The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-06-19
Ono of ,vashrnston's odd plasos.

Recently in q stroll on Pennsylvania
! avenue we noticed a couple Of Congress-
men entering a little saloon directly op-
posite the National Theatre. It was a
low wooden building, old and weather
worn, and Oh the lintels Of it's door
noticed the words, "John Hancock.
founded 1S40." Directly over this en-
trance was the sign "Old Curiosity
Shop" L entered a long, narrow room,
with ceiling so low that the hand of q
Slade would scrape it. The bar, fitted
out as elegantly as any in Washington,
covered the wall at the right Of the en-
trance. Back Of 1t hung pictures and
| relics OF tho crimes and .honors Of the
past, and the walls Of the rest of the
room were covered with articles which
would make any museum rich.
The old, gray-headed negro who tend
Ell the bar was in himself curiosity.
lie told, as he filled my glass, that he
had been tending the same bar for thirty
five years, and that his saloon was tile
chief resort in former times of the states
men Of the capital. Said he: CT have
often seen Clay, Webster, and Calhoun
drinking here together. Henry Clay
and Daniel Webster used to be here
night after night. Clay always drank
brandy juleps, and his spirits rose rapid
ly under the influence Of liquor Web
ster drank considerable, and the only
observable change in him was that his
eyes grew brighter and his talk became,
II anything, more measured. Calhoun
seldom drank strong drinks, and usually
took lemonade or sherry, and often
nothing. lie would come into talk.
They were lively fellows i'll them days,
flnic f,,n or
the big men do now. They often play
ed cards here"
''Did they gambler" asked. emo,
not for money, but generally for the
drinks. l remember Il game OF cards
Clay and Webster and two other men
played here one rainy night. They
played here for the drinks and smells.
The men that won drank, and those that
were defeated paid for the drinks and
were forced to smell the glasses Of their
opponents. They started in at ten
O'Clock and they played until two. Luck
was against Clay, and don't think he
won drink during the whole evening.n
spent very pleasant half hour eX-
aminng the curiosities hung on the
walls and put up III cases around the
room. In one place there was u pair of
shoes worn by Washington. No. los,
should say, with broad, flat soles and
commonsenso heels. No aristocratic
instep had the father Of his country and
this pair Jocks more like the slipsllod
pair OF a cObbler than those of al Il. L.
V.
' Next TO this was the secdiest-looking
white plug hat had ever seen. Large,
old, and fuzzy, it's nap worn off, and its
color changed by the dirt of several de-
cades, it was labelled as the hat Of Gen.
Zach Taylor, and the card stated that
it came from the battle of Pao Alto.
An autograph letter Of President Lin
coin stood near by one Of John G. Cal
hom's, the great Secessionist and the
great Unionist almost kissing each other.
A picture Of Charles Guiteau was aD-
propriately made companion to one Of
j. Wilkes Booth, and on the other side
Of the room was q theatre bill, giving
the play at Ford's the night the assas-
sination of Lincoln occurred. Bills Of.
fering $1O0, 900 reward for Booth arrest,
the extras published by the Washington
papers the morning after the tragedy,
and one containing special telegram
announcing that the assassin had been
shot, and calling for rejoicing, made up
part of the collection.