New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-10
BREAKING THE COLOR LINE.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS AT THE MONONGA.
IIELA HOUSE IN THE '6O's.


| lean hotel dcings were available II would furnish
some among the richest possible contrib ons to ner
| lean biography and Renaissance. The burning OF the
old MOnongahela House at Pttsburg WHITES to me an
interesting incident As leading UP to 1t, let me say
that in Of the middle sixties, when was fresh
man in Southern Ohio college, one Of tho means by
which had planned TO get through my course-though
In the end It contributed but little to that result
was the organization and conducting Of lecture
| course, which included most OF the famous platform
| speakers Of the day. Among them was Frederick
| Douglass The town was somewhat obscure, and by
| the routes OF travel then available was two hundred
| miles from anywhere, anywhere being Cincinnati
and Psburg. So had to resort to all kinds OF ex-
pedients to speakers. Mr. Douglass was speak
ing In Cincinnati, whittier / went to mako arrange
| ments with him personally. He declined TO take a
place I'm my course unless could secure six engage
ments for him consecutive evenings. With zeal
not born Of discretion, at closed with him for
| six lectures at points between Cincinnati and Pitts
| burg. One OF these Wheeling, where both Mr..
Douglass and I anticipated possible Inconvenience.
| II not trouble from the sentiment against colored
people.
| However, I went ahead with my arrangements,
| and arriving in Wheeling Monday morning by
steamboat, Mr. Douglass and /, with a classmate OF
| mine whom / had taken TO cashier, went
boldly 10 the Mcclure House, registered, and were
| assigned rooms In an hours time a selfconstuted
proprietor who had but recently taken the house. and
who had his fortune to make or unmale, and demanded
that Mr.. Douglass should be put out. l silent
witness Of the interview, the end of which was that
| the proprietor courteousy but firmly told the COM
| mitiee that Mr.. Douglass would stay in the house,
| and stay he did. lie and my party were not only
entertained we'll as other guests, but given
places at the family table of the proprietor himself
The incident, together with the attempt to hiss Mr.
Douglass down that evening at Washington Hall, made
things warm, and promised lively time; but all
went along peaceably when once he had got fairly
started and he closed with audience not convinced
but at least assured Of the genuine ability and manly
| character of the speaker.
The following forenoon we reached Pttsburg and
went directly TO the Monongahela House, then con-
Quoted by OF the oldest and most successful hotel
men of the time Mr.. CTossOn. lie was not In the
Office rotllnda when arrived, and the advance
OF Mr.. Douglass to the hotel register and the placing
of the names Of party upon it attracted little II
any attention. We assigned adjacent rooms
OH one of the upper floors, and the side of the
house fronting the river and the magnificent bluffs
beyond II. After seeing Mr. Douglass comfortably
settled, l returned to the rotunda, where was at
once pointed out by the rOomcclk TO the venerable
and fine appearing proprietor as the young man who
had brought Mr.. Douglass TO the hotel Mr.. CroSson
approached me with some haste and with some
what heightened color, and without preface demanded
house / demurred aud explained best 1 could,
but from my want of experience in the conduct OF
colOcd lecturers, and with Constitutional Amend
ment or Civil Rights act to fall back on, met with
but poor success l ventured to suggest, however,
that the iratc proprietor should 60 with and
Mr.. Douglass himself. Mr.. Crosson promptly
asscntcd, and we found Mr. Douglass en-
gagged in dressing for dinner. He was
clad in trousers the suspenders of which pendant,
and, its size and hue fairly considered, very con-
spicuous red flannel shirt lie shaving. AS
responded TO his sturdy reply to our Anock, Come
:" we found him walking backward and forward
from wall to wall. his face covered with lather razor
in hand, busily scrapinS his stiff beard Aside from
his always superior personal appearance. his gar
ments and toilet accessories were certainly not i'm
pressive. With some trcpidation 1 introduced tho
stately and finely dressed proprietor. Mr.. CroSson
went straight to the heart of the question, demand
ing why Mr. Douglass had come there, and insisted
that he should at depart The twinkle in the eye
of the great orator and the firm set of his upper
lip disclosed at once the true gentleman, unwilling
to disturb the hotel regime, but at the time
determined to maintain his selfrespcct and the
ordinary rights of manhood He at once told Mr..
Crosson that personally, he was quite ready to leave
the house and utterly unwilling to cause either
It's proprietor guests the slightest Inconvenience,
but with that remark cXordium, with his razor
still Internationally at work. and strdlng backward
and forward the floor. while we of white faces
meekly stood mute, Inc entered upon what after
twenty five years regard as the most eloquent presen
iation have ever heard or read OF the equal nghts
Of all well behaved men, regardless OF color or con
dion. | have heard him at his best moments In at
least dozen dscourses OF different sorts on wholly df
trent occasions, but the mashhcent hteLectud
power and always graceful and impressive bearing OF
the were never disclosed to me as In that ten
minutes talk under these peculiar circumstances
forgot the hotel the man. the circumstances, every
thing but the superb argument made by the speaker
Mr. eros son was man of affairs and of intelligence
and ability, and he never interrupted the speaker
by as much a. the raising OF hand until the latter
had entirely said his say Then IN a totally "a, al
tered manner he corteously apooszed 10 Mr.
TO explain TO him that il he remained In the house
great peciniary damage and loss OF prestige would
be the result. Mr. Douglass replied maj nc gnaer
as as he had completed his toilet he would
make other arrangements for ms stay III riourei anu
the interview closed apparently to mutual satlsiac
ton.
messenger t. wellknown colore'l citizen of Pius.
burg, whose name / cannot now recall. asking MIN
10 come at his early convenience TO me hotel anu
advising him as 10 INC sOnlre OF INC mo>1d 49, ~
hour or less the col0Td man. me looking ana
intelligent specimen of his race; drove to the fotcl
rallied upon Mr.. Douglass ana carried MN away
Late in the afternoon prominent TTehhg Papd
published the ho'ol incident ana snaRS t a
n the early evening there was f!nore ooth at me
hotel and al the residence to which Mr. douglass
had gone Many Of The most pomnehh. ,r wIe c s
zens of Ptsburg and Allegheny made niried ca.is
some to the hois 10 d aSc house where he Vas to
express their Indignation and sympathy and to ofer
their hospitality. Early in the evening "nic md'
in my room / sent for by me hoei PropriS9or,
who frankly told me that ne found he had made
mistake. that he was going to be moro hurt by his
own action than he wo I'D have been by the presence
Of his repudated guest and expressed wish that
would bring MI Douglass back 10 th was hq hest
Hardly knowing. in my ineNperence. %nat Wa wa Ue7.
lime feeling little qualification at dhe turn
Mr. Douglass and advised him to return lie
took counsel with The white and coored men present
and the outcome was that he was driven BACK
10 The hotel and ass gned "A good room. lie was re-
cevel by the proprietor with very gsnSmanE am
frank apology and during stay In PlttNburg which
Ia, led until late The following evening, we were gwen
entire occupancy Of private dining room whrh then
opened off the main dining room, ana inc very Des' OF
the hOuSe was served 10 by corps OF walters. who
seemed feel that the occasion was one OF tne prod
cidents both az Wheeling and PlttSbrg the principal
actor showed not ! particle Of iltemper, Dut was
perfectly courteous and consicrat careful 10 taNc ~