Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1889-12-07
OLD LONDON COFFEE HOUSES.
Places Where the Politicians, Poets, Paint
ers ard Wits slipped and Talked.

Places where the Politicians, Poets, Paint
ers ard wits slipped and Talked.
"Cofee-that makes the politicians
wise" .
The oldest and the longest lived or
tbe london coffee houses was opened
hv Grecian named Constantine,
about the year 1850. 1t was called
the ''Grecian" and was located IN
Tbrcadneedle street. It was loYoElte
resort for the literary men OF the Gay,
and philosophers and autl4uarians sat
around the tables, and while they SIP
ned their coffee, Owed into the depths
Of Plato and Aristotle or tiounderea
in the waves Of mythology. From
Threadncedle street its quarters were
afterward removed from Devereaux
court. Strand, where it ended It's ca
reer il 1913, being converted, during
that year, into lodging for bacAel-
ors. under the name OF the 'Greclan
Chambers.
Another poDulous coffee house was
Opened. shortly after The Grccian, by
William Irwin. This was in Covent
Garden. and wills, as il was called,
soon became a daily resort for the
wits, poets and actors.
wills" continued to thrive for a
time, and then q new rival started to
interfere with its prosperity. This
was Buttons" so called from the
name Of its owner It was not far
from willis" and soon the literary
lights left the latter in darkness, and
sDYead their Illuminating presence
around the tables of Buttons" 1t
was there that Addison, Steele, Pope
and others of fame were used to
gather and remain until the hands OF
the clock wandered among the small
hours"
Toms" WAS another celebrated
coffee house There we're several
Toms" but THE Toms, whose host
was Thomas West, WAS located on
Great Russell street, directly opposite
to Buttons. Its proximity caused
some uueasiness in the mind Of the
Buttons proprietor, and not q little
jealousy, but both places continued to
flourish, and even up to the time OF
George III Toms continued to be re-
sort for nobility and gentry, as well
as poets, wits and painters.
Another famous place was the st.
james coffee house. 1t was resort
for politicians, although wits and men
of genius did not disdain to sip their
coffee there. 1t was "Whig" house,
and those Of Tory pr0clIvitics found
little congeniality within It's walls;
nor did they seek it, for they had
houses Of their own persuasion, where
they could enjoy their coffee free
from the flavor Of w higgery." In a
political sense. Macauley considered
The London coffee house an institution
of too much importance to be passed
over with q running mention. lie
says: 1T might, indeed, at that time,
have been not improperly called
most important political institution.
The coffee houses were the chief or
Cans through which the public opln-
ION Of the metropolis vented itself.
Every man Of the upper or middle
class went daily to his coffee house to
learn the news and discuss 1t. Every
coffee house had one or more orators,
to whose eloquenc8 the crowd listened
with admiration, and who soon be-
came what the journalists cfOur own
time have been callCa-a fourth estate
Of tile realm"
The Bedford, in Coveut garden,
YVES noted for tho number Of theatre
cal celebrities that was in the habit Of
visiting il. GalTicE was one Of these,
and, after the close Of bis nights per-
Torrance. Richard, being no longer
himself, would hurry around to the
Bedford, and there, iii the company OF
Quin and Foota, and perhaps half q
dozen others, would devote what re
manned Of tile uiEht-2ud often q
little of the front end Of tie morning
to the discussion Of q good supper
and such topics rs were most coEgenlal
to the bent Of all. Quin, by the W&y,
was a rank opicuroau, though he
never allowed his eating to interfere
with the brilliant quality Of his con
vcrsational powers and he had
enough Of them to fascinate GaTrick,
although not enough to prevent the
latter sometimes ridiculing the rather
eXtravagant quality OF his epicurean-
ism.
But if poets, wits, politicians and
actors had their coffee houses, there
was yet another profession that could
not resist the delights Of the steam
ing cup" Childs coffee house, ST..
Paups church yard and the ''0myr-
M, " in Pail Mall, were the resorts OF
| the clergy, the younger members OF
the profession being usually III the
majority.
There were also many other coffee
houses in London, each having for its
habitues the members Of some peculiar
craft. The lawyer, the banker, the
broker and the merchant each had his
chosen coffee house, and all, as rule,
confined their visits to that within
whose walls they were sure to find
congeuial spirits. Table Talk.
American and Ens.ls!I Engineers.