Monterey County CA Archives History - Books .....Chapter XXIV The Pacific Improvement Company 1893
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Book Title: Memorial And Biographical History Of The Coast Counties Of Central California.

CHAPTER XXIV.
THE PACIFIC IMPROVEMENT COMPANY.

A historical and statistical account of the town of Monterey and its
surroundings, would be incomplete, and hardly fair, which neglected to recognize
the achievements of the Pacific Improvement Company in the modern development of
that locality so rich in historic associations as well as in natural attractions.

  It is currently reported, and the truth of that report is altogether probable,
that the company has expended in the vicinity of $2,500,000 in Monterey county.
By request, the company furnishes the following data concerning the famous Hotel
del Monte, the town of Pacific Grove, the Carmel Waterworks, etc.

THE HOTEL DEL MONTE.

  The controlling idea in the conception of the Hotel del Monte was the need of
a large, handsome and perfectly equipped resort to render available the
extraordinary natural charms which the peculiar climate of the coast afforded.
Up to this time there was not, outside the cities, an adequate establishment in
this part of the State, so that those Eastern and other non-resident persons who
wished to take advantage of the fine winter climate of California, had to suffer
the discomforts inseparable from a commercial hotel in a crowded and noisy city.
It was left for the Pacific Improvement Company to supply the one great lack
under which California suffered, and to take the first and most important step
in the direction of bringing the charms of the State to the attention of
intelligent health and pleasure-seekers in all parts of the world.

  The effect that the establishment of the hotel has had upon California has
been very marked. By the providing of elegant accommodations at a reasonable
cost, and by taking intelligent advantage of the beauties of nature which were
found at hand, the delightful features of California have been strongly
impressed upon all who have visited the hotel; and the presence of such a hotel,
and the fame which it has acquired throughout Christendom, have induced a large
special travel, which otherwise might never have come. Hence, incidentally, a
greatly increased number of persons, numbering many thousands annually, have
been brought in contact with the attractions and resources of the State; have
expended their money freely with all classes of citizens; have been instrumental
in increasing the population of the State, and have spread the fame of the
country to all parts of the world.

  An interesting and uncommon feature of the hotel is that it always has a large
business; there is no time of the year when the house has to be closed; the
trained employes are not sent adrift at the end of the "season," to be replaced
with green and untried hands at the reopening. This is so uncommon a
circumstance, and has so important a bearing on the management of the place and
the maintenance of its standard, that is worthy of particular attention. In the
Southern States there are numerous fine winter resorts, but they do little or no
business in the summer. In the Northern States are countless summer resorts,
which have to close their doors long before the snow begins to fly. The Hotel
del Monte is entirely unique in being both a winter and summer resort of the
highest order; and while it is true that its clientele changes with the seasons,
the house is always comfortably filled and that, too, with the best class of
people. The climate explains this anomaly. In winter the freezing and rheumatic
residents of the colder States find comfort at the Del Monte, and in summer it
is a pleasure resort proper, but with a large sprinkling of permanent guests who
find both health and uninterrupted comfort here.

  The natural beauties of the place are incomparable; nowhere else on the
continent, if at all in the world, is there so generous a collection of those
natural charms which bring the highest pleasure. The hotel is situated in a
splendid grove of giant pines and oaks, and these mammoth trees, together the
with safe distance which the hotel was placed from the bay shore, afford a
protection against the winds from the ocean. The Pacific Improvement Company
owns the greater part of the peninsula separating the bays of Monterey and
Carmel, having here a splendidly wooded park of 7,000 acres devoted to the
pleasure of the guests of the hotel. Along this peninsula are numerous bold
headlands, at whose rocky feet the waves break with a continual roar, and now
and then beautiful sand beaches, some famous for their mosses and others for the
pebbles. The great forest of pines which cover the peninsula gives way, at the
southeast corner, to the most singular forest imaginable; the far-famed cypress
grove, the singularly contorted and gnarled members of which suggest the famed
cedars of Lebanon.

  The Carmel river, flowing through the property, is one of the most charming
streams in the State, and is kept especially stocked with trout for the guests,
they alone being permitted to fish in the waters. There are several mountain
ranges immediately at hand, including the Santa Lucia and Gabilan ranges, and
they abound in deer and other game.

The bay of Monterey itself is a beantiful sheet of water, being the most
graceful in its outlines of all the ocean inlets. For many miles a perfect sand
beach stretches in front of the hotel, and upon it the white surf breaks
continually. The temperature of the water, though low at all times of the year,
varies very little between winter and summer, and affords the finest bathing for
guests every month in the year. Fishing and boating and sailing are favorite
pastimes on the placid waters of the bay, and a diversion sometimes occurs in
the form of a school of whales. Seal Rock, just outside the bay and close to the
peninsula, is covered with thousands of sea-lions, which are protected by
stringent laws.

  Taking all these natural beauties (and several others that could be mentioned)
into account, it is extremely fortunate that they existed in the immediate
vicinity of the quaint old Spanish town of Monterey, the most charming of all
the older towns in the State, and richer than any other in legend, romance and
dramatic history. It was here that Junipero Serra, the pioneer Franciscan friar,
planted the cross; it was here that the flag was raised, and here that the first
State government was organized. The charm of the place is indescribable, and it
grows and strengthens with time. Seemingly at no other place are the winds so
welcome, the sunshine so genial and the flowers so bright. Only a mile away the
towers and minarets of the stately Hotel del Monte are seen emerging from the
dark green foliage of the trees.

  All these charms and advantages having been taken into consideration, the
hotel was built, and on June 6, 1880, was opened. The business from that time
forward increased with unfailing steadiness, eventually requiring greatly
enlarged accommodations. The general ground plan of the house is a long
building, from either end of which, connected by circular arcades, extend
annexes, while between them, running out from the center of the main building,
are the dining room and kitchen. It will be seen from this that every room is
necessarily well lighted, and from every possible view the guest finds acres of
beautiful flowers before him. The main building is 340 feet long and 110 feet
wide. In the center is a large office, or lobby, a favorite resort in the
evenings. There are also several parlors, including the grand parlor where the
sacred concerts are given on Sundays, and ladies' billiard rooms, reading rooms,
a handsome ballroom, etc. The dining room, like all the public rooms of the
house, is finished in pure white, dark colors and other dirt-concealing devices
being nowhere employed. The dining room is of noble proportions, with handsome
plate mirrors set between the windows on either side of the room. The
establishment contains nearly 500 bed-rooms and can accomodate 750 persons
comfortably.

  The manager is George Schonewald, the chief clerk is J. A. Clough, and the
chef is J. A. Harder; 218 persons are employed. In 1891 the number of registered
guests was 12,644. This does not include the great number of excursion parties,
which are not registered. These are estimated at 5,000. The aim is to have the
management as nearly perfect as possible, not the least item concerning the
comfort and pleasure of the guest ever being overlooked. No dust or dirt is
seen, nor a scratch on the furniture, nor does carpet or linen show the least
wear. While the guests sleep, an army of silent servants swarm through the
corridors and public rooms, overhauling and polishing everything in the most
thorough manner.

  The architecture of the hotel is a pleasing and airy Gothic, with horizontal
lines broken constantly, and numberless cosy nooks introduced. Towers and
observatories, from which grand views of the bay and mountains are to be had,
crown the structure, and the soft gray color of the pile harmonizes with the
graceful  surroundings.

  As has been said, the hotel is situated in the heart of the noblest forest of
pines and live-oaks to be found in California, and on one side of this is the
bay, and on the other the mountains. But the owners were not satisfied with the
lavish provision that Nature had made. Inclosing a section of the forest 126
acres in extent, they have beautified it in a manner and to an extent unequaled
nowhere else in America, and approached in beauty and variety only by a few of
the more famous flower-gardens of Europe. It would be impossible to find
anywhere else a climate that would permit of the success in floriculture, which
the efforts at the Del Monte have secured. It is not only a garden for summer,
but at all times of the year it is ablaze with gorgeous color. No frosts or snow
are present to prohibit the uninterrupted frolic of the flowers, and many rare
plants from the antipodes, where the seasons of bloom are re • versed from those
obtaining here, find a congenial home and add to the beauties of the midwinter
season. A lover of the art may here find the most attractive, instructive and
varied range of blooming plants to be seen in the world, and many weeks would be
required to explore all the marvels of this wonderful collection.

  Another accessory to the hotel is Laguna del Rey, a charming lake 200 yards
from the hotel. It covers about fifteen acres, and is surrounded with a fine
boulevard and an endless succession of ornamental trees and plants and shady
nooks with seats. In the center of the lake is a fountain, which throws a
graceful stream high in the air, and numerous boats are provided for the free
use of the guests.

  Several fine tennis courts and croquet grounds are provided. These are
disposed under the shade of' the great oaks, all are paved with asphaltum and
kept in the best order, and are provided with seats for spectators. The maze is
one of the best and most elaborate in the country, covering several acres and
requiring over a half mile of walking to find the center, and as much more to
emerge as lovers can spare from their meals. Numerous swings and other
pleasure-making devices exist throughout the grounds, besides miles of shady and
romantic walks through the lawns, flower-beds and trees.

  The club-house is removed more than a hundred yards from the hotel. It is a
graceful and comfortable building, and is provided with ten-pin alleys, billiard
rooms and the like. Three hundred yards beyond it, and concealed from the hotel
by the trees, are the extensive stables, surpassing in extent any other public
or private stables in the West. One reason for this is the great number of
beautiful drives to be found in the neighborhood. Every possible kind of
turnout—drags, four-in-hands, carts, buggies, carriages, surreys, tallyhoes,
saddle-horses and everything else in the line, can be had on a moment's notice,
and at prices at which none could complain. Not far from the stables are the
nurseries of the hotel garden, with acres of young plants under glass, and
seed-beds showing the future queens of the garden in their infancy.

  A leading attraction is the great bathing pavilion, situated a quarter of a
mile from the house, down on the beach. It is a large glass-covered structure,
containing all kinds of hot and cold baths, principal of which are the four
large swimming pools, heated to different temperatures to suit all tastes. The
water is salt, being pumped from the bay, and is kept constantly changing. It is
a great fashion to take a plunge into the surf as a finish to the luxurious swim
within doors.

  Possibly the most picturesque of the side attractions is the famous
seventeen-mile drive, running from the hotel through Monterey, then across the
neck of the peninsula to Carmel bay, and then all around the peninsula, passing
through the grotesque Cypress Grove, past the Seal Rock and Moss Beach, through
Pacific Grove and so back to the hotel. Throughout its whole extent the drive is
macadamized or graveled and kept in perfect order, so that at no time is there
either mud or dust. The remarkable variety of scenery, which it brings in
review, cannot be surpassed, and to describe it in detail would require much
more space than is available here.

  No traveler of taste and education thinks of visiting California without
seeing the Hotel del Monte. Its nearness to San Francisco, which is the
converging point of all western travel, makes it easily accessible, and the
country traversed by the railroad between San Francisco and Monterey is the most
attractive and highly developed in California. The road takes one through the
beautiful suburban towns containing the summer residences of many San
Franciscans,—past the Leland Stanford, Jr., University, with its quaint Moorish
architecture and its unparalleled endowment of more than $20,000,000; through
San Jose, the "garden city" of California; within sight of Mount Hamilton,
crowned with the glittering dome of Lick Observatory; through the famous
vineyards of the Santa Clara valley, and on through a series of charming valleys
in the highest cultivation, and showing prosperous California in its pleasantest
aspects. It would be almost impossible to enumerate the famous men and women who
have enjoyed the comforts of the Del Monte, but among them may be mentioned
President Harrison, ex-President Hayes, the late General W. T. Sherman, Mr. and
Mrs. Henry M. Stanley, John W. Mackay, Joseph Pulitzer, Edwin Booth, the Marquis
of Lorne and the Princess Louise, the Marquis of Queensberry, Don Cameron, Mrs.
James Brown Potter, and many others.

THE TOWN OF PACIFIC GROVE.

  The town of Pacific Grove is a unique institution, being the place of summer
assembly for the more cultured and intellectual societies of the State. It was
bought by the Pacific Improvement Company in 1880 to supply the need of the
Methodist General Conference for an attractive spot for its summer gatherings.
Hence the original intention was that it should be a camp-ground only; and in
order to secure an orderly management of the camp, the conduct of the place was
invested in a board of trustees, and camping lots were leased or sold and
numerous permanent tents erected. During the twelve years which have elapsed the
place has undergone a remarkable change illustrating human inability to foresee
the future. Instead of being a Methodist camping ground, it is now the
headquarters of the numerous societies on the coast, religious and intellectual,
still including the Methodists, but many in addition. Among the societies which
held meetings there last season were the following: Pacific Grove Retreat
Association, Young Men's Christian Association, District Conference and Summer
Encampment of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Chautauqua Assembly, the W. C.
T. U. School of Methods, the Midsummer Reunion for Political, Civil and Social
Reforms, and others, including the California State Teachers' Association.

  The size and character of the place have expanded with the extension of its
original purpose. There were many natural reasons for this. The grove is only
three miles from Monterey and four miles from the Hotel del Monte, and is
situated in a sheltered cove on the south arm of the bay of Monterey. The 6oil
is a rich, sandy loam, producing flowers equaled only by those at the Hotel de*
Monte. The old lighthouse on Point Pinos is near by, as also is the pretty lake
Majella, while bathing, boating and fishing constitute the chief charms which
the bay affords. The great forest of pines, which cover the peninsula here,
reaches down to the water's edge, making the site remarkably attractive and
picturesque.

  An idea of the growth of the place may be inferred from the assertion that the
summer population of the Grove is now 6,000, with a permanent population of
about one-fourth that number. So great has been the growth that the Pacific
Improvement Company has had to make several additions to the origina site. From
100 acres the place has grown to 470 acres, divided into 3,380 lots, and another
addition of 800 lots is about to be made. The original tents have given way to
long streets of artistic summer cottages, in which the ingenuity of skillful
architects has been taxed to produce charming effects. Instead of the meetings
now being held in the rough hall which was originally supposed to be sufficient,
there is now a handsome structure that would be an ornament to any city. Several
religious societies have erected attractive houses of worship, graded and
graveled and clean streets make walking and driving through the avenues of tall
trees a luxury.

  The principal structural attraction of Pacific Grove is El Carmelo, second
only in extent to the Hotel del Monte. Severe in its exterior lines, there is a
repose in the external aspect of the house which gives fair promise of the
warmth of comfort within. The house is well managed, and the charges are not
excessive.

  A livery stable in the town furnishes turnouts, whereby visitors may enjoy the
excellent drives that abound everywhere in this vicinity.

  A large public school is a comparatively recent improvement, and a public
library is an important attraction. An academic department of the University of
the Pacific is in successful operation.

  Besides a line of horse cars connecting the Grove with Monterey and the Hotel
del Monte, the Southern Pacific Company, on the 1st of August, 1889, opened an
extension of its main line running from San Francisco to the Hotel del Monte and
Monterey, so that one may now go directly to Pacific Grove by rail.
  
One of the most interesting of the new attractions is the seaside laboratory,
endowed by Timothy Hopkins, and conducted by the Stanford University.

  It is intended to make this a place for original investigation of the habits,
life, history, structure and development of marine animals and plants, and to
carry on work here similar to that which has made the aquarium at Naples known
all over the world.

THE CARMEL WATER WORKS.

  In order to secure an adequate supply of the purest water for the Hotel del
Monte, Pacific Grove and as many private consumers as might wish to avail
themselves of the privilege, the Pacific Improvement Company in 1883 began and
completed the Carmel water-works. The water is brought from the Carmel river,
which, passing through a very wild and uncultivated region, is pure and clear.
The water is conveyed in pipes from the river to two reservoirs near Pacific
Grove, one of these having a storage capacity of 18,000,000 gallons and other
140,000,000 gallons. Thence it is distributed through pipes, there being in all
twenty-six miles of pipe. The capacity of the service is 1,200,000 gallons
daily, and the supply is unfailing.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California.

Illustrated.

Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the
Earliest Period of its Discovery to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of
its Auspicious Future; Illustrations and Full-Page Portraits of some of its
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers, and Prominent
Citizens of To-day.



HENRY D. BARROWS,
Editor of the Historical Department.

LUTHER A. INGERSOLL,
Editor of the Biographical Department.

"A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendants."-Macaulay.


CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY.
1893.


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