada. The French held Fort Du Quesne until the 25th of November, 1758, when, beset by a British-American army under command of General John Forbes, they applied the torch, blew up their magazines, and, taking to their boats, retreated down the Ohio. The Eng- lish, having again come into possession of the point, at once began the erection of a small fort a little west of the smouldering ruins of Fort Du Quesne, which was com- pleted about January ist, 1759, and named Fort Pitt, in honor of William Pitt, who had recently become Prime Minister of England. During the winter of 1759-60 a much larger and more formidable fortification was built upon the site of Fort Du Quesne, which was No. 2 Block House 37 No. 3 McKees Rocks also named Fort Pitt. A ,^^^ number of log houses were SH now clustered about Fort '^HH Pitt, and the little settlement ^B| took the name of Pittsboro, ^ which was soon changed to Pittsburgh. In October, 1772, GeneralGage, commander-in- chief of the British forces in America, ordered the abandon- ment of the fort as a military post. In carrying out this order, Major Edmund- son sold the buildings for the sum of fifty pounds. Although abandoned, the fort was not destroyed, and in January, 1774, Colonel John Connelly, without authority from the British Government, but acting under orders from Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, who sought to extend the boundary of his State into that of Pennsylvania, took posses- sion of it, repaired it, and named it Fort Dunmore. This title was never officially recognized, and on the nth of September, 1775, it ceased to exist, as on that date its occupation under the name of Fort Pitt was accomplished by Captain John Neville, acting under instruction of the Virginia Provincial Convention. During the Revolutionary War it was occupied by Continental troops, sub- sequently falling into disuse, and eventually disappearing and passing into history. 38 Picture No. 2 is that of the Block House, a redoubt built in 1764, and still standing — a sturdy memorial of successful strife against a savage foe that sought the annihilation of Pittsburgh's strenuous pioneers. Besieged by Pontiac's ferocious warriors, bent upon the destruction of all persons white of skin. Fort Pitt for many weeks stood bravely the brunt of savage onslaught. Gathered within its walls were the surviving settlers and trad- ers and their women and children, and gath- ered without were the blood-thirsty Indians^ constantly assailing by shot and burning ar- rows, seeking by famine, fire or fatigue to encompass their obliteration. And in this emergency, when all but hope had fled,, there came a fighting column that threw itself upon the foe and drove them to the hills and forest. The leader of this gallant force was Colonel Henry Boquet, a Swiss by birth, who had seen military ser- - > vice in Europe. The siege being ,. raised, and the protection of the ^ locality insured by the pres- ^* ence of Colonel Boquet's ^^^ forces, the inhabitants of the Jj^P little community returned '"^****"^ to their despoiled habita- tions and began anew their interrupted avocations. It was for their protection, to n 39 No. 4 Pittsburgh in 1817 insure them a safe retreat in case of attack, that Colonel Boquet built the redoubt. It was situated a few hundred yards outside the fort, which probably accounts for its escape from the gradual demolition of Fort Pitt. It was built partly of logs hewn from the virgin forest and partly of bricks brought from Eng- land, and that these international compon- ents were welded to good purpose is attested by its present condition, for, with the excep- tion of some slight renovations, the brave old retreat stands as it was built. In 1894, the local chapter of the Daughters of the Amer- ican Revolution secured it by gift from its owner, Mrs. Mary Schenley. If that body of patriotic women can circumvent the machin- ations of Commercialism — a far more potent and rapacious foe than the Indians which caused its creation — they will preserve it until such time as that grim old warrior. Decay, shall invest it with his in- sidious forces of dissolution. Picture No. 3 is a view of \ McKees Rocks, a thriving suburb of Pittsburgh, whose history is contemporaneous with that of Fort Pitt. The place takes its name from its first white owner, Alex- ia ander McKee, who was a trader with the Indians from 40 No. 5 Pittsburgh in 1825 1768 until 1772, carrying on large transactions with the natives and amassing much property and influence. In 1772 he was appointed a deputy Indian agent, which office he held for several years. McKee had built a pretentious log home upon the almost inaccessible heights of the rocks, and within it, in August, 1777, was hatched a conspiracy to murder all the Whigs in the West. The plot was par- tially exposed, but the conspirators — McKee, Matthew Elliott, Simon Girty (the 'White Savage") and several others — succeeded in allaying the suspicion of their participation. During several subsequent months McKee quietly disposed of much of his property, and on the night of March 28th, 1778, he, with Elliott and Girty and four others, aban- doned the timber-walled rendezvous and under cover of the darkness stole away to cast their lots with the enemies of their coun- Picture No. 4 is a view of Pittsburgh in 1817, one year after it had been incorporated a city. It is from a sketch made by Mrs. John Gibson while on her wedding trip from Philadelphia. Picture No. 5, the first in panel No. 2, is No. 6 Great fir in 1845 41 No. 7 Old Trinitv in 1784 a view of Pittsburgh in 1825. It shows the water craft on the Monongahela River and the first bridge crossing that stream. This bridge was a wooden structure resting upon seven stone piers. It was covered with a pointed roof, and at intervals in its side walls were cut open windows to admit light It was built in 1816, partly demolished by the big flood of 1832, and destroyed by the great fire of 1845. Picture No. 6 is ot a period twenty years later, and illustrates the great calamity of 1845. Just as the mill whistles and factory bells were sounding the noon hour on April loth of that year, a washerwoman who lived in a little shanty on the south-east corner of Ferry and Second street, now Second avenue, was dividing her attention between the prep- aration of dinner on her kitchen fire and the boiling of a batch of wash on a battered stove in a little shed in the back yard. In order to devote herself to her corned beef and cab- bage and at the same time advance her labor, she filled the ramshackel fire-pot so full of coal that within a very few minutes its over- heated pipe set fire to the shed There was a strong blow of wind and in an incredibly short space of time the flames were fanned 42 to the little house, jumped from it to its neighbors, and then to a large cotton mill on the opposite corner. The fire thus started swept over an area of forty acres and did not cease until practically everything in its path- way had succumbed. It destroyed 1,200 buildings and entailed a loss of over eight million dollars. Picture No. 7 is "Old Trinity" Church— a structure of peculiar architecture, but of vast importance in the ecclesiastical life of Pittsburgh. This pioneer of the Episcopal faith, the '' Round Church " as it was called, was built in 1805 on the triangular square bounded by Liberty, Wood, and Sixth street (now Sixth avenue). The site was granted by John Penn, Jr., in 1787. From 1797 until the Round Church was built, its first pastor, Rev. John Taylor, conducted services in the open air, in private dwellings, halls, and the court house. Picture No. 8 recalls a cal- amity which occurred on the morning of May 6th, 185 1. / The scene is the burning of St. Paul's Cathedral, the predecessor of the present Cathedral at Fifth avenue and Grant street, the corner stone of which was laid on June 15th, 1851, forty days 43 No. 8 Burning of St. Paul's Cathedral in 1851 after the catastrophe. The first edifice was begun in 1829 and dedicated on Sunday, May 4th, 1834. It became a Cathedral on August 7th, 1843, on which day the rector, Rev. Michael O'Connor, was consecrated Bishop. The initial picture. No. 9, in panel No. 3, is a view of Semple's Tavern, Pittsburgh's first hostelry, built in 1764. This ancient inn was originally built of logs, but at a later date it was weather boarded. Until lately it stood upon its original site at the corner of Water and Ferry streets, but was demolished to make way for the incoming of a new factor in Pittsburgh's railway life. It was a sad- looking relic of the past, and was used as a cheap lodging-house; but in the month of October, 1770, it had as guest Major George Washington, then on his second visit to Fort Pitt, who immortalized it by entering in his journal his complimentary opinion that "Mine host Semple keeps a very good house of public en- tertainment." Picture No. 10 is reminis- cent of the year 1788, its subject being Pittsburgh's first Post-Office, which was located in a general store on Water street, near Ferry street. 44 In those days it cost one shilling to send a letter forty miles, while its transmission to Philadelphia entailed an outlay of 37J4 cents. Mr. John Scull, founder of the ''Pittsburgh Gazette," was the first postmaster, and the receipts of his office during the first year were $110.99. Picture No. 1 1 , Pittsburgh's first theatre, sometimes called ''Old Drury." Built about 1818, it stood on Third street, now Third avenue, upon the site now occu- pied by the rear elevation of the Dollar Sav- ings Bank building. Immediately following its erection, a number of young men and women, surfeited with the monotony of school exhibitions and Sunday-school con- certs, and imbued with that unexplainable longing which only the glare of the foot- lights can satisfy, organized the "Thespian Society," and presented to the inhabitants their first glimpse into the subtle mirror in which nature is supposed to be reflected. Later on, professional actors, supported by the local talent, took the centre of the stage and basked in its candle glare. In those days Pittsburgh did not enjoy its present distinction of being the "Best Show Town on Earth," and the Thespian Society hoed No. 10 First Post-Office 45 No. 11 First Theatre many hard histrionic rows which eventually resulted in its disintegration and aban- donment. Picture No. 12 represents the ''Basin" and principal landing-place of the Penn- sylvania canal, upon whose transformed site now rises the Pennsylvania Railroad's Union Station. The Pennsylvania canal was begun in 1826, and the first boat from the East landed in the ''Basin" on the loth day of November, 1829. Although long since obliterated and relegated to the hal- lowed realm of memory, the "Basin" was not only a feature of Pittsburgh's younger days, but a locality of national importance as well. It formed the dividing line of travel, the gateway to the West and South. Thousands upon thousands of pioneers dis- embarked at this point, and taking passage down the Ohio, in boats and on barges, pro- ceeded upon their various ways to build homes in the forest and found cities in the wilderness. Though lacking in the bustle, turmoil and pandemonium of street noises which characterize the locality to-day, the "Basin" throughout its existence was Pitts- burgh's busiest centre, and its memory is worthy of perpetuation. 46 Two Views of Power Plant 47 Panel No. 4, picture No. 13, Allegheny County's first Court-House, was built in 1789 and continued in judicial service until 1841, after which it was used for various purposes until 1852, when it was torn down to make way for the present market house. Picture No. 14, the second Court-House, the predecessor of the noble structure which rears its proud form upon the apex of the his- torical Grant's Hill. This building, erected in 1841, was destroyed by fire on May 7, 1882. Picture No. 15, the Western University of Pennsylvania in 1840 — a lineal descendant of the Pittsburgh Academy, established by Act of Legislature in 1787, and predecessor of the renowned seat of learning now located upon the beautiful eminence of Observatory Hill, in Allegheny. It was located on Third street, now Third avenue, at the corner of what is now Cherry alley, and was destroyed <-:;gg by the Great Fire of 1845. Honored and beloved as is the Western University to-day, the history of its original establishment is the only bar sinister upon the escutcheon of Pittsburgh's early inhabitants. It may be that the struggle for exist- ence before the dawn of the nineteenth century preclud- ed the pursuit of knowledge; 48 No, 12 Canal Basin Site of Union Station t^HK -|- but whatever the cause, the Hf f. I lamentable fact remains that for a number of years the ^ affairs of the Pittsburgh Aca- ;*J demy continued in a pre- ^ carious condition. However, as time progressed, condi- tions changed, knowledge was sought, and unhappy failure blossomed into success. Picture No. i6 is a view of Pitts- courtHoSe burgh's Allegheny River front as it appeared in 1850. At this date the city was divided into nine wards and had a population of about forty thousand. Panel No. 5, Picture No. 17, is Wain- wright's Island, which was situated in the Allegheny River, opposite the upper end of Herr's Island. The channel between it and Pittsburgh has long since been filled, so that the Island is now part of the main- land. It was at this point, on December 28th, 1753, that the immortal Washington came near losing his life. While no open hostilities had oc- curred between the French and English, the former had become very aggressive in their operations in Pennsyl- vania and Ohio; and in order .* ^^'^- 49 No. 14 Second Court House No. Id Western Penn'a University, 1840 to learn their intentions, and incidentally their strength, in that debatable territory. Governor Dinwiddle of Vir- ginia commissioned Major Washington, then about 22 _ years of age, to visit the lo- / cality in pursuit of the required information. Washington pro- ceeded as far north as the French fort near the head of FrenchCreek, and having fulfilled that portion of his mis- sion, he started upon his return journey to De-un-da-ga, the Indian name for the forks of the rivers where Pittsburgh now stands. Washington was accompanied by a guide, Christopher Gist; and on Christmas Day, their horses giving out, they strapped their packs upon their backs, and with gun in hand (for treacherous savages were about) they started of¥ on foot through ;^v. the woods to gain the Allegheny river. They expected to cross upon the frozen stream, but upon reaching the bank found that the ice extended ^ .^. but a short distance from ^^ shore. In this emergency v. r they constructed a rude raft, f their only tools being their ^. hunting knives and a small -- 50 No. 16 Pittsburgh in 1850 hatchet. The mid-channel of the stream was a rush of turbulent water and a crush of grinding ice, but they launched their ifrail craft, and with the slender limbs of a tree for poles, pushed boldly into the torrent. Wash- ington's rude pike became en- tangled in the crush, and the next instant he was floundering in fifteen feet of the coldest water in which any mortal ever took an involuntary bath. Thanks to his own quick wit and Gist's nerve and strength, he regained a footing on the raft and finally landed on Wainwright's Island. The channel between the island and the main shore was solidly frozen, and the hardy pair were soon proceeding to their destination. Picture No. i8 — a spot on the ' _ west bank of the Allegheny river, about five miles from Pitts- burgh, where, upon a little knoll, beneath the branches of a noble elm, lies buried one who in life exerted a powerful influence in the early history of this locality, Gyasutta, a great chief of the Seneca tribe of Indians, 51 No. 18 Gyasi'tta's Grave No. 19 Point Bridge and chief lieutenant I of Pontiac during the uprising of the Six Nations in 1763. During the days of his power Gyasutta was a splendid specimen of the Noble Red Man; but after the Revolution, and in the waning days of the Six Tribes, he fell into careless and dissolute ways, which continued throughout the remainder of his life. Picture No. 19 — the Point Bridge, crossing the Monongahela river just before that stream enters the Ohio. This bridge was built in 1876, by Roebling. Picture No. 20 — The Carnegie Institute, a magnificent building presented to the city by Andrew Carnegie. Erected in 1895, it contains an equally magnificent library, art gallery, and museum — free to the people. It also includes a music hall, the home of the PittsburghOrchestra, and therein on two days of each week is given a free organ recital. Panel No. 6, Picture No. 21, is the Monongahela River, viewed from a point overlooking the now thriving town of Braddock. It was at this point, on July 9th, i75';,that a magnificent army under the British mih- tary commander, General Braddock, met with a ter- rible defeat and slaughter. General Braddock being y among the slain. Braddock's / army was marching against / FortDuQuesne, then occupied ^ by the French. The General, headstrong, obstinate and over- bearmg, and totally unacquainted with the Indian mode of warfare, persisted, in spite of the pleadings and warnings of his aides (General John St. Clair and Major George Washington) in entering the enemy's country with all the dress parade and brass band effects of a spectacular military pageant. While thus proceeding his command was ambushed by an inferior body of French and Indians who had watched its theatric maneuvers and who had taken their own time to encompass its utter demoralization and rout. Picture No. 22 -Thi gheny Arsenal. This now dismantled stronghold of the National Gov- ernment was built in 1814, upon ground purchased from W. Arsenal Kitchen Laundry 54 B. Foster, father of Stephen Foster, the song writer who gave to the world the per- ennial melody of "The Suwanee River," etc. Dur- ing the Civil War ammu- nition, infantry and cavalry equipments and gun carriages were manufactured here, giving employment to twelve hundred persons. On September 17th, 1862, a store of gun-powder exploded, killing 74 people. For many years the Arsenal grounds served for the gathering of the citizens, and many a patriotic outburst has found vent within its encompassing walls. Picture No. 23 is a view of the Pennsyl- vania railroad, with its four tracks for pas- senger and freight transportation. The locality illustrated is at the Shady Side Station and is produced to show the pres- ent condition of railway main- tenance as contrasted with the ''two streaks of rust" of by- gone days when railroading was in its infancy. Panel No. 7, Picture No. 24, shows the Lake in Alle- gheny Park. Although to- day Pittsburgh contains one big and one beautiful park 55 No. 25 Highland Park it was for many years overshadowed by its neighboring city in its provision of a pub- he pleasure ground. The location depicted in this view was for many years a big, unsightly '^common," on one part of which stood the old Western Penitentiary. Picture No. 25 is Highland Park — set in the apex of a romantic eminence, a beauty spot upon the face of an industrial Queen, the sun-kissed gem in the diadem of pictur- esque Pittsburgh. The view presented is that seen from the reservoir, looking over the artistic sweep of horticulture toward the sculptured entrance. Highland Park covers a considerable area; it contains fine drives, a petite lake, a zoo, and a wealth of scenic effects designed by nature and ma- tured by art. Pictures Nos. 26 and 27, in Panel No. 7, and Pictures Nos. 28, 29, 30 and 31, in Panel No. 8, are illustrations of the vari- ous industries which contri- bute much to Pittsburgh's greatness. The first is an Oil Refinery, wherein finds purification the rich fluid drawn from nature's mys- 56 No. 26 Oil Refinery No. 27 terious subterranean store- house to provide lubricants, ointments and illuminants for mortal use. The sec- . ond is a plant of the Na- tional Fireproofing Com- y^.^ pany, which produces 95 per 7^ cent, of the non-combustible '."^ material used in the modern and protective construction of buildings of this country. The third shows a range of Oil Wells, with its forest of derricks; the fourth, a Coal Tip- ple; the fifth, a Blast Furnace; and the sixth, a Coal Fleet on the Ohio River. Picture No. 32 forms one of the decora- tive features of the bar. Its subject is a dusky but beautiful maiden, garbed in sav- age drapery, crossing a stream upon the stepping-stones of a rocky ford. Its title is "O-ta-wa-ta," which, translated from the Indian tongue, means ''White Pigeon." ''O-ta-wa-ta" was the hero- ine of a life drama as full of adventure and romance as was ever coined in the im- agery of fiction. She was a white girl of French des- cent, born in Maryland in 1764, and named Catherine 57 No. 32. O-TA-A 58 Malott. In 1779, Peter Malott and his wife and five children, including Kate, as she was called, left Maryland for Kentucky. At Fort Redstone, on the Monongahela River, they, in company with several other families, embarked upon two boats and proceeded down the river. Peter Mallot was in charge of the first boat, which was loaded with stock; his own and the other families were upon the other. Shortly after passing Fort Pitt the emigrants were attacked by Indians, who succeeded in capturing the second boat, the other escaping. The In- dians were of mixed tribes, and after the attack hurried to their various villages bear- ing their captives and loot. The Mallot family was completely scattered, Kate being Ccirried to a village of the Shawnees, where her great beauty immediately won for her especial consideration and adoption by the tribe. When she had been a cap- tive some tour years, being then about nineteen years of age a beautiful, graceful and win- some nymph of the woods- there came one day to her forest home a noted trader Simon Girty — a desperado, a renegade, a ''white sav- age," but a man of power- ful influence among the 59 No. 30 \ Indians. When Girty saw \ the ''White Pigeon" he im- mediately fell in love with her. He learned her his- tory, and by promising to restore her to her parents, prevailed upon her to fly with him. By his aid she suc- ceeded in making her escape, and shortly thereafter they were married. Her married life was Blast not the happiest, for Girty was addicted to drink and a fiend when under its influence. His business as Indian trader necessitated many wanderings and changes of abode. Brutalit\^ compelled her to forsake her hus- band, and with her children she went to Detroit, where some years later she and Girty became reconciled. Girty became totally blind, and she cared for him in his affliction and nursed him until his death. Other Art Works Rich as is the Henry's panelled ceiling in historical and reminiscent delineation, so also are the walls of the stately edifice in other schools of art. In 1903, Mr. D. F. Henry, owner of the hotel, while making a tour of Europe, gathered into a collection over two hundred pictures, oil paintings, water colors, prints, 60 etchings and engravings. No particular lo- cality or school of art was drawn upon, Paris, Berlin, Geneva, Florence, Rome and Venice contributing to the accumulation. While a great variety of subjects was selected, each bears the imprint of modern tone and treat- ment. The landscapes are mirrored from the nature of to-day, the character studies sketched from living models, and the scenes depicted as the artists saw them. For two months this magnificent collection was on view in one of the large parlors of the hotel, which was transformed into a pretentious art gallery and thrown open to the public. Upon the completion of the exhibition the pictures were distributed throughout the hotel. Among those that grace the lobby are the following, their numbers being taken from the catalogue prepared for the exhibition: No. 28, from the brush of Madame Palade Bonnah,is entitled, ''And spinning she dream- eth." The subject is a beautiful girl seated at a spinning wheel. Beneath the title are the lines — *'No blush of shame, e'er set aflame This face of gidish innocence. ' ' No. 67, "The Flower Girl." No. 38, "A study of Neapolitan Lif IS a large No. 31 Coal Fleet on the Ohio canvas upon which the artist, A. MeUica, has depicted one of the old dismantled palaces of Naples with the swarming ten- antry that now exists where magnificence and pomp once reigned. No. 6, a large canvas from the brush of Gorio V. Bianchini, entitled "The Wild Boar at Bay." A variety of character studies hang upon the walls of the Dutch room, among which are: No. I, a masterful delineation of impu- dence; a study of Italian vagabond life, en- titled "What care I?" aptly described by the lines — '*For gold or dross, what care I ? For fields or floss, what care I ? A lass, a pipe, a pleasant sky ! What care I, what care I ? " No. 42, a study of Neapolitan low life, " Poverty in a Palace." **Unmindful of the present, unthinking of the past. With dumb content, midst glories spent He breaks his sullen fast." No. 46, a Neapolitan character study, "Your Health." ** Battered by years of weather and stress. Toothless and wrinkled with age and decay. Palsied and senile with scant power to bless. The prodigal giver of wine for to-day." Space will not permit a more extended mention or description of this treasury of 62 art. The walls of the parlors and corridors are lined with its beauties and fittingly bear out the oft-repeated assertion that the mod- ern hotel has become something more than a mere place of eating and sleeping. In its magnitude and entirety the Hotel Henry is a pre-eminent exemplification of the possi- bilities of public service combined with the material and artistic characteristics of a pub- lic educator. 63 64 About Pittsburgh To review the present and then to recall the past, it is hard to beheve that less than a hundred years ago Pittsburgh was a small trading town of absolutely no importance as a manufacturing community. Yet Pittsburgh was not unknown even in the early days, for its rich soil, whose minerals have advanced civilization, was first baptized with human blood during scenes of international war — nor will she ever be forgotten for the good accomplished then. To-day the Pittsburgh district — which means practically Pittsburgh — is the greatest industrial and manufacturing center in the world. Its great mills and factories represent an employed capital of over $2,000,000,000 and pour out their products to the ends of the earth. Nearly all of these products are staples, and therefore a necessity to the peo- ple of the entire world. Figures recently compiled, after careful research, by the Chamber of Commerce, show that Pittsburgh originates by far the largest tonnage of any city in the world. The products are enumerated as coal, coke, iron, steel, glass, petroleum, tools, imple- ments of all kinds, firebrick, clay, pottery, building materials and hundreds of other manufactured articles in general demand. 65 The estimated tonnage of material, in- cluding coal, steel rails, etc., shipped from this city by way of the Ohio amounts to 10,000,000 tons annually, while the com- bined river and rail tonnage is something over 80,000,000 tons. The coal territory of the Pittsburgh dis- trict covers 14,000 square miles, or 2,000 square miles more than the total coal terri- tory of all Great Britain. It produces one- half the coal output of the United States and more than one-eighth of the world's production. Allegheny County produces one-fourth of the total pig-iron output of the United States; over 22 per cent, of the total production of Bessemer steel ingots and castings; over 47 per cent, of the total production of open- hearth steel ingots and castings; nearly 57 per cent, of the crucible steel; over 38 per cent, of all kinds of steel; over 24 per cent, of all kinds of rails; over 60 per cent, of structural shapes; over 32 per cent, of all rolled products. One-half of the glass manufactured in the United States is produced in Pennsylvania and handled from the central offices in Pitts- burgh. More than 40 per cent, of the total production of the United States is credited to Pittsburgh. LofQ. 66 Pittsburgh leads all other cities in the man- ufacture of white and red lead. In the output of manufactured copper Pittsburgh leads the country. Pittsburgh has the largest pickling and preserving works in the world, using the product of 18,000 acres of land. The city also excels in the manufacture of boilers and engines, coal drilling machines, drop forgings, railway supplies, stoves, vaults, varnishes, brick, tile, terra cotta, cork and copper. Brass is quite extensively converted into useful and ornamental products, about 100,- 000 tons of the metal being used annually by local manufacturers. In the way of manu- factured copper the output has no equal. The mining industry in Pennsylvania has made Pittsburgh one of the greatest markets for explosives in the United States. About 600,000 kegs of powder, each weighing 25 pounds, are used annually in the Pittsburgh mining district and neighboring rock quar- ries for blasting purposes. Dynamite is also extensively used for these purposes. Astronomical instruments are sent from Pittsburgh to all parts of the world and were awarded the grand prize at the Paris Exposi- tion. Pittsburgh produces a third of the paper sacks made in America. It has the largest cork factory in the country, and produces 67 68 millions of cork stoppers annually. Here is made a tumbler and a bottle for every man, wornan and child in America each year. Pittsburgh roasts more coffee than any other city on earth. The combined sales of the wholesale grocery houses amount to $25,000,000 annually. More than 500,000 barrels of flour, nearly 1,000,000 bushels of wheat, almost 1,750,000 bushels of corn, 4,500,000 bushels of oats, 500,000 bushels of rye (95 per cent, of which is used in Pittsburgh distilleries) , 20,000 tons of feed and 70,000 tons of hay were received in Pittsburgh last year. It takes $50,000,000 worth of produce to supply the Pittsburgh district every year. Pittsburgh is the greatest consumer of fruit and garden truck in the United States. The Grain Exchange record shows $10,000,000 of business annually. There are 16 soap factories in Pittsburgh; the annual sale of soap in the city exceeds $3,000,000. More than 500,000 30-gallon barrels of pickles are put up each year here. The tobacco trade of Pittsburgh is assum- ing enormous proportions. The Pittsburgh stogie is invading every village in the United States. About 140 firms are engaged in the manufacture of this distinctive product, one firm producing 75,000,000 stogies last year. More than 1,300 car-loads of leaf tobacco are required for the manufacture of stogies 69 yearly. One concern uses 5,000,000 pounds of tobacco each year, and one cigar factory produces 25,000,000 cigars annually. The stove and range manufacturing indus- try represents a capital of $2,000,000, while fully $5,000 is paid in daily wages to boiler makers. The 6,000 men employed in the locomotive works earn over $2,000,000 annu- ally. The demand for drop forgings has in- creased the local output more than $1 ,250,000 a year; something like $1,000,000 is invested in the production of drop forgings. This city has the largest salt-producing well in the world, yielding about 2,000 bar- rels daily. The largest chemical works in the world is located at Natrona, a suburb of Pittsburgh, with a yearly output of more than half a million tons of bi-carbonate of soda, sal soda and caustic soda, sulphuric acid, muriatic acid, etc. The combined output of the 38 brick-making plants exceeds 50,- 000,000 bricks annually. The largest alum- inum making plant in the world is also here. Some idea of Pittsburgh's greatness as a railroad freight center, and the amount of material, can be gathered from a glance at the following dry figures: Pittsburgh is at the junction of fifteen great railroad lines. Here more freight cars are switched than in any other city in the world. A passenger train enters and leaves the city every two and 70 a half minutes. One-fifteenth of the whole railroad tonnage of the United States origin- ates here, where is also manufactured about $6,000,000 worth of railroad supplies annu- ally. 71 H 71 S9 r .••^**'» 'o .^ •l-o. i?<2ft . . o> - HECKMAN BINDERY INC. JUL 89 M o V N. MANCHESTER, INDIANA 46962 X