The Portland daily press., 1895-04-08
TWEED'S FAMOUS CARPET.
of the Indian Harbor Hotel Re-
calls Many Stories.

Mr.. E. G. Benedict's negotiations for the
purchase OF the Indian Harbor Hotel
property at Greenwich, Ct, have recalled
many stories about the Americus Club
and William M. Tweed, says the New
York Sun. Among William NJ Tweed's
nearest friends it was known that two
men used to accompany him almost every
where as sort of podyguard. Tweed al
ways had a horror of being stabbed and
feeling that some enemy was awaiting
an opportunity to thrust knife into
his abdomen. These men were instruct
ed to protect him. one on each side,
aud in walking in crowd, to keep n
few PAGES in front of him. One of these
men was an Oysterman, whose home was
in Greenwich and he was not only
TNeed's faithful friend, but his valet as
well. He died not long ago.
| Not many of the guests who have
| wandered through the drawing room of
the Indian HHrbor Hotel in the last "a
years have known the history of the Won
derful carpet beneath their feet, and yet
it is SO famous that men interested in the
production OF such fabrics have travelled
hundreds OF miles to examine It. 1t was
made in Brussels in 1870. 1t was one
entire piece, and the loom upon which it
was woven mad to be made expressly for
its manufacture. With all the pounding
and humping and dancing of the multi
tudes that for nearly Quarter of a CEN
| tury have used it, it is 'sIlll brighE aud
thick. There was good deal of talk
about this carpet in the palmy days of
the Tweed ring, and some members of
the club did not agree with Tweed about
the purchase of SO expensive a floor cover
ing. 1t was only TWeed's persistence
| and the carelessness with which he
spent money that finally settled the
matter.
II want something on that fioor,' said
he one day, that will last as long as
seams in it, SO that when it is cleaned it
can be raised to the roof, edge up, and
beaten from the windows"
lt is said that this beautifully woven
carpet has never been taken off the
floor, and that it lies just as it was orig
inally tackled down in the spring of 1871.
1t cost great deal of money, and the
import duty upon it was very large. No
one but Tweed really knew what it did
Charles Hall, and probably he will
never tell. The nap still gives beneath
one's feet, and the colors are as fresh and
bright as when Tweed and his satellites
made the room ring with merriment and
slipped champagne beneath the glitter OF
the great chandeliers. AT the corners of
the carpet are tiger heads, and under
meath one can still plainly read the let
ters, "a. c."
1t was queer freak that the club men
had of touching every new thing with
gold. livery new boat that was launched
had it's golden rivett, and at the laying
of the corner stone of the club house a
peck basketful of gold and silver coins
were hurled in the mortar. Some search
may be made for these coins. The club
fiagpole had a gold eagle nailed upon it's
apex, and the knobs of the lockers of the
yacht Mary Jane Tweed were decorated
with quarter eagles. The yacht also had
a gold eagle at her topmast. This was
Iweed's favorite craft, and she often
came bowling along toward home with
Field Point on the lee shore, the gold at
her topmasG rejecting sunlight with
bright flashes. 1t was, this craze to
make free and strange use of money.
and particularly gold, that led to nail
ing gold dollars in the eyes and teeth of
the tigers in the carpet. 1t is said that a
carpet tack was driven through the cen
tire of each dollar. and the constant wear
of many feet all these years has kent
the coins bright and glistening, although
the casual observer might easily mistake
them for golden spots in the web aud
waof of the brio itself.