Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-06-14
A visit TO the Greeley Headquar-
tera.

A visit to the Greeley Headquar-
ters.
New York, June Z, 1872.
have just returned from the Greeley
headquarters, at the Astor House 1t is
large, plain room, fronting on Vesey
street, from which you squint at the old
City Hall, and have good look at Print
ing-House Square, where stands the
statue of the old Franklin, and where
that of the later franklin" will soon
stand. We see the great printing Offices
bune, the Times and TIE World. We get
also a glimpse at the Express and the
Sun and at Brick Pomeroy, etc.
These quarters are in No. IA of the old,
classic Astor, quite near to the mystic
rious No. IL, where Thurlow Weed exc
cuted so much of his surprising party
prestidigitation. Here, too, was the scene
OF Daniel Webster New York conyivial-
ism; and one feels as if his mighty ghost
might confront him in these halls even
yet Here that amazing genius, the
lawyer, scholar, publicist, wit and glori-
Gus fellow, Rufus Choate, loved to lin
ger-a second Cicero in all classic nice
ties, and grand sometimes with the
power of Demosthenes. Here, too, were
the dramatic festivals held, over which
James I. Brady presided where the
elder Wallack won all hearts at the So
cial board; where Brougham in his
palmy days set the table in a roar
And here once centered the intellectual
force of the country. Venerable Joe
Gales, of the old Washington Intelli-
gencer, ran up big scores here in his
grand day-and he paid them, too.
Here, Colonel Seaton, Mr. Gales asso-
ciate, entertained always when he was
in New York. Great were those better
days of Mr.. Charles Stetson, alias
Z" Charley Stetson, the admirable
host who still lives, rugged and
hearty, and who lives at the old
Astor still, though it is carried
on by his sons. He has seen such
times here as rare Ben Jonson saw at
the Mermaid--times when every weapon
of the human intellect was in play over
his luxurious board Here also was your
Prentice's iavorite haunt "0ut upon
time, it seems but yesterday that |
grasped his hand here, But the glories
Of the Astor are fading out. No longer
do we see the old spread on groaning
board No. The house now is on the
European plan. Nothing but lodging
house and a restaurant! No more long
scores, to be closed by note, to be dis.
counted and renewed in bank, and finally |
to be paid when the long-enduring Stet-
son was threatened with bankruptcy. |
Nowadays all men are equals at the
Astor. You pay as you 90, cash on the
nail for your dinners, and weekly for
your rooms. 1t is a business house,
in no respect different at this time
from the common run Of lodging houses
and restaurants. All that reminds one
of the past is the fact that now and then
the thin. worn and feeble form Of
Thurlow Weed revisits the scene, glides
in and out, and disappears. The Au-
burn statesman, like his Pythias, Weed,
silver-haired Seward, who once made this
house his headquarters, is now cheerful
ly waiting his simmons from the God of
ALL Their books are closed for this
world, except that Mr.. Weed is writing
his "reminiscences, and Mr., Seward is
pushing on an account for the press of
bis travels round the world. OF the OLD
regime Charles Stetson only preserves
his vigor, and he swears that he will
never break until he goes all to pieces.
II is strange how the old time comes
over me with such vividnessl How can
realize that so many of these are gone
forever from the earth, and that so many
who are left are stricken and dropping
INTO the grave. ra