Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-09

announced their ability
to provide for a man and his horse.
MY earliest recollections of confectionery
establishment is of Paul Kinchy's. His ice
cream, served in tall glasses, and his cakes
were unrivaled, but a friend says he kept in
the rear OF the confectionery store bar sup
piled with the best liquors, and his customers
were OF the most respectable class. quiet, stnid
old citizens, who went there assured they
would get the very best. One OF the legends of
tnat time, connected as it was with Kinchy's
tavern and the Virginia House, kept by the
WIDOW lady Harry Sweeting married. was told
me as remarkably planned attempt to MUIR
ger Mr.: Corse of Alexandria. The father of
zen. Montgomery Corse was shot by a man
who lay in ambush on a dark, rainy night,
and after the shooting the man re-
Vealed himself to Mr.. Corse. who recovered
and swore he had been shot by Henry Pittman
Win whom he had some business difficulty.
Inc excitement was intense, for at the time,
1879, the city was very small place and both
men were well known, Mr.. Corse as q promi-
nent citizen of Alexandria, and Henry Putnam
VINO had failed in business, and was at the time
IN the editorial department of the United States
Telegraph, Duff Green's paper. Pittman was
arrested, gave bail and obtained a change of
venue and was tried here. On the trial Mrs
Sweeting swore that MIR. Pittman took his lunch
every night at her house and did so on this
night at about his usual hour between and
ne had drank a glass of beer with Pitt
man at quarter to o'clock at Kinchy's bar,
ana mad conversation over their glasses. The
alibl was so conclusive in convincing the Jury
thatlt was impossible for Pittman to have been in
Alexandra at little past o'clock on that night,
thathe was acquitted. MIR. Swan. the district at
torney, argued In vain that Mrs. Sweeting
must have been mistaken, but the other wit
ness confirmed his statement. by saying when
he returned to his store he looked at the clock
and saw 1T was either 7:45 or s:l5 o'clock and
ordered his assistants to shut up the store Mr.
Corse told. with the most perfect assur-
ance, how Pittman after shooting him had
come out in the light of the oil lamp with
which the streets were lighted, that Corse might
see who had shot him. 1t was discovered
afterward that Pittman had a carriage waiting
for him in front Of Carusis saloon, Ii tn street,
and timed it so he could reach Alexandra at
the hour he knew, from long acquaintance Mr.
Corse would pass the spot where he was in
waiting. His confidence, like old Weller's in
"hallbi,' was perfect and it saved him.
JIMMY MAHER's HOTEL
Another place of resort, though much later
than the carly ones mentioned in The STAR of
Saturday last. was Jimmy Maher's Hotel, cor
ner opposite where they are now building the
electric power house. There were two houses
he occupled-one on the corner a bar room
and large brick house next. That was the
homo of 10, the poor Indian" At that time
delegations from the various tribes visited
their white father every year. and were sent
home after having their portrsits painted by
Mr.. King and after ''their white father" had
got the best of them in trade in lands. They
always put up" at Makers. When they had
taken in a supply OF fire water they made the
neighborhood pretty lively. Another tavern
between Makers and Apollo Hall then our
only concert hail. except Carusi's, was Mrs
Smiths The Shakespeare, the resort of the
'bloods OF the town, and on street next to
corner Of 18th was large frame tavern, gable
end 70 the street which Joseph Dougherty kept
The house had some history which has gone into
oblivion, unless some OF your aged lcrs can
recall it. 1t was, ever since can re a. ,er. an
old rattletrap and the rear of it VIA, 80 pic
turesque in its ruin that Eastman johnson
made 1t the background of his ''Old Kentucky
Home" The country tavern of that early day
was the Spring Tavern on the Baltimore
road, about a mile from the Capitol, and on
Sundays it was pretty well patronized. TWAS
kept by a man named Elias Jackson. There
are many others which would repay mention
but cannot claim the space it would REQUIRE
and these will serve as illustrations OF the
tavern Of that period.
THE INDIAN QUEEN.
The hotels OF Washington were as numerous
almost as the taverns, for, though the National.
the Indian Queen. the Mansion House. the
City Hotel and the Washington we're the lar
and Georgetown. The Indian Queen. with
its swaying sign Of Pocahontas, dates back be-
yond 1915, for at that time McKeon Ike pt it, and
Mr.. Seldom the present proprietor, has copy
of bill rendered to Mr.. Thomas Dougherty the
clerk Of the House OF Representatives from
1915 through several sessions. The items of
the bill for board OF self and servant and horse
and the items from the bar are given in detail:
.'One glass brandy toddy, 81 cents. &c. Mr..
Jesse Brown became proprietor before 1921, for
the old directory of that year gives his name as
proprietor. As l remember the hotel. the
office and the bar were one and was Just as you
entered the door. What a revolution there has
been in hotels In no other business has the
change been more radical In the same large
room Office there in the rear corner a
pile OF slippers and the guests on going to bed
received a piece OF candle and left their
boots to be cleaned and put on pair of slip
pers don't know how the guests got their
boots next morning, but that custom prevailed
as late AZ lS39-4O, tor about that time / went to
Baltimore and stopped at Beltzhoover's Foun-
tain Inn on Light street, and on going to bel
left my boots and took pair of slippers. At
dinner the landlord stood at the head of the
principal table and carved. When Gadsby's
Hotel started.I do not know. 1 do not find it in
the directory of lS2l-22. but LIE kept it for
Years and it was regarded as the best and most
fashionable hotel In the city. When Mr..
Gadsby. senior, retired he was succeeded by
Sam Coleman, and for some years the house
was admirably kept, and when Coleman retired
Charles Calvert, ono of the largest stock olders
took possession Of it and put VIM. Guy in it as
manager. Then the house was at its best The
poisoning which occurred at the inauguration
Of President Buchanan injured the house, and
for some years it languished, but In 1851 Mr.
1enney, the present proprietor, took the house
and has kept it every since. The old place is
redolent of pleasant memories dating back to
the days of Clay and Webster and Crit,endeu.
There Mr.. Clay died in 1852.
THE ST. CHARLES HOTEL.
Mr.. William Gadsby kept the hotel on the
northwest side Of Pennsylvania avenue and Sd
street for several years, and opposite, on the
northeast corner. was the St. Charles Hotel.
kept by Buriin Brown. That hotel was built
by Col. Charles Lee Jones and the appoint
nlents were tirst-class and advance ON those
OF the other hotels at that time. The basement
a restaurant was fitted up elegantly. The
paintings of Joseph Bonaparte at Bordentown
had recently been sold and there were two or
three Of them in the saloon. 1t was not sue
cessful, however, and was subsequently turned
into q boarding house. 1t was at this hotel
Felix Grundy McCOunell OF Alabama committed
suicid by cutting his throat Cotter d Thomp-
son kept the Verandah Hotel, above where
the United States Hotel is now, near AZ street.
Nicholas L. Queen kept Queens Hotel in the
early Gays, from 1870, on Capitol Hill, and
on the Hill at that time lived Thomas Brod-
erick, the father Of David Broderick, Senator
from California, who killed in duel By
Judge Terry. Senator Broderick was born here
think, aud in a speech in the Senate he stated