Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-11-02

robe rarely seen and much wondered at,
Living in gorgeous private residences,
away from the splendid palaces which
bear their names, they in fact vicariously
| feed, room, and care for more human be-
ings in one day than the men of the past
did in six months. One of these men was
John Guy, who may be called the hero of
three cities-known alike in Philadelphia,
Baltimore, and Washington, though bet
ter appreciated in Baltimore. Born in
Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. be-
lieve he was the founder of family of
unrivelled hotel keepers. He still
lives in Guys, ON Seventh street, Pbila-
delphia, now in course of rehabilitation
and soon to expand into an ostentatious
establishment on the European plan, and
in the unequalled Monument House near
ly opposite Barnum's in Baltimore. When
I think of him I think also of Dorrance
and Pope Mitchell of the United States
Hotel, of Joseph Head of the Mansion
House on Third street, of Dunlap of the
City Hotel, of Hartwell of the Washing
ton House, and Jones of the old Jones'
Hotel, in Philadelphia; of Gadsby in
Washington, Stetson of the Astor House,
in New York, and many, many more.
There is not a State in the Union,
North or South, which could not fur
nish anecdotes of its representative
inn-keepers of their relations to public
men-to Calhoun in South Carolina, to
Webster in Massachusetts, to Clay in
Kentucky, to Sergeant S. Prentiss in Mis-
sissippi, to George D. Prentice in Louis
vile, and to the lawyers, divines, and
orators who for half century dominated
in those sections. If these Bonifaces
could have kept records of their expert
ence, what anecdotes they could relate of
the giants of the past, of their private
troubles, their ambitions, their contriV'
ances and their caucusses, their friends
and their foes I knew many of them,
and could relate many interesting Incl
dents if had space and time.
Let me recall one in regard to this
same John Guy, sometimes told by my
friend Dougherty, when we can win him
to social familiarity and make him forget
professional responsibilities. Guy bore
striking resemblance to General Lewis
Oass, and while he was proprietor of the
National Hotel, in Washington, the Mich
igan Senator was among his favored
guests. Guy dressed like Cass, and al
though not as portly, his face, including
the wart, was strangely similar. One day
Western friend of the house came in
after a long ride, dusty and tired and
walking up to the Office encountered Cen
eral Cass, who was quietly standing there.
Mistaking him for Guy, he slapped him
ON the shoulder and exclaimed "Well,
old fellow, here [ am; the last time l
hung my hat up in your shanty, one of
your clerks sent me to the fourth story :;
but now that have got hold of you, l
insist upon lower room"
The General, a most dignifed person
age, taken aback by this startling salute,
coldly replied You have committed a
mistake, sir. I am not Mr.. Guy; am
General CAss of Michigan and angrily
turned away. The Western man was
shocked at the unconscious outrage heI
had committed; but before he had recov.
cred from his modification, General Cas-,
who had passed around the Office, con-
fronted him again, when a second time
installing him for Guy, he faced him and |
said Here you are at last. I have just
made q devil Of mistate [ met old Casa |
and took him for you, and 1 am afraid the
has gone off mad What |
General Cass would have said may we'll
be imagined, if the real Guy had not ap-
preached and rescued the innocent offend
er from the twice-assailed and twice
angered statesman.-Sunday Chronicle.