The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-10

Jessie Brown became the proprietor, c. ling
i; the Indian Queen. At this time Boston.
Wilmington (Delaware). nd
Baltimore had hotels by this name. the
later as early as 1896.
Two years after Brown began business
he announced that the Indian Queen He
tel. is situated on the north side Of Pennsyl
vsnia Avenue. east Of Centre Market, and
about midway between the Capitol and
Presidents house. Washington City. m
impression having gone abroad that this
had been sold ont and trans
ferred into other hands. and was about to
be closed as hotel. the proprietor thinks
ii necessary 10 inform his friends and the
public that he has not sold neither is there
the least probability CT his doing SO, ard
that he is now about to enlarge lis house.
By adding eighteen or twenty rev rooms,
in addition to those he has already En-
ished; and likewise he intends to make
many changes and repairs that he ecu d
no. do last season for want of time. My
friends ard the public in general will
please give call at the old Indian Quse en-,
where they will meet their usual reception.
Jessie Brown
In 1928, during the paimy days of
Browns career as a hotelkeeper, he in
formed the public that he had put his ho-
Tel All cOIHpitlt repair, anu IL GGl lue Ia g
est in the United States. is nearly So
The general stage office attached
to the establishment remains in the same
place it has been ever since the first run
ming of the stages to and from this city.
He has determined TO reduce his charges
to 81 per day at his public table. and no
extras. CThis means the wines thrown
in.) Lodging for a single night % cents.
regular tavern sign hung across the
pavement of the Indian Queen repre-
senting the namesake of the hotel in dusky
colors, and perpetuating custom with inn
keepers as old as the Middle Ages. Tns
bell which proclaimed the welcome meal
hour could be heard over considerable
portion of tie town. and doubtless excited
many hungry man in the street to make
a rush for a good place at table. In 1851
the brothers NJ. and T. Brown (sons of
JESSIE. remodeled the hotel. making the
building six stories. with a marble front,
and changing nt.pe name to the present
Metropolitan
Glory Days of the National.
THE National Hotel, on the northeast
corner of Sixth Street and Pennsylvania
Avenue. was completed under the personal
supervision of John Gadsby. and opened
for the frs time for guests on Washing
tons Birthday February %. 1926. by a
parade, succeeded in the evening with a
grand ball at the hotel. Gadsby, in 1921.
said in card that he had moved from his
former residence (Franklin House, 10 his
new establishment. known as the National
Hotel. This spacious and extensive build
ing is believed to be one of the largest
hotels in the United States He also an
nounced that his charges would be one COL
lar per day and lodgings twenty-five cents.
ord SfeeuhOat ofiirp attaciipl where
passage can be taken to any part Of the
United States In 1919 the Messrs. Cal
vert G. Co. became the proprietors. and
made many extensive improvements. They
opened. with the assistance of E. ID. Will
lard. one of those who started the hotel
on the corner of Fourteenth Street and
Pennsylvania and the first individual in
the city TO use gas cooking stove, which
he introduced in 1855. This innovation in
the culinary art was thus noticed by che
of the daily papers Of that date. under the
head of Gas Cooking:
lone of, the most labor-saving and
e1pedients ever introduced.
and especially valuable for persons OF
scanty means. is the cooking with gas
What world of labor and trouble and
time i. saves, Mr.. Willard brought one OF
his sheet-iron boilers to our office, some
days ago. and, having attached ;sutta
percha tube to one of the gas pipes. cooked
couple of chops and steak in few
minutes. the tenderest we ever tasted:
and. what is peculiar to the process. free
from the smoke and fumes which generally
rise from broiling meat. Anybody can see
the operation any day in the kitchen of the
National Hotel
An Englishman. writing TO friend IN
Yorkshire. England. gave his views con-
woe ctn and cpptraEtci
the prices of living between the two CAPT
tails, London and Washington. He says:
If the mode of serving up and the va
riety of wholesome dishes are taken into
consideration, then the living in the me-
tropolis of the States is far cheaper than
1t is in any town of magnitude, or even
village. in England. ! spent the latter
part of the summer of 1Si9 in Washing
ton, which / found rather dull, but the
living was quite as good as any Eng
lishman need desire, and at prices that
surprised me. For instance. ! had quite
large and airy room. very comfortably
furnished and kept in order. for IS per
month. less than CO. / took my meals at
Cops Pavilion ION Louisiana Avenue. be-
tween Four and half and Sixth Streets.
a very large and spacious building located
in the most central part Of the city, for
which ] was charged fifteen and ninepence
a week. about $3.50 of their money. 1t is
true. there were neither gold nor silver
plate, nor costly china. but otherwise the
table was as well furnished as that of any
hotel in London Every day We had a
delicious soup mot infrequently calf
head and green turtle). with a fish called
by the natives Sleeps head, quite equal
to our own turbot, with roast beef NUT
ton, and veal, as good as any / have
eaten at home mot excepting the famed
Southdown mutton). and in addition,
there were various dishes of dessert
fruits, etc. and everything scrupulously
clean and neat. matter not always met
with where they have black slaves. re-
quiring the constant eye of the master or
mistress. know could not have as good
a table in London for Go a week. The
only drawback is that you are compelled
to sit with thirty or forty persons. who,
though usually gentlemanly in their de-
meanor and very attentive. yet des
patched their luxurious dinners with a
:apidity quite unworthy OF rational be-
ings who eat for enjoyment. The Yam
kee is a social fellow in his own way,
and would no more think OF dining alone.
if he could get into a crowd. than he
would lose the opportunity of making a
dollar where one is offered. l believe that
IT is this proTniscuous mixing togeth r
that renders them SO polite to each other.
and so uniformly courteous to strangers.
Washington, though young. boasts of
many beautiful buildings, numerous
churches. ard as fine hotels as any in the
world
THE Kirkwood House was at the north
eastern corner of Twelfth Street and Penn
syivania Avenue. 1t was opened by Da-
vid Appler in 1915 as the Fountain I'M,
but was sold at public auction in 1892 A.
Fuller moved here a few years afterward
and called it the City Hotel. In 1Si9. J.
Thcmas. Of the Howard House New YORK.
came here and changed the name from
City Hotel TO the Irving House. Finally, In
1856. j. II. and A. W. Kirkwood kept tn.