The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-24
A Military Quartette,

cruiting officer of the Royal Americans, "a
perfect master of the inyeigling artsn by the
| practice of which men were in those days en-
ticed into the service of his Britannia Majesty.
| "He had o snug, economical method of his
| own,r to which his unprecedented success in
| this military line was supposed to be owing.
Major Small was a stout, burly individual;
while Fell, instead of having the build ana
| muscle to render his name at all appropriate,
| was characterized by most Insignificant per-
! some. General John Reid, at that time
col onel, was also a lodger. His fame appears
to rest on his tact in the composition OF mill
| tafy music, while he was also able to perform
| on the German flute In fashion that put every
other Englishman of his day to shame.
Captain Wallace.
While the British army was represented at
Mrs Graydon's table by these very respectable
and somewhat noted personages, the navy was
less fortunate. A Captain Wallace was its sole
member, and he appears to have been a rude
and boisterous specimen of his class. The man.
of-war which he commanded was on the AmeIi-
can station. His character at sea is described
as "insolent and brutal beyond his peers" and
on shore as being altogether of piece with
it." An inquistive Friend on one occasion
aroused his wrath beyond all reason, by the in
quiry:-"What makes thee drink so often? art
thou really dry every time thou earliest the
liquor to thy mouth?'
RivingtOn, the Tragic Printer.
Rivington, New York printer of note, was
another and frequent guest at the Slate House
in the days of Mrs Graydon. This gentleman
was ian everlasting dabbler in theatrical
heroics." "0theo" appears to have been his
favorite role. Time and time again he would
address the company as "most potent, grave, and
reverend signiors," and then launch forth with
his unvarGished tale:--
"Her father loved me, oft invited me-" etc.
A "Desdemona" to answer the theatrical
| printers purposes was readily found in Mrs.
Graydon, who gradually came to pass among
her dodgers by that familiar title, contracted
| into "Desdy," for short. In the days when
| Rlvington was guest, the dodgers appear to
| have been jolly set altogether. On one occa-
sion Rlvington, in company with Lieutenant
Rumsey, of the 42d, and a Doctor Kearsley, two
of his fellow -boarders, terminated their nights
Carousal in rather boisterous style. The Doctor,
mounted on horseback, even rode fairly into the
back parlor, and then upstairs, to the terror of
| the family, and the serious disturbance of the
| sleepy dodgers. Mrs. Graydon demonstrated at
this proceeding, when the Lieutenant, taking
his cue from Rivington, improvised a poeti-
cal rejonder, which terminated with these
words:-
'For, Desdy, believe me- you don't become airs 20
Such was specimen OF boardinghouse life in
our staid Quaker City a century ago.
Washington, Hancock, and Adams.
During the period that the Slate House was
occupied by Mrs. Graydon, both Washington
| and Hancock were at times her guests; but of
these it is unnecessary to speak in this connec-
ton. Mrs. Graydon remained in the Slate
House until 1853, when she removed her
boarding establishment to Drinkers Big House.
on Front street. near Race 1t would appear
however, that the building continued to be used
as clearinghouse, as John Adams, aud otner
prominent members of the First Congress, had
their lodgings there
1t was subsequently used as a fashionable
boarding-school, over which Mrs. Burdeau
presided, with daughter of "Mad Anthony
Wayne for one of her pupils
The Mansion Becomes a TailOr-ShOp.
But subsequent to this time the Slate House
began to deteriorate. From being one of the
handsomest and most commodious private resi-.
dences in the city, 1t gradually fell into 10 wer
rank and a corresponding disrepute. No
longer eligible as a frst-class lodging-house or
fashionable boarding-school for arstocratic
misses, it came to be occupied, during the latter
part of the century, by a Mr.. Ellington, who
carried on the tailoring business within its his
toric walls.
About this time, but at what precise period
is not now known, the open space IN front
between the main building and the two pro-
jecting wings, was built up with frame, detract-
ing much from the former quaint and attractive
appearance of the structure.
Early in the present century, Mr.. Billin-to
became frightened at the fearful prevalence of
the fever, ana therefore he threw up his busi-
ness, and abandoned the city tor a suburban
residence on Bush Hill. relative of his,
John We0b by name, succeeded him in the tai
loring business, using the frame portion, even
then described as rather worn and rcketty for
the manufacture and display of his wares. Mr..
Webb resided in the dwelling portion as late as
1926, and TOR some time thereafter.
The Mansion Becomes a Shoe-ShOp.
The first floor OF the northern wing was at
this time used by William Reed as q shoe-shop.
1t was he who tore out the front window OF
this wing, which corresponded with the one
still remaining in the southern wing, and re-
placed it with the door and shop-window which
has since been noticeable feature of its out
ward appearance. Mr.. Reed likewise lowered
the floor of the front portion of this wing by
several feet, as to give an easy entrance from
the street 10 his shop,
: The Mansion Becomes a BRke-ShOP.
When Reed left the premises the northern
!. wing was occupied by John Simons worthy