The Wilmingtonian., 1886-12-18

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hnstctries where two ur three stage coache
might be seen at time with their pranciu
nettltd teams geltirg ready to start GU
early in the grey morning.
Being on tho X ,nnett Pike, situated tn
anne as the Old Gross Keys Tavern, much q
It's odeu time cistom was stolen by the LAT
er inn. But Farmers and drovers frequent
ed the Black Bear in large numbers on a.
count Of its grea er proximity to tlwn.
The Cross Keys tavern was not in the city
It's actual site being at the corner of Drla
ware Avenue aud Adams street, where MIR
Sharp now Ives. 1t was then calLd IL,
Reunntt Pike aud tue Kings Road, or tl,
Kings II ghway. The property belonged
To the Shalcross estate.
The BcadIrys leased the Lafayette Hot,
which was the new name the hotel receive,
1t its remodeling, to Pusey Smith, fathtl.
n-law of the present lessee of the Claytol
House. He did an immense business Will,
lie held the lease. He gave 1t up later, dun.
ing tue war, and was succeeded in the ten.
ancy by his son-iu-law Isaac Pyle, who, II.
turn, 80 d tile residue of the or giual Bradley
lease to j. &. Pierson. PrersUn carried Oh
the business from 81 or '6S to 1876. George
w, Ortlip, of the KlrkwJod House, Fouith
and Shipley, then became proprietor for tw q
years, to 1878.
lu the Spring of the last mentioned date
the present Chief Of Police, john ]. Durgl
rr'y,took the hotel. He, in turn relinquishtd
to Isaac Pyle (of the Clayton House) in 1880
and ran the hotel up to 1884 when the pres
ent lessee, Juo. Taylor, took it.
There is some discussion among the COM
mu.ity upon the question as to whethtI
General Lafayette stayed at this hotel whei
npon his visit to WILMINGTON. But, as i,
received its name subsequent TO 1882, aud
the Generals visit here was in "a, the al
serton seems hardly likely to be worth cred
iting.
On the other hand, the question being rnt
TO some of our older residents, the strongest
evidence is developed pointing to the almost
'otal improbabity of any such idea.
Colonel GeorgeGlubb says that General
Lafayette did not stay at the Lafayette II Hot,l,
Nnth and Shpley, in 1924. The patriot was
here the TO lowing year, but ON neither oc-
cAslou d Id lie go to the Black Bear tavern.
Il saw General Laiay,t tte," said Colonel
Grubb, ''at the old hotel at Third and Maj
ket sheet, which was the ouly Lafayette
Hotel in the city thenI was four yea old a
the time. There was process on up Ma.
keI L. lie 4 - tr.les'> ,a.4rsiIed aheGd n
the Generals carriage. II was one Of thus,
cpeu baruuches. Lafayette
wore white beaver hat. lie was dress ed
~ citizen's clothes. The hat was one o
those tail whites ones, just ike our rough
Greeley hats. | remember well his bowingt
the crowds right and left He rested at the
LaiaJ Jetie Hotel at Third and Market street.
4 he only Lafayette II tel in Wilmington thai
the General WAS guest of.
remember the troop of dragons on guard
upon the opposite side OF the street. One oi
tue horsemen tainted. He was carried up
tho steep stairs of the building in the rear.
| think the structure is there still.
can recall viviLly Uuddlng across the
street, to the hotel window and standing
peering in. saw General Lafayette sitting
talking with tbs committee of citizens. Tn,
window was open, there was short hall
step down so that had good view of the
whole room, Pat Flynn, an Irishman, was
landlord at the time. He was a well know
character, he dressed in brecches in the OLD
country style.
Among the interesting "reminiscences re.
ated of the leduubtable Pat Flynn, the ho
u General Lafayette, is the following, tol,
the writer by one Of Wilmington's bes
kuown postprandial raconteurs.
In the back yaid OF the Lafayette inn H.
hose Oldeu days was very fine Cataub,
crer. II was the envy Of the neighb rhovO
and Pat took marked pride in its possession
rhe residences OF the best Quaker famihe,
II Wilmington largely occupied the dow
Euwn Locality at that early period of the \
1ny's growth The little Quaker ch en-,
boys ESPECIALLY, evinccd an unusual pIopen
sity in climbing It aud pulling off the lon.
nean-lIke pods. Pat, who was otherwise
Kin t-h,a arlrd man, would not tolerate sue,
treatment Of his pet tree aud vas frequently
head, in snnorOus Ilish emphItics to threat
sn fear full punishment on "thm little MAJ.
luderers.''
One little even-year-old Q laker however,
a sort of leader of the juveuileS-long year.
afterwards the head of one Of the first Quak.
er families of Wilmington, rich in the worlds
goods, and one of the "grave and reverend
signiors' of our city, sedate aud reverend be-
yOud compara-hecame suddenly pOssessed