The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-06


u house, on Thames street.
was the almost iconoclas,ic
announcement made recently in the New
York newspapers.
II is net quite so bad as that. but il
Is literally next door 10 it, for the real
victim Of that sinister vsndal. Progress
is odd John Smiths chophouse." which
elbows its friendly rival on the adjosn-
ing property.
There is. 20 those who know. posi-
tive aroma about the word "chophause."
1t calls up shining pewters. we'll worn
from years OF cleansing, and quaint
tooies filled with tempting ale--with ale.
mind you, a creation of character and
comfort and dignity. a creation whose
steadfast. creamy crown is symbol OF
its sterling worth. 50 different from the
frothy. frivolous beer. with It's thin. un-
satisfying attractions And. OF course. it
calls up chops. the big fellows. brown.
fragrant and smoking hot. with their
rich. solid bit OF fat hidden under golden
cover that every real chophouse learns TO
love and look for. II calls up. too-ani
this is the best Of an-hoprs of genuine
good fellowship, long talks mellowed by
good food and drink. and real talks are
these. not merely idle gable For be IL
known. the very air of chophouse OF
the old school is a deadly foe 70 haste
and seems TO urge all who breathe IL TO
loaf and invite their souls" and then
only does mans best and brightest self
find expression in speech.
But the chophouse, like the post chaise.
the bellman and many another pctur-
esque feature of the life in oGr grand
fathers days. is doomed. and its history
deserves preservation.
lola Toms is the purest type Of what
a chophouse should be. and for almost
century IL has preserved itself unspotted
from the whrling tides around #. and
during that time almost every epicure
and man of note in the country has been
at some time its guest To give COM
plete list of the men Of note who were or
are It's regular patrons would be impos-
sib1c. but amongst hosts of others may he
mentioned William Cullen Bryant. Will
liam N. Evarts, William Nassau. Charles
W. Brooke. John e. Parsons. Chauncey
NJ. Depew. james G. Blaine. Richard
Croker. Gen. 3. r. Tracy. J. ID. Crimmins
John Duncan. architect of the Grant mon
ument. and William Waldorf Astor.
The last named gentleman was not only
a patron but a historian OF the place.
His history appeared in The Referee for
1876. copyrighted by Rufus Adams. printed
for private circulation and described on
the title page as AN Annual Magazine.
conducted under the auspices of the
Happy Family A copy OF this book
handsomely bound In Russia leather, lined
with gold and at present soiled with many
readings. Is among the most precious pos
sessions of "Old Tom In locating odd
Toms" Mr.. Aston starts from Trinity
church and speaking of the spire. says:
Its steeple to the eye OF sense doth point
its faithful finger always - the skies. but
to the eye of the initiated imagination II
stands a never failing landmark TO guide
mans footsteps 10 that heaven around
-fI 4EN.,- -nlf
of DAYS that are gone, "Old Toms" And
around the corner it is. for Thames
street. on which il is situated, leaves
Broadway at right angles about fifty feet
from the churchyard.
OF the chops at odd Toms Mr.. Astor
has this to say: They are a small sec
ton Of slaughtered sheep that is brown
and fragrant for two minutes, deVoured
in five minutes and forgotten. No. those
chops are never forgotten by any man
who has once had the felicity OF an
introduction 10 them" And for the rest
OF the bill of fare the same famous au-
thor and bon yivant declares that they
are such succulcnt viauds as no
clubhouse or private kitchen can pro-
duce and whose tOOthsomeness not even
the skill of Delmonico's can surpass."
There now. Is appreciation from Sir HUI
bert Stanley that is praise indeed. And.
although Mr. Aston has entertained the
Prince of wales since these words were
written, he stll retains his high opin-
ion of the cuisine of the old resort. for
on the occasion OF his last visit to this
country he brought his eldest son on
two successive days to luncheon there.
and pointing to the tempting steaks and
chops as they lay on exhibition and as
yet uneooked, he said: There, my boy!
Eat those and grow to be big Ike ! am"
The site occupied by this Landed inn
has served as a place OF entertainment,
liquid and solid. since l72s, and the first
proprietor was William Lee. II was here
that the famous Quaker beer was sold.
brewed by Quaker Murray Of Murray hill.
Then one Reynolds kept the place. and
thereafter Mrs Weeks presided over It's
destinies This was n 1900. Joseph Mum
was its next owner Now. al this time
Thomas Holahan was Young Tom" and
held the humble position of boots in
the City hotel. the rear Of which was on
Tenpence lane. now Temple street. and
therefore opposite NUNS place. In lSi9
Holahan acquired the property. and on his
death his son Thomas the present pro-
prietor continued the business on exactly
the same Tires as those laid down by his
father and hts predecessors. The widow.
however married n John Smith. and they
opened next door the chophouse which IS
now marked fer destruction. Each house
has always canned 10 He Original iBill
there seemed TO he contradiction in
the very combination, an original John
Smith. and the action Of the city authori-
ties IN demollshng the place will doubt
less nut an end - a time honored and
fruitful subject Of debate between the
patrons OF tre rival eStabi hments.
As you approach "O,d Toms two
things are nosiceahle-frst. that the
entrance on the corner = AZ an angle TO
make 1t wider and more inviting. and.
second. that what ~ obviously q sign
board hangs over the dor on the side
toward Broadway the figures on the
board are completely blotted ont ~ time.
while on the other side a dim picture az
the or ginal Tom Holahau IS disceTnbla,
sitting As though 20 receive guests. T.
other side once showed Tom with n mug
OF ale in his hard sitting beneath "a pic
Iurc Of Gen. Jackson In fun uniform
fTom WAS a TammaBy Democrat and
the whole wss the work Of youus
man named Whitley. known afterwards
as Judge Whitley. Of NV Jersey. who
painted tna pictures at various sessions