The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-08
OLD TOMS UNDER THE HAMMER.
The Chop House for Many Year. the re.
sort of Famous Men.

The Chop House for Many Year. the Re
sort of Famous Men.
Under the hammer Of the Marshal's auc-
tioneer. Mr.. John A. Dunn. tho contents and
paraphcrnalia OF the celebrated old chop house
In Thames street. near Temple were sold ON
Thursday for a mere song. This resort has
been written of and described u great many
times. II was widely known as " Old Toms"
Its claim to that title however. was somewhat
apocryphal. although founded upon an ordcr Of
succession which has given to it much OF the
color OF Legitimacy. Next door Is another chop
house which bears the same name. and occu-
pies the true site OF the original Old Toms"
As with the other. the date OF its establishment
1900" is painted upon the lintels in large
letters.
In tho old days. about tho close OF the Revolu-
ton. the people OF New York who until then
had retained tho Dutch lcavcn in their manners
and customs. began to initiate tho English.
porter house in the city. Those In London had
long been famous. There was Toms Coffee
Thomas West in which Waipole Pope Gold.
smith, Garrick. Lord Give. DR.. Johnson.
Henry Brougham. Foote. aud the Marquis Of
In 1900 Mrs. Weeks n widow. leased tho old
and oven thcn dilapidatcd house ut Thames
and Temple streets as a tavern. Her good looks
and hnSpitabr spirit attracted many patrons.
Her ale tradition saws. was always Of the clear
est amber. and her Wand. were ~ the richest
Stupidity I'm time she loved and welded Vim.
Reynolds. waiter or a bartender who was in
her own employ. and the inn which had be-
fore been known ~ the Stcnk and Chop
House." was rcchristened old Rcynolds's.'
II was froIuentcd 10y nearly al The men ol
genius who dweit IN or came to New York, and
during the administrations Of Jefferson. Madi-
son and Monroe. many brilliant gatherings
might haye been sScn there AmqPg thoHe
lions OF the place. were Aaron Burr. Alexander
Hamilton. and Thomas Paine. II il said that
on the eve of the duel which was fought 10y Burr
and Hamilton e July, 1901. tho former took
supper q "Old Reynoldss."
Mrs. Weeks and her husband continued In
business until 1910, Joseph Nunus was the
| and peintrs II The sacred corner until iSgp
when Thomas HolahRn bought the succession.
and began with his reign new era. lie bad
! leen employed at the old City Hotel at Broad-
long time frequcntcd tho chou house, By
some n, he was giycn ne alsknqnWg q lr. ,i
| whom he used TO deposit his savings. rather
than to intrust them to the United states Bank.
A soon ~ ne caine in ui in. Rous, ne
been known over since. Its popularity increased.
aud among Toms patrons wore many ol the
Of the Round Table" met thnre regularly
Among is members were Fiz Greene Hulleck
Marble. the Presiieni Of tho P.eawic,S club;
/ others. It, Old betting book was for u
long time on exhihiuon at tho bar and
]
continued. One Of Old Toms most in.
/ innate frinds was the late Judge Whitley Of
! Hoboken. who pgss Sod cOnsid ri.be ssil. a. a
| painter. Old Tom purchased one day for
| 80 mahogany board. and thereafter sat regu-
larry 70 the Judge until the latter hid made two
! portraits Of him-one on each side. This WAS
! then hung out rs sign 10 the wuyinrcr, and u
| still swings on IT, iron bracket over the narrow
! sidewalk. Mine host IL reDresented on one side
rs drinking from mug OF nle, and ON the other
| he IS seated In state within his bar. A. be re-
| csived his patrons on New Years Day. His
business became 50 good about 1910 that he
/ hired the adjoining building. the scene Of tho
| sale on Thursday. and cut "A door commun icat-
! ing with II through the wall. Jolly entertain
/ ments were given mere nightly. and some OF the
best talent assisted al them. and often yolun-
| with their voices Tom Hamhlin. So long famed
| among actors md managers john Brougham,
| John Try0n. Burton, stevens; who wAs killed
Ia wrestling match at The Buwery Theatre;
Van Buren,. and Col. Moore NJ the DrHo0'ai,c
Rerte'c. have unbent themselves aud shaken
| CHEEKY gloom Of its cObwebbed corners. In the
| later days among the guests were chiefly re-
marked the i9n. Edwards Iierrsuont. Senator
! Randolph OF New Jersey and Judge Robinson.
Old Tom " died in ISIS and soon after his
! widow, who was a brisk smiling, and cQmely
dame. married a man who had long been IN his
| employ. John Smith. The house lost nothing
| in reputation. but rather grew in fame as It's
antiquity increased However. in 1861, the son
| of " Old Tom" who bore his fathers name
came - the age OF manhood, and straigAtw- :,
upset IN" new order 81 succession j." .. i,riiing
ll.s ".'s..s.tI ana assn Ing nc adlnini-tra,
ion hins'li; : n nrst step 81 reform hH caused
| the Old wooden house to be torn down. and n
MODERN one Of brick 20 bo erected IN It's std6d.
The lease OF the adjoining building had in the
mean time expired. John smith renewed it. and
there resumed his business describing it in the
/ signs which h. hung out al its front as Old
Tom's," and The Original John smiths
Thus Il hnppenGd that there were two rival
Old Toms In Thames street
John Smith has aterly fallen gradually
obliged 10 mortgage Ills chnttels to his butcher.
Of Wusll Fol