Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-06-19
FAMOUS HOUSES.
Relics of Old-Time Cheer and
Hospitality.
AN OLD LANDMARK OF WASHINGTON
Some of Our Historic Buildings.-An OLD
Moravian Inn.-Places Where
Lincoln Lived.

While the American people as a
whole have little of that feeling OF
affection or veneration common among
the English, for example. attaching
itself to the residential relics of an
cient times, old mansions. old manor
houses, etc., the subject has sufficient
interest for all intelligent people to
warrant this brief paper ON some OF
the famous homes and other noted
buildings in this country and Europe.
The old-style inns" which figure
to such a large extent in stories of Eng
lish life and around which cluster so
many agreeable associations are rarely
found in America. but few are in ex-
istence, rich in memories OF old-tlme
cheer and hospitality. One of these
relics is an old Moravian inn at Beth
lehem, Pa, said to be the first house OF
entertainment built in this country by
the godly members of the Unitas Frat
rum. The most interesting feature OF
this ancient hostelry are the old ac'
count books. so clearly and faithfully
kept by the representatives OF the first
co operative association in America.
These records show that despite the
highly religious zeal Of the Moravian
brethren, the greatest and most sue
cessful missionaries among the Indians.
the temperance idea did not greatly
prevail among them. On July 8, 1901,
appears the following: "a company
in a stage with four horses and driver.
Eight breakfasts, eight dinners, sixteen
suppers. one gin spirits, one bottle
porter, two pints porter. two pints port
3 pounds, 18 shillings, penny. "
No occasion for cash register in those
days.
In the same year there are many
interesting entries, among them the
arrival of party Of stroling players.
of whom the clerk says. aug. 28-A
company of actors. Twelve suppers.
twelve breakfasts, nine dinners. twelve
gills of brandy" The most interest
ing item notes the arrival, on Novem-
Der 28, of Gen. Lee. the marplot of the
revolution, Charles Lee. This was two
years before his lonely death in Phila-
delphia.
Within the past few years the fire
fiend has laid violent and destructive
hands upon a number of famous homes
and historic buildings in various parts
of the United States. One of these
was Cedarcroft. the historic and mag
nificent castle one mile north of Ken
nett Square, Pa. where Bayard Taylor.
the noted American traveller and
author, made his home for many years
prior to his death. 1t was reduced to
ashes by fire last December An
older building noted for its historic
associations was the Wingate House.
at Stratham, N. H., which disappeared
through the agency of fire not long ago.
1t was originally the house of Payne
Wingate, who was United States Sena-
tor for New Hampshire at the time of
Washington Inauguration. The late
Robert G. Winthrop used to tell of his
visiting Mr.. Wingate in 1886. when
the Senator was almost hundred
years old, and was at that time the
Oldest living graduate Of Harvard Col
lege The college was then celebrating
its o-hundredth anniversary and Mr..
Winthrop went up to Stratham to get
some facts regarding the early history
of the institution. Among other things
Mr.. Wingate told him of his dining
with Washington in New York on
April 80. 1889. the day of the Presi-
dents Inauguration. The house was
owned last by the Hon. J. 9. A..
Wingate, grandson of the old Senator,
who has served with distinction. espec-
tally in the diplomatic service in
China.
One of the landmarks of Washington
is soon to give place to that modern
architectural continuance known as the
apartment house. This is the old
Blaine mansion which has stood for
years ON the street directly opposite
the White House. The buildingsswas
erected in 1916, quite an ancient date
as things 60 in America, and especially
in the Capital City in recent years.
At the time of its erection Washington
was ON the whole slatternly looking
place, quite justifying the sarcastic
comments made upon its appearance
somewhat later by Dickens in his
American Notes. In comparison with
it's neighbors. the mansion of red brick
with green shutters was really preten-
tious affair and so continued to be by
contrast for many years thereafter.
The house had a number of unhappy
traditions hanging around it when Mr..
Blaine bought it and the fate which
befell Mr.. Blaine's family after their
occupancy only served to add to its
uncanny reputation. 1t was in this
house that Walker Blaine died and in
few weeks his death was followed by
that of his sister, Mrs. Coppenger.
Here Secretary Blaine breathed his
last, and in one of its chambers an
assassin attempted the life of Lincoln S
Secretary of State, Mr.. Seward. ON the
same evening that the President was
killed by Booth at the old Ford's
Theatre. Some years before when the
building was used as a fashionable
Washington club young Barton Key,