Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-05-21
HISTORIC HEADQUARTERS.

In passing the New York hotel the
observer CHANGED to recall an interest
ing piece Of wartime history. At the
outbreak Of sthe rebellion this house
became the stopping place and head
quarters Of those who were engaged in
plotting treason and preparing to de-
stroy the nation. II is said that Hiram
Cranston fed great numbers Of rebels
who came to New York during the war,
and that he was the custodian Of large
amount of personal property belonging
to leading southerners. It was said
that the money which was raised in
New York in 1856 for the purpose of
carrying Pennsylvania against the re-
pub]icans in the state election-the con-
secutive results of which maneuver
were the election of Buchanan and the
defeat of Fremont, the rebellion. and
the abolition of slavery-was mainly
obtained through the efforts of Postmas-
ter Isaac Fowler, and was taken TO
Philadelphia on the engine and tender
that carried the actorAwas it not Ed
win Forrestp- who played in New York
and Philadelphia on the same night.
This money bought UP the native Amer
lean party, for whose alliance the re-
publicans had been bargaining, and car
ried the day. The democrats won the
state election in Pennsylvania by the
aid of the know-nothings, Buchanan be-
came president, and poor Isaac Fowler
was left in sorry position, being una
BILE to repay borrowed money. Blu
chanan knew all about the matter.
would not lend a helping hand, and
Fowler fled the country after having
been the direct means of electing Bu-
chanan.
Many New Workers remember the
Lincoln campaign and the Wide-
Awakes. The democrats, especially
the Breckenridge faction, made the
New York hotel their headquarters at
that time. Then it was that gangs of
southerners and northern sympathizers
blocked up the streets around the hotel
by day and made night hideous with
their yells. The Lincoln and Wide
Awake headquarters were in building
directly opposite the hotel, and during
the whole campaign the antagonistic
parties did not engage in a single fisti-
cuff, but took it out in yelling for dear
life. The Wide-Awakes with their
torches charged upon the incipient
rebels whenever the latter attemp pied
to trespass on the formers side of the
street, and on the night of election,
when Lincoln's election was assured,
the Wide-Awakes cleaned things out
generally.
Immediately after Lincoln's election
the southerners began to gather in large
numbers in this city, the leading ones
putting up at the New York hotel, and
the smaller fry meeting nearly every
evening at q little saloon opposite on
one of the side streets. Here were
laid the plans for the attack on Fort
Sumter, and here the calculations were
made for dividing the republic and es-
tablishing the southern confederacv,
which were subsequently carried out as
far as possible. 1t was said that many
southerners left their money, jewelry
and other property with Mr.. Cranston
and that he kept it all safely and after
ward delivered it over to the owners
without fee, reward or hope of reward.
Mr.: Cranston struggled through the re.
bellion, carrying the odium and oppro-
brium of union men. He kept his own
counsels and was silent, but suffered
very much in the loss of property.
Very few union people patronized the
hotel, and though New York was filled
with rebel sympathizers and those who
wished to dismember the nation, vet
these men did not stand by and aid Mr..
Cranston by giving him their custom,
as one would suppose they would have
done. They even neglected his bar,
and drank wine more freely at the
Metropolitan, ST. Nicholas, and Fifth
avenue--all strong union houses-than
at the hotel of their tirmest friend.
| Well, this is the way of the world!
At the time the attempt was made to
set fire to the hotels in this CITY bv
means of inaammable materials contain
ed in hand-sachels it was said that
those engaged in the plot held their f.
nal meeting at the New York MOTEL be-
fore separating and taking up their
lodgings. at the house intended to be
burned. After the attempt, thousands
Of patriotic citizens assembled in the
streets, and the feeling against the New
York hotel was simply terrible. Mr..
Cranston undoubtedly knew nothing
about the plot, nevertheless it was Ger.
tain that work of command from some
leading union man would have melted
the populace to sack. the hotel.-New
York Graphic. !. - %* II"