Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-30
Written for The Even ing Star.

| <Mt\A AEM that the first stop watch
Hl Al c ever used for timing
| k1SlIews== races was made by Mr.
| - AASsAil, Montandon, q watch
| Nm - AllIlIIl maker Of this CITY,
! MhE Some dispute arose,
TJiRE\ and my friend and ora
HHA W Gle on all racing and
political events has sent me volume Of the
| american Turf Register and Sporting Maya
zine" of 1929, edited for many years by the late
John s. Skinner, an authority on all turf mat
tiers Of that period, which was never disputed.
Mr.. Skinner was for many years postmaster Of
Baltimore, and, subsequently. under the wing
administrations. assistant postmaster general.
| In the September number of the American
Turf Register of 1929 and, by the bye, the first
number, Mr. Skinner saws: AN instrument
| lately invented by Mr.. Moatandon of Washing
| ton measures small divisions of time with great
accuracy and would. should think be
a very valuable acquisition to all gentlemen
who own running or trottng horses and wish
| in their private trainings to determine the
speed of their horses correctly. 1t divides
time to the sixtieth part of second. Is put
into action by slight pressure On spring
and stops on removal of pressure. 1t has
three hands on the dial plate. one making the
minutes, one the seconds and one the thirds or
sixtieth part of second. 1t is SO nicely con-
structed that we found, upon frequent trials. it
| could be started and stopped within two-six-
| tieths of a second. The cost of these time
keepers in silver case is S120." Mr.. Skinner
says, lone of them has been purchased and
used by the United States ordnance depart
ment and We have heard the intelligent chief
of that department pronounce it the best in
| strument of the kind that has ever come
under his observation" had spoken OF MIR.
Montandon when writing of this watch and re-
call him most wildly. He Swiss,
| understand though thought he was French.
man. very gentlemanly, handsome old man
when knew him, and esteemed by everybody.
THE MANSION HOUSE.
am reminded of a hotel at Alexandra which
ought not to be omitted from the list of those
hostleries locally famous for their good fare.
The Mansion House. when l knew it, was
kept by Albert Newton. and his father, part
ner OF MIR. Gadsby, had kept it before him. 1t
was a fayorite resort on Sunday. where good
dinner, such as today don't think can DO sur
passed. was set for so cents. In season canvas
back ducks and terrapin were always on the
bill OF fare, and regular bOarders paid SOS per
month and were fed on that fare. The cook
ing at that house was as famous as the fare,
and the table wines then were Madeira, port
and sherry-champagne was not SO universal
as nowadays-and such wines as cannot
today be found, except in some private
cellar. Mr.. Newton subsequently kept the E1-
change at Norfolk and his reputation as hotel
keeper was fully sustained there. In an arti-
Gle some months ago stated l had purchased
terrapin frequently at SO per dozen and my
statement, by the same element, whose horizon
is bounded by the last ten or fifteen years. rid
iculed the idea. Talking with Mr.. Alonzo Mills
Of Alexandria, who was with Mr.. Newton in the
Mansion House, he not only confirms nv state
ment, but says on more than one occasion they
bought terrapins regular diamond backs, at
80 per dozen. l inquired of one of tho best
restaurants here what they paid for terrapin
and the buyer for the house told me all the way
from go TO $50 per dozen and for extra SIZE
as high as eco per dozen. Before the days of
sleeping cars and the bridge the Susque-
hanna at Haver-de-Grace. when We used to take
the ferry boat to cross. in season the deck of
the boat was covered with canvas backs at 81
pair. l have bought many pair, indeed. never
returned from visit to New York without
two or three pair added to my baggage. Now
they are s6 a pair IL the market For years be-
fore the war l bought all my liquid supplies
from that old wine merchant, Mr.. John II.
Buthman, who kept only the best, and paid
for Hennessey brandy i50 gallon. During
the war, from 1861, paid for the same brandy
SIG. Everything went up then and never came
down.
STORY OF IRVING.
The article on Washington Irving which APP
peared in The STAR of last Saturday was, as is
everything about that great author, most in
teresting. Mr. Irving retains nearer place in
the hearts OF American readers than any one
who preceded or has succeeded him. Speaking
of Irving with DR.. Pope some time ago tho
doctor told ME while he was a student in New
York he frequented the Aston Library, and the
medical alcove was near the historical alcove
that was occupied by MIR. Irving every day for
| months while preparing his Life of Washing
| ton" and he would avail himself o, the doctors
youth to get down books from the upper
| shelves. On one occasion Mr.. Irving lost his
eye glasses. and after hunting for some time he
/ called the doctor and asked HIM a loan him
| his young eyes to find them. He left, however,
without them. and the doctor continued the
| search and found them in one of the books Mr.
Irving had been using. When he found them
the doctor became possessed of the desire to
keep them and started out to find a pair to
match them and succeeded IN finding in store
on the Bowery fac simile of them,
| same weight of frame, gold and a little
| stronger in the sight. The doctor
bought them and on MONDAY when Mr. Irving
| returned to the library he said. MIR. Irving
| found your glasses, and handed him the paic
| he had bought Mr.. Irving thanked him and put
them on, and said: They have improved since
| l lost them. can see better with them" and
| he took them off and looked at them and the
doctor confessed the change he had made to
keep those MIR. Irving had worn so long as
| a memento of him. Mr.. Irving was pleased,
| and asked what he had paid for them, and
| made him receive the amount, saying he in
tended to change the glasses anyhow, and these
| just suited him, and gave the doctor the ones
| he had worn SO long. The doctor priced them
| and for several years kept them, but after COM
| ing to Washington they were stolen from his
ofiice Although Mr.. Irving died as late as
1859 there are very few alive now who knew
| him. Your correspondent Of last Saturday
| esd. and Dr.. Pope are the only ones can
recall
GALAXY OF NOTED MEN.
had the pleasure Of spending an hour or
| two with Mr.. Irving in tho sanctum OF Vim. r.
| Porter. the editor of the Spirit of the Times
| with Fitz-Green Halleck. N. p. Willis, Henry
| Inman, Henry william Herbert Frank For
j rester), Albert Pike and the veteran Wallach
| and others Of like celebrity. What q galaxy
| gathered daily at that little Office in Barclay
| street. There all the magnates Of the turf con-
| gregated, Col VIM. X johnson, John c.
| Stevens. and there met, somewhere about the
early forties, Mr.. Purdy, who rode Eclipse in
| the great race with Col. Johnson's Henry in
| 1928 He was the trainer of Eclipse. and after
| Henry had won the first heat the rider of
Eclipse, VIM. Crafts was taken down and
Purdy rode the two winning heats. Referring
| 10 that race in the Turf Register find Capt
Cox of Washington with Gen. Ridgely Of Bal
timore and John Allen of Philadelphia were
the judges. The first heat was run in 7.37,
then unsurpassed but 1t has since been lowered
considerably, Fashion beating Boston IN 7.32
1t was one of the wonders of that period how
Porter performed the labor OF editing that
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