Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-14
BEAUTIFUL MRS. EATON
3b
A "Reminiscences ofthe Early History Of This
City.
O'NeaFs Tavern, Which Afterwards
Became the Franklin HOuse-Pnt-
rOnfxed by Many Famous Men.

Written Exclusively for The Evening Star.
| The writer was born in January, 1903.
| within hundred yards of the tavern-as
all hostelries were then called-kept by
William ONeal. l knew the family well,
was schoolmate of Mrs Eaton. her two
brothers and next younger sister, at
| school kept by Thomas Gunton, the father
| OF the late DR.. William Gunton, and now
have two of Mr.. Gunton's receipted bills
| against my father for tuition Of his three
| oldest children. These bills bear date in
1917.
| Mr.. O'Neal was a Pennsylvania by
| birth. probably of Irish ancestry, but, as
he had not the slightest brogue. it is fairly
presumable that his descent from that ma
| tionality WIS remote-perhaps three. four
| or more generations. He was a large man,
| of imposing appearance. good-looking,
| friendly. given to hilarity, now and then
prcfane, and sometimes permitted himself
to use language not entirely polite. His
| family consisted of his wife Rhoda, much
esteemed by a large circle Of acquaintance.
religious, and very charitable: two sons,
William and Robert, and three daughters,
Margaret peggy, Mary and Georgiana.
The sons died before reaching manhood
Margaret was married young to Mr.. Tim
berlake, a purser in the navy, who COM
mitted suicide few years after his mar
riage. Some years after his widow married
Gen. John Fl. Eaton, a guest in the hotel
and Secretary of War under Gen. Jackson
From this marriage there were. l think.
two daughters. After Gen. Eaton's death
his widow remained single many years, In
fact. until her grandchildren were nearly
grown.
Her home was then on I street, two or
three doors from Goth street northwest, in
a handsome three-story brick house,
piece of her fathers property. This house
was previously for several years occupied
by Don De Onis, the Spanish minister.
MARRIED. a Dancing Master.
Mrs Eaton's granddaughters were max
ing their home with her, and she. desiring
to give them all the advantages Of accom-
plishments, employed an Italian dancing
master to teach them at her home. This
professors name was Buccagnini. he was
much younger than his employer, and his
frequent lesson calls at the home Of the
young ladies gave him opportunities to
learn a great deal as to Mrs. Eatons cir
cumstances. In little while there grew
up an intimacy which enabled him to find
out that hts employer was the possessor
of several pieces of valuable real estate.
Thereupon, he commenced to make pro-
| LESSONS Of attachment the result of which
was that the widow was entrapped, and,
| though many years his senior. she married
him. =
/ property in his control, and not great
| while after he left for. his native country.
| from which it Is said he never returned.
| There were other gross misdoings OF his,
but that may be passed over now. This
| statement l received from an old friend
/ who was a lifetime intimate acquaintance
! Of the O'Neal family, and whose father
/ was for a great number of years a tenant
on a piece of the family property, adjoin-
| ing the Eaton home.
Mrs. Eaton, as she is now always called.
being thus abandoned and despoiled Of all
| means of support, sought a boarding house,
| Mre >ndl Inns
! sylvania avenue, between Sd and AZ streets
| northwest. Some Of her connections pro-
vided for her There she died. Her burial
was in Oak Hill cemetery. Some time be-
| fore her death she called upon the friend
| before alluded to- and asked him to ac-
| company her to Oak Hill, with view of
selecting lot in which to place the re-
mains of her father and family. which
were to be removed from "Holmeads bury
| ing ground" at the head of 10th street,
| where the family had been inferred. TO
| this friend, after an inspection of Oak
Hill she said Yes, think this would be
| a nice place to stay in" How like her
that expression Is!
An Attractive Woman.
She was universally regarded as very
pretty woman. She was gay, lively, quick
| to perceive and not slow to reply; could
be sarcastic; was brave, fearless and COM
| batiye. All this from her girlhood up. How
| wildly this writing recalls her to my mem
ory, especially in her younger days! l have
a clear recollection of her many pranks and
frolics when at school.
Mary ONeal married one Of the Ran
dolphs of Virginia. Georgiana married the
Rev. French 8. Evans a, minister of the
| Methodist Episcopal Church, well known in
| the District, and greatly respected. He
filed several of the appointments mere
made by the conference of the church. and
was several years in one of the depart
ments of the government. He was very
| nraapher In
| TEEN by his different congregations.
The location of Mr.. ONeaps hotel was at
| the intersection of Pennsylvania avenue, I
street and 21st street northwest, and it
was the resort Of many prominent public
| men. Gen. Andrew Jackson, Gen. John H.
Eaton, the cranky, remorseless John Ran
men in public life were patrons of the
| house. The Franklin House." 1t was
called, and a large ornamental swinging
sign was suspended in front Of the main
central entrance, having a painting Of
Franklin on each side.
After the death of Mr. O'NeaI the prop
erty was purchased by John Gadsby and
greatly improved. Mr.. Gadsby successful
moved to what is now the National Hotel
and opened that house under the name Of
Gadsby's and as he was noted hotel man,
he did very lucrative business there, en-
aiding him to change the old Franklin
House into four or five handsome resi-
dences. as they now appear. This property
Gadsby descenda1ts-the Newtons, Nc
Blairs, sndath chiIdSen of William Gadsby.
a son of John.
Mr.. O'Nears name. 1t being given out as
Patrick. By his intimate friends and the
boys of the locality he was dubbed Billy
O'Neal. gu %
1t has also been said that Mr.. Gadsby re-
moved from the Franklin House to the site
now occupied by the, Metropolitan. This is
untrue. Gadsby never occupied In wash
ington buts the two places named above.
He came here from Baltimore. where he
kept number one house on West Balti-
more street. not far from the corner of
Light street l have often heard my elders
say that his Baltimore house was NOT or
celled. II eqaaaled, anywhere W. W.B.