The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-06
THE PASSING OF THE
OLD TIllE CH0IPHOUSE.

II the Original John Smiths hat ne
was secured for old Toms" after many
diplomatic overtures.
The room-theTe is but one-ls set with
black walnut tables, stout and solid and
the tops and edges OF them are worn wlsh
the ScruOb!ass u Years. The light that
streams through the windows is suodueti
in the room, and even the roar OF Broad
way comes dsadened 10 the ear. Old
prints depend from The walls not dusty
for evefythiEg Is scrupu.ouSly clean. bus
faded ana reminiscent OF quieter times.
when foreign market quotations came ly
sailing packet. and the incoming Of :.
vessel was an event To celebrate which
people Of the town who occupied semi
rural homes even as far rorih as Barclay
street came down to Bowling Green 30
greet the arrival
There never has been and never will na
bill of fare in the place. You listen 10
what they have. YOU give your order. and
the waiter goes 20 the sliding shutter that
communicates with the kitchen and re-
peats IL. Then If it isn't right-0ut this
never happens-you have a chance 10 cor
rect Il. Ii "Old Tom himself takes the
order YOU have another opportunity 10
witness the lack VI any spirit Of inuova-
ton. Tor. regardless of thc person or dish.
your mandate is delivered in a voice al
ways pitched In one key ard always mod
usated 90 in the same way. While wait
ing 10 be served there are files of the
daily and weekly papers 10 read. and In
keeping with the spirit of the age that
pervades the place file Of Punch is al
ways at hand for those who like old jokes
with their old ale.
Old Tom himself is a parsonage OF
90 years or SO. His face IS rubicund and
looks as though he ate his own good fare
and drank his own ale. His eyes twinkle
with fun. and his memory is marvel.
Tor lie can name on sight almost any
guest who has ever eaten at his house.
ana in the busy hours he keeps track of
the orders Of forty or fifty people with
nnerring accuracy. The place VIII be ,old
Toms" for years in all likelihood for
Tom Is hale man and hearty, but there
is no Young Tom TO succeed him, as
his family consists OF four daughters and
no son. This seems unkind of fate but
after ALL 1t must be regarded rs 4 sort Of
Nemesis. for never has genfiewoman been
allowed to enlarge her sphere by taking
luncheon or supper at "Old Toms" So
much for the famous downtown chop
house.
OF different sort was Brownies" up
town, and yet they were bound ny the tie
that many OF the men who had lunched
at noon at "Old Toms" dropped into
Brownies" at midnight for a rabbit or a
srilled bone with a toby for a nghteap.
But its regular guests were for the most
part actors. men about town. authors and
literary men.
The founder of Brownies" was George
Browne, himself an actor and a good one
at that. The first building occupied was
one-storied affair which stood at the
southeast corner Of Fifth avenue and
Twenty-first street some fifty years ago,
and here on winter nights mine host
would entertain his friends with stories
6arnlshed with chops ana rabbits. which
were cooked on a blazing fire that stood
in the same room In which they were
served. Then. too. began that famous
collection OF photographs Of actors that
made the Twenty seventh street place one
or the most interesting in the city. and
viii form the main feature of the new
broadway establishment. The donors
were all personal friends Of the propr.e-
tor, and on most Of the pictures of that
time are to be found the autographs Of
the originals. From the first the place
was popular. ard its vogue grew to such
an extent that larger quarters were nee
essary. and accordingly the place was
moved 10 Broadway and then to TWEEN
ty-eighth street. opposite the present
Fifth Avenue theater: then 10 Twenty
seventh street. where its proprietor occti-
pied Nos y and II. and afterward to No.
81. on the opposite side.
Ii was in this last location that for years
ii maintained the reputation OF seeing at
it's tables everybody that was anybody
who either lived in the city or visited e.
The two rooms on the ground floor were
given up 10 tables. and AT ono side was
an odd little bar with its cozy interior
furnished with pewters and tooies. Bo-
hernia in the best sense Of the word fro
quented Brownies Bohemia that thinks
T.
be unconventional and not the counterfeit
that is shabby and frutless in mind and
estate and uses unconventionality to COW
CT essential defects.
Photographs Of actors and actresses Of
old days lined the walls OF both rooms
and overffowed into the hallway. Inter-
spersed with tho pictures there were play
bills of historical interest as containing
the first appearance of man or woman
subsequently 20 become famous, and eu-
rious souvenirs. such, for example. as the
telegram sent on one occasion from the
West by John T. Raymond instructfng
a friend to toss dollar with Billy
DeUtsch for Thousand. | call heads -
and the answer. announcing as might
have been expected. fer Raymond's bad
luck was proverhiai. that tails had come
M. These and host Of other objects of
interest connected with the theater were
there for the amusement OF guests. while
ar the tables were such men as Barry
more Edgar Fawcett Eben Plyrnpfon.
Nat Goodwin. Julian Hawthorne. we'll
known cluhmen. politicians ard all the
host Of those choice souls who find tina,
good cheer is an excellent aid TO good
fellowship
At the death Of Rrowno the place was
managed for his widow by Mr. William
son. his son-in-law until a few years ago
when II WAS purchased by w. Ernes,
Wuuderlich "Rrowne's,' Ike "oid
Tom s" never allowed a woman 10 pass
its portals. The chophouse was open at
about O'Clock tn the morning. and II was
supposed 70 close at 2 o'clock In the morn
lng tut often the hands Of the clock traV-
eIsd twenty-four hours. and. with the ex-
ceptioD II the front door. nothing WAS
closed about the place. But ia eBe ever