North Carolina Newspapers

FwmMtMti J (fee OB VOL. HI-, NO. 7. PINEHURST, N. C, DEC. 15, 1899. PRICE THREE CENTS. ill V9 HOTEL BERKSHIRE OPEN. Remodeled, Refurnished and Ready for Business. A Handsome Building, Attractively Located and Under Efficient Management. The Hotel Berkshire, which opened last week under the management of Mr. I1. 1$. Kimball, has already received its share of the guests in the village, and each day augments the number who are spending the season at this cozy, home like hostelry. This house, which proved so popular with our Northern visitors last winter, has been greatly n! ti ged and improved during the past summer. The main Luilding is two stories high and extends along the street, facing southeast. Three two-story ells extend to the rear, with wide spaces between them; thus all the rooms in the house receive an abundance of pure air and . sunlight. Since last reason the southern end of the building has been moved back to the extreme rear line and raised one story higher, and in its place has been erected the large two story addition. This new part provides forty-two more guest rooms, and doubles the former capacity of the house. The whole front of the house has been changed in many ways, and its conven ience and attractiveness greatly en hanced. A broad, covered piazza has been erected along the whole length of the building and commands a line view across the lawns to the beautiful pine grove; and on the south side is a large sun piazza. The grounds have been at tractively laid out and planted with ornamental plants and shrubs, among which are some very fine specimens of the box bush. In the interior many changes are ob served. The whole front of the new part is occupied by the parlor. This is one of the handsomest apartments in the village, with walls and ceilings beauti fully decorated in Louis XIV style. The wnire of the ceiling is painted to repre sent a patch of blue sky, with masses of meoy white clouds, and dotted with numerous bright colored birds and butter- ".vs, while about the edjjes are clusters of l,,s and other flowers. The color fleets are especially tine and show the A'uch of a master hand. Surrounding is centre piece, and around the upper tuor the wall also, are relief decora- All the decorations in this build- tions. are by the New York artist, Mr. Axel ;s ten, whose work is the finest of any I11 the village. The parlor is weil nieu by large windows, and a door 'lw,,,s n the piazza in front. At the rear a corridor runs through the build ing, with a ladies' toilet room close by the entrance. One of the main stairways leads from the parlor to the floors above. The balance of this end of the building is devoted to sleeping rooms. These are among the most desirable in the house. They are large, light and airy, with com modious closets ; and many of them, with their windows toward the south, will prove especially attractive to elderly people and those in poor health. These sleeping apartments are very convenient to all public rooms. Leading from the parlor, at the right, is the ladies' writing room, an attractive apartment that is sure to prove popular. This room connects the parlor with main hall of the house. It also has a door opening on the piazza. The main entrance to the hotel is in the centre of the building and opens into the main hall. Directly in front is the entrance to the dining room, and on the ight is the oflice and smoking room. On is a cold storage room connected with the Pinehurst cold storage and ice making plant. The office and smoking room at the right of the main hall is a bright and cozy apartment that was used as a parlor last year. It has been thoroughly reno vated and refurnished, and the walls and ceiling have been decorated in Louis XV style. Connected with this room is a gentlemen's writing room, which is taste fully fitted up with writing tables and every convenience for the scribe. The second and third floors are devoted entirely to sleeping rooms. These are large and pleasant, well-lighted and handsomely furnished. Every room has a commodious closet, electric lights, steam heat and call bell, and many have open fires. All the beds are furnished with fine mattresses and springs. The entire building has been thorough ly renovated and refurnished since last season. The interior is cheerful and tasteful, and no modern convenience is 1 -ZLZl-p 1 left is one of the main stairways, and at the end of the hall is the door leading to the ladies' writing room mentioned above. In all of Pinehurst's hostelries special efforts have been made to make the dining rooms particularly bright and attractive, and the Berkshire dining room is no ex ception. It is a fine, well-lighted apart ment, 38x56 feet, with high ceiling, and is finished in North Carolina pine. A large open fireplace of finished brick is located at one end, where the blazing fat pine logs diffuse a pleasing warmth and light on cool days. The walls and ceiling are beautifully decorated in colonial style. The sides of the room contain numerous large windows, and mvriads of electric lamps depend from .the ceiling, providing an abundance of light. About one hundred people can oe comfortably seated at the tables in this room. Hack of the dining hall is the serving room containing a steam table and every convenience for the proper serving of the food. Just beyond is a large kitchen fitted with a double French range, Acme oven, charcoal broiler and all the appar atus needed to supply the wants of the host of hungry guests. Adjoining is a fine pantry. An innovation this season lacking. It is lighted throughout by electricity, heated by steam, has electric call bell in each room, and is supplied with the celebrated Pinehurst spring water. The hallways are large and light, toilet and bath rooms are conveniently located on each floor, and the plumbing is all that the most exacting could desire. Five wide stairways on each floor provide ample means of exit in case of fire. The excellent cuisine is a prominent attrac tion at thte house, and the waitresses are all white girls from the North. Mr. B. F. Kimball, the manager, is a hotel man of many years' experience, and has made an enviable reputation in his line of business. For the past thir teen years he has been proprietor and manager of the Eagle Inn, an attractive summer hostelry charmingly located in the town of Orwell, Vt., where he has met with signal success in catering to the wants of the constantly increasing number of people who annually visit the the picturesque Lake Champlain valley during heated term. He possesses in a marked degree that rare talent of the ideal host the art of making a stranger feel like an old friend whose presence is an honor and -whose every wish it is a pleasure to gratify. In his efforts to make his guests com fortable and happy Mr. Kimball is ably seconded by his efficient assistant manag er, Mr. E. Hart Day, formerly of Boston, but for several years past associated witn him at the Eagle Inn. Mr. Day has a very pleasing personality and the nappy faculty of anticipating the wants of his guests, with whom he is deservedly popular. Mr. Kimball brought a large portion of his employes from his Northern hotel, among them being his cook, the quality of whose work has been tested and proved. The waitresses and other help are experienced and capable in their several lines, and all who patronize the Berkshire this season are assured competent service. The season has opened auspiciously. A large portion of the rooms have al ready been engaged, and every Indication points to an exceptionally successful winter. SHARP'S ORCHESTRA. Its First Public Concert I his Season Given at Holly Inn Music Room Iast Sunday Evening. Air. Tread way is to be congratulated on having secured so valuable and enter taining an adjunct to the Holly Inn amusement list this season as Sharp s orchestra, which gave its first Sunday evening concert (to which all Pinehurst quests, as well as those of the Inn, are invited) in the fine music room of the Inn last Sunday. Air. Sharp formerly of De Jong's orchestra of sixty men, Manchester, England hails direct from the Hotel del Coronado, Coronado Beach, Cal., where he has been musical director for the past six successive seasons. The manager there gives him the reputation of having provided the best music that the hotel has had since its opening some twelve years ago. Judging from what we have heard of the orchestra's work so far, the distinction is fully merited; not only of its performance, but also of the the class of music in its repertoire, which is much higher than usual. Following is the PROGRAM. Marche Pontificate Gounod Overture "Stradella" Flotow (a "Serenade from E Minor J Concerto" Lindner 'Cello Solo b "Ungarische Rhapsody" op. 68 Popper Alfred Sommer. Grand Selection "Les Huguenots" Meyerbeer i a Serenade "To Spring" Gounod b Romanza "The Swan" Saint Saens Pianoforte Solo " Ballade" (G Minor) Chopin May Cook Sharp. Entracte from "Rosamunde" Schubert War March of the Priests ( Athalla) Meudelssolm The program was beautifully rendered throughout, and was thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by the large audience present. In conjunction with the orchestra is Mrs. May Cook Sharp, a piano soloist. Although an American by birth, Mrs. Sharp is from the Klindworth-Schar-wenka Conservatory of Music, Berlin, Germany, and holds an "artist's diploma"