The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-06-14
a HistOric Restaurant-The Man Who
HLOaded Up" webster for HIS
Great Speeches.

On the left hand side of Pennsylvania
avenue. going from the Capitol to the
White House and nearly twoNthirds the
distance, is the plain and unosteniatlous
building known to two generations US
s.Jobn Hancock's Saloon. 1t Is historic
snot and for that space of time, the chleI
tansier has been and still is Dick Hancock,
coiored The old citizens about Franklin
will know him at sight because he resem,
bles Jere Brown Dick is very quiet
and A polite man, and one can gain vast
amount of information from him about the
habits of Clay, Calhoun, Webster, Wright
Cass Douglas, Gentry of the ante-bellum
ara. and of the present race OF statesmen.
For. be it remembered that, like the public
men of every age and land, our great men
have place of resort, where the inner
man can be attended to in very quiet and
relaxing sort of way. The walls OF TINS
house and the shelves thereof have 30 many
nortraits. pictures and photographs hang
inc theron, and SO many curious memen-
toes of the past resting thereon, that 1t
might be STYLED ''Old Curiosity Shop !" Ot
course have not got the space to go into
details. Dick Hancock has fixed his histor-
ical iulep for years right under and IN full
glare of the eyes of Dick Turpln, whose
PORTRAIT sent here from England and paints
cd in the seventeenth century. For the
first time saw photograph of the elder
Rooth I was struck with the resemblance
between Edwin and his sire, from the
month ND. The nose has been transmitted
with the full tragic fire to the son. In an
other part of the room Junius Brutus
Booth appears in his great character OF
Richard Ill. In this he was peerless ana
matchless. In this representation the
father shows as a massive man, with huge
arms and with thighs thick and heroic, and
with one calf slightly shrunken. Inc son
is not as large man as his fatner was
Close to this hangs long lock OF HAIR
taken from the head of Ryan, who was
murdered by the Spaniards upon the island
of Cuba, as filibuster. His hat hangs
over it. Around these are shots and shells
and arms of all sorts, gathered from the
battle-fields of the late war. Confederate
money of every date and issue and sort Is
pasted upon the walls Old coins and por>
traits and paintings of great men are every
where to be seen. AS l said, have not
the space to go into detail. Suffice II TO
say that almost every man from every part
of the world who ever drinks one OF DICK
iuleps instantly becomes contributor TO
the walls and shelves of this famous res
taurant.
Speaking of the habits of the present
race of public men and those OF the last
generation, Dick remarked that IN the olden
time Wings and Democrats rarely ever came
there together. If they did there was sure
to be heated discussin and row. Ihen,
too said he, "Webster and all men came
up to this counter, and asked for whatever
they wanted. All were on level. Ihey
drank at the counter. Now it is changed
1t is not unusual, but very common, to see
a half dozen Republicans and like NUNS
Der of Democrats come IN together, ana
order their edibles and drinks into the
back room, and have HILARIOUS time, free
from politics and any irritating subjects.
Dick pointed out to me the place whefe
| Webster used to sit in a chair, anu such
| was the facination of his conversation that
all listened to him with as much pleasure
as they did in the Senate chamber. I'm
fact. said Dick, 81 have indirectly been
the inspiring cause of many of his ire
mendous efforts. Whenever he was gong
to speak in the capitol, he came by, and
loaded him up. By and by l would hear
from the capitol, and the report would be
that he had made pretty much OF talk.
CLAY was graceful and full of life. Calhoun
drank light wines, was very quiet and
talked but little. Silas Wright and Gentry
| we're glorious Acknowledgment and very
charming. Lincoln, Seward, Johnson,
Grant, Stanton, and all the famous men OF
the war, have been with u.s.
Dick told me great deal about the pres
ent actors on the stage, but have not
space to detail them. One thing is certain,
no other man in this country has faced
more great men than Dick Hancock. -Har-
peth, in Nashville American.