The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1893-12-09
AN OLD EASTERN INN
"h'to Rear Has an Au,he,,,o a..,...
or n Hundred yoay.' ''''"'"

~ "' Hundred Years.
/ houses with an authentic .,.,,,, =.
}. century ure no longer roor,o
~ philadelphia, and these nro haiu,
h sacrlhced TO convenience or exnod,a.a,
s"oue the least sentiment of rover
i ehce Tor the past. One Of the oidss
.aVerhs extant, the "Whito bear y a,
Vne southwest corner OF Fifth aud t,,c,
suee's, Is now being renovated. ~
v n"os. distinctive feature, the marbl,
: po'c'co over the Fifth street entrance
, be unsafe. ""' "eiioVeu t'
I Ihere can bc no doubt nhor, IL.
: antiquity OF tho house. On the ons,
MI, nIt ~ u spout box under the caves
wnlcn is OF copper, and thereon in
MIS- suu ietters, as firm and sharp as n
M".e yesterdav ara the IcLtcfs "II.
w. ahd below Is the head of Wash.
'nBtoh IN relief, and on either side the
numbers 1855. ''''
mere We're no directories of pbiIa.
ueiphh previous 10 White a. Mac.
nu,Son s. In l7S5, and none from that
mhtii I'ol, none in 1909, 1sie.l5.sS.o7 mr.
o. up to 1880 Henry Mevers IL pivcn
'ne proprietor OF the tavern Fifth
"no hice streets, and he was undoubt.
.uiy tne builder In i7sG, but so far. ns
.ne writer can learn, IL was not the
| "hitc Bear" previous TO lsiO,
| IN old times there were exte,siv.
s1a olcs attached TO the present house
| extending south TO Cresson street and
west TO iloffman's, now Clvde allev
henry Meyers, the landlord. was a
democrat and this was one Of iho fo.
vorite meeting places OF the party In
the city ward, and Il was also hcnd.
quarters OF the shocmakinR craft. who
were united In those days for social
ana convivial purposes. Mevers vos
Tor long time president of The i,gn.
Sht,nl e. ~ order, The Friendly Society Of
st. Tammany."
The antiquity Of any of our old lima
- utteSted, In popular belief, by two
circumstances. Either Gen. Wasbing. |
,on mad slept In them just before tho |
oattie OF Trenton or n treasure VIVA
Jug mp In the yard, with the accom-
paniment of slow music and n pho.t |
always In white. No such stories am
peiilsh The record Of tho Bear" but II
mas It's legend nevertheless,
The late Isaac Trayilla who d;oa +,
io'"' toid the writer In all sincerity
.nac .',s nc was prescntat a meeting OF the
~, FRIENDLY Society" at Meyers In 1879.
ne members were seated around the
"pie' when suddenly the lights went
out' each man was seized by the neck
ana giutinons hand passed over his
iuce. 30 quick was this done 10 eacb
one that none had chance to resent
IL. Tben ~ ii-L4- -..~... II, ,t.,
nugc roll of tripe, tied up WITH twins,
rs was the old custom for the eating
house bars The members swabbed
out their eyes, and in high indignation
arose, while the president seized the
beastly comestible and hurled IT, out
the window.
After much wiping and swearing
they were again seated. In an instant
the previous performance was repeat
ed. Hastily the candles were again lit.
Cnsar"--in the middle of
the table was the diabolical roll Of
tripe. The president was a man of re-
hcrFt anu llc W Dlct beCHTeu bHc utlnOH
by sitting on 1t.
The late Edward d. Ingraham, mn
eminent local historian, had told the
sequel. A committee was at once APP
pointed and the following resolutions
adopted:
Resolved, That the attempt OF the
wings and aristocrats, with their Brit
aIItaC Of Itl,Aat,, 30 Ia |
grade the character OF American free
men by wiping their noses with tripe
has failed and sustained by the spirit
of '76 we solcmnly pledge ourselves
to, etc, etc" ingrabam, although
a bitter democrat, was much givcn to
ridicule the enthusiasm of his associ-
ates and was accustomed to exhibit n
big roll of wash leather at the dessi-
Gated remains Of the tripe in question.
The shoemakers met here at least
four times year and as many Of them
were Irishmen there was lots OF fun.
A barrel of Jamaica punch was made
and, according to one authority, so
strong that IL had to be stirred up with
a crowbar. as il bent all the spoons in
Inc HOUHt. w UtH lIit Iui DCCduit ldbb |
and furious it was their custom to take
members who had not paid their dues
or were unpopular and duck them Head
foremost in the punch barrel Gotlieb
Scherer, who lived on Sixth, above
Market, and was noted maker OF top
boots, generally presided at these meet
ings lie was famous for his appetite
and admitted that he was always
hungry.
On one occasion he had invited sever
al friends to eat roast pig with him at
the Bear" He was present and wait
ing when violent storm came on and
the guests were delayed. Ten-fifteen
minutes passed and Sherer could stand
1t no longer, so he ordered up the din.
ner.
"Where's the company" asked the
waiter.
81 am der gompanee," said the hum
CRY shoemaker as he threw himself on
the pig, and by the time the guests
came nothing was left to eat
After the death Of Henry Meyers the
place began TO decline, as it was out of
the way ofbusiness, and in 1860 came
into the management of Madam Bug
thai. She was German woman of
fine presence and variously accom-
plished. She was of good family
in Germany, but better fitted to
spend money than make it. Her table
was excellent, and attracted much GUS
tom. When the centennial year ar
rived madam" sent circulars TO Ger
many introducing the hotel among her
there. The result was not
They came in battalions