The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-09-06
4 BOS2ELRY OF RBuOVN
Tie Old Fifth Avenue Hotel Near
to It's Ending.
Every President of the United States
Since Its Opening Has Been Shell
tered Within It's " aIIs-A Head
quarters fer Republican Leaders.
Some OF Its Distinguished Guests.

TIE fact that the lease of the Fifth Ave
nue. Hotel property will expire three years
hence, coupled with the talk of the cree
ton of sky-scraping office building upon
the site has stirred up awealth of reminis-
eence clustering about the famous hostelry.
This gossip is more interesting, occurring
as its does during a Presidential campaign,
because of the political character Of so
much of it.
Amos Emo built the Fifth Avenue be-
tween 1856 and 1859 for about one million
I dollars One of his heirs bid it in at auc
ton the other day for four millions.
The hotels old registers read like the
index TO biographical dictionary The
Prince Of Wales was one Of the first and
most IIustrious guests. He was nineteen
years cid when he arrived in 1860, accom-
panied by the Duke of Newcastle and 9TH
ers. His rooms were Nos. 81 and IS, on the
parlor floor The Scots settled IN the city
serenaded him with fifty bagpipes. De-
parting, the Prince left $500 for those who
had served him.
The princes brotheT-in-law, the Mar
quis of Lorne, was at the hotel later, as
was Yturbide of Mexico, MaXimilian's
adopted son; and one week, as a wag put
it, four princes were here-Kamatsu Of
Japan Alsagoff of Singapore, Prince Ma
poleon of France, and MIR. Prince Of Boston,
on his wedding trip. Dom Pedro and the
Empress of Brazil held court here. Among
members of Parliament whose signatures
are preserved may be mentioned ParneH,
Bradlaugh, and Chamberlain. Boulanger
was here with a delegation Of co,npatriots
and another of Germans at the Yorktown
centennial celebration.
Il Would rather be a transient in the
house Of Hitchcock and Darling than dwell
in any other house for ever, a veteran
tourist wrote home: and another: ''YCu
may live here in palace for a guinea
day" While So daily is the minimum rate
on the American plan. it is by 10 meaEs
the limit 1t cost a rich retired Californian
named Dean. with his family and servants,
$50 a day on the average during many
years, and one New Yorker paid 100000 in
a quarter of a century.
The Fifth Avenue was opened almost
simultaneously with the first success OF the
Republican partv which controlled the ma
tional Administration for nearly gene a
ton. It became their official headquar-
tiers, and this, with its dazzling appearance,
not yet turned grey by smoke and storms,
caused it TO be dubbed the White House
of Madison Square" Every President CT the
United States from Lincoln to Mckinley
have been registered here, also every Vic
President, and nearly every member of the
Presidential and Vice Pres Dental families,
with most Of the unsuccessful candidates
for these offices. Lincoln went from the
Fifth Ave ne to Cooper Union 10 make his
great speech there, and like most OF his
successors reviewed parades from the bal
cony over the hotels main entrance. The
most cherished relic Of the establishment
is what is believA TO be the last pap=r
signed by him-a pass for Mr. Darling
: oh, hal
late in the afternoon on the day OF the
Presidents death, as he was about to go
TO dinner
General Grants first Presidential boom
was started at dinner of the Peabody
Fund trustees at the Fifth Avenue in 1867.
His successor Hayes used 10 attend these
dinners, but was not at this one There
were present Admiral Farragut, John ia
cob Aston George Bancroft William NJ
Evarts, and Thurlow Weed. Grant always
had rooms 80 and A on the Twenty fourth
Street side He and his Cabinet once held
an official session in the hotel. Garfield
and Cleveland had their first receptions
here, and here Arthur received the first
Korean Ambassadors 1t was Blaine's
stopping place, too, and the scene Of the
Burchard incident During the campaign
OF 1884 committee of clergymen called
upon the Republican candidate to pledge
their support, their spokesman being the
aged DR.. BuTchaTd whose address con-
tanned this sentence: We are Republicans
and don't propose to leave our party TO
identify ourselves with a party whose an
tecedents are rum, Romanism and rebel
lion" Mr.. Blaine failed 10 protest against
the unlucky ALTERATION at the time and
no other occasion offered as the election
was q hand.
ConkItng used TO live here, and Plat
does still, his rooms being at the Twenty
fourth Street corner. A police guard was
put over COnkling after the assassination
of Garfield for fear mob might attack
him On account of his quarrel with the
President. John F. Smyth, long a Repub-
licsn leader in the Hudson Valley used to
tell how he was at q Chicago hotel. when
he received from Conkling a telegram read
ing, Meet me Monday" which he showed
to friend. who remarked: He says moth
ing about the place and may be coming
here. If you were a Republican" re-
pied Smyth, you'd know that Meet me
Monday means to meet the Senator that
day at the Fifth Avenue Hotel
The Fifth Avenue has long been the
Headquarters of the Republican State
Committee. ParIor D is a room in
which history has been made. A notable
nook is Amen Corner which is really
two corners near the end of the main cor
r1doT. where short settees, covered with
blue plush, are set ct right angles Here
Grant, Arthur, and others used TO sit and
smoke, as their successors do to this day
and it was and is a Mecca for reporters
It is not generally known that the first
passenger elevator in the world moved
maJestically up and down in this house.
and in the old shaft a plate to conmemor-
ate it may be seen by the curious.
General Sherman lived here two years
after he moved from St Louis. and his
brother, the Senator and Secretary. has
often regist tered. The general had rooms
%. q. and %. He said he was not particu-
lar about the accommodations. as he was
used 10 roughing it, but that everything
must suit Mrs. Sherman On the other
hand. she told Mr. Hitchcock privately
that it did not make so very much differ
ence about her but that the general had
seen rather too much roughing it. and
must be made comfortable Other eminent
commanders to sign the registers were
Sheridan. Schofeld. Logan, Longstreet.
titzhugh Lee, Butler. and Miles, Admiral.
then commander. Sehley, attended the
Presidential reception in parlor So to the
survivors of the Greedy expedition, whom
he had rescued.
Once eleven Governors were here togeth-
eT; again. ten United States Senators and
two former State executives, and later
banquet brought all the justices of the
Federal Supreme Court. The funerals of
Garfield, Grant. Sherman. Sheridan. and
other great soldiers and statesmen brought
together here juTists legislators and the
like; foreign diplomats, and titled eefebri-
tic, the President, Vice President former
Presidents. Cabinet, Army and Navy ofTi4
GERS. The London Times" describing the
Grant funeral said: 'tAIl the bands in the