The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-08
OLD TOMS SOLD OUT.
NEW YoIKs MOST VENERABLE ALE HOUSE
BROUGHT UNDER THE HAMSIER-EoMANTIC
HISTORY or A


HISTORY OF A TAP.
On Thursday at noon, the "orignal John Smiths"
chop house. otherwise known "old Toms" was
sold out at auction by order Of the Marshal Thou
sands of those who have visited in bygone days and
quafcd the toaming ale that flowed from its mighty
casks. ate of its juicy viands will read the above
announcement with keen pang of regret Under its
cobwebbed raiters and in its shady corners secluded
from the noise of the busy downtown streets,
We're wont to spend many brief hour in a world OF
quaint and Anticipated imaginings glad of one retreat
from the besetting misunderstanding present The
history of the "Orginal John smiths" is closely
linked with that of rival establishment next door.
which is styled the 'original Old Toms and which
really occupies the true site of the first chop house
of that in this city. For long period the for
connected with the other and knew the same
master. 1t WILL therefore, be necessary in this de-
scription and narrative to speak of them very often
and the same.
A half minutes walk from Broadway. down
row and deep alley known Thames street. or,
i'll the dialect of the coal beavers and draymen,
TEN pence" is an interesting byway, quaint look
ing and beginning nowhere and ending nowhere"
YoRK's OLDEST
In the early part Of 1861 there still stood on the
northwest wooden house. of grimy yellow
color weather beaten and ricketty. its gable end
fronting Thames street small open door. led up
TO by messy stone steps. revealed to the passers
gimpses of warm hearth, clean tables and stanch
tankards. while the aroma of wholesome ediblcs com
plcted the silent invitation to enter. The date of its
erection has been ascerained. but it probably
existed during the Revolution. The wooden house
was first kept inn by Mrs. Weeks. in the year
1900. She pleasant woman of good looks and
jolly disposition, and her cosey little paror being
also the taproom) attracted daily the sober-going
that slny- mad
of the old Dutch manners, were beginning TO
initiate the customs and to affect the tastes
population had already become strongly leavened.
Politics in America then their infancy. and
scenes of It'll discussion Mrs. Weeks entertained
many famous wayfarers. Among them Alex
General Knox. There is tradition that Hamilton
ate his last supper at Mrs. Weeks, then known as
the chop and Steak House. on the of his fatal
duel in July. 1904.
The landady was widow. and as she grew in
worldly prosperity she fanced that she would be
happier If she might share her good fortune with
other, In her employ, was tapster or barkeeper
nthe and merry With him she FIJI e in love-
Their courtshp was favored with many pots of beer
and sweety cooked chops partaken OF IN delicious Sc
clson after the doors had been closed the last of
the departing guests but it is not recorded in what
year or between what strokes OF the neighboring
Trinity parish bell the momentous proposal WAS made
which was to initiate change in their existence.
Neither does tradition say whether the lady the
be inferred that time honored custom reversed in
this instance and that she asked the blush
ing William to become her lord and mas
ter They were married in 1910 with appro-
pirate festivities in the old house which was
chrstened, in token OF the new copartnershp. "Old
Reynolds" BY this name it became widely known.
In 1885 Mr. and Mrs Reynolds surrendered their pub
lie position and were succeeded by Joseph Nunns.
They retired to Fort Lee, where they st living
in q comfortable old age some ten years ago.
TOM TAKES PossEssIOE
Nunns was relieved Of his responsibility in 1899 by
Ho1a hn had hppn a tc rest n
the house and was famous As free and easy song
ster. His previous occupation had been that of
way and Thames street. He had carefully saved his
earnings and deposited them in the hands of Silas
Wright whose praises he never weary of sound
ing He was great in the expoundng of the politics
of the day and he hated the United States Bank
earnestly a. he admired General Jackson. From the
day OF his accession to supreme power in the old
house its style was changed to .'Old Toms, and the
euphonious still fingers about the consecrated
He the favor OF people
and sought to invest the locality with much of
air Of antiquity as possible.
.Old Toms days, however were not so long in
the land his desert great r he died in 1913.
A DAsHING HUssAK.
His widow continued the business which he had
left and her reign is remembered by great many
living citizens with peculiar pleasure. The condition
her and she followed the honorcd example of Mrs.
Weeks in taking to herself husband even from the
harvest field, as Boaz did with Ruth. Employed
in the house John Smith, whose
appearance by means commonplace as his
name. He English by birth and had been hus-
stature and stout in figure, he bore rubicund and
genial countenance which was quite as potent an in
vtaton to as the pictured sgnboard Of his
walked the streets he to be remarked for his
military bearing aud his disciplined stride. He al
turned sharp his heel II acting guide to
q platoon OF infantry and his salute wonder of
formal stateness for the small boys of .Tempen
to cape ut with ave- In u buttonhoe on his left
breast he every day, in summer and winter AIRED
rose. Under John Smiths reign actors. lawyers,
politicians and authors made rendezvous around his
t.hl Rurtp md ON N
frequent visitors The Pup Monkeys" society Of
rich young bloods, also met there and the knights
the Round Table" club which similar
the bohemian" held nightly gatherings.
Among its principal members were Fitz Greene
Judge Meas, John Brougham, Judge Ellis
Fuller, of the Mirror; Judge Robinson. John
sat beneath the roof and there is even faint trad
ton that DIETRICH Knckerbocker himself has fallen
asleep there the winter fire when bordering on
the equally slumberous chapters OF his authentic
history.
In 1861 'old Toms" only surviving son---who now
is 80 old that he claims his fathers soubrquct-at
tanned the age of twenty-one and assumed the direc
ton of the business He Immediately caused to be
demolished the old wooden house and began the cree
ton of a new one of brick, five six stories in
height thus ruthessly destroying the charm which
had been many years in augmenting. He resumed
business with the old sign, but II has never been so
lively under the old roof
In the meantime John smith had taken up the
prcd lease of the adjoining house which, until 1861
had been connected with the on the Here
he continued 10 entertain all his former customers
the real clientele OF the original 'Old Tom anu AZ
he brought with him the greater part of the pictures
and furniture which belonged a. il the unique repu
taton Of antiquity almost wholly transferred
TO IT,
CURIOUS OLD RESORT BROKEN
The building is certainly the oldest the west
side of Broadway. In its interior he carefully pre-
served the aspect of extreme age and even added
some ..rclics" whose history was not entirely
thentic The cobwebs on the ceiling had not been
disturbed tor scores Of years and 1t would have been
deemed sacrilegc as terrible as could be conceived
to touch them with the broom or brush.
esluHp ue 20 Nv Afstth
himself, although his financial affairs had been in
volyed for long tin The whole sum which
the articles brought 500 %. Thc follow
ing are some of the articles. The prices all
insignificant in amount. and some Of them
scarcely jotted down by the auctioneer they
paid over out OF hand There engraving Of
the United States Senate Chamber, 81 3d. copies of
Robert Emmets farewell speech and Of the Declara-
ton Of Independence silk: six old oil paintings
tsubects unknown, 81 80; painting Of the Sign