The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-04

years go by. A few pieces of the furnl-
ture used In the rooms occupied by tho
noted "boarders" OF the long ago have
heen brought to light and placed back In
the rooms.
When the British Invaded Washington,
sacked and burned the Capitol deyoured
President Madison's dinner, and played
such sad havoc generally, the workrnen
were engaged In constructing the st.
Charles Hotel. When business waa re-
sumed after General Ross had completed
his visit and departed, the gentlemen
who were building the hotel managed to
secure by purchase three beautiful col
ored marble columns and two square pill
asters, which had come through the fire
at the Capitol uninjured. These we're
placed at the main entrance OF the hotel
lobby and there they have remarked, all
though repeated efforts have been made
by the Smithsonian Institution and the
Historical Society OF the District to get
possession OF them. The marble for the
columns was Imported from Italy and
the polishing and enumeration is per-
fectly executed.
THE WAR MATCHED HERD.
Mr.. Gould, the old bookstore man, who
has been In Washington many years and
has been a close observer, in speaking OF
the old hotel. said:
"I have some very pleasant recollec-
tons of the st. Charles in the days i'm
mediately preceding the Civil War. Many
Of our great men stopped there, and
while I suppose there were great games
of cards played within its walls have
reason for saying that about the biggest
game that was ever played there was the
one which brought about the bloody con-
flict between the North and South.
believe that the war was planned and
Matched in that old hotel. You see, Bob
Toombs. Andy Johnson, and lot Of
such men stopped at the st. Charles. and
many a night / hung around there to
hear Johnson speak. He would get out
on a chair, box. or stand on the front
porch. and such speech as he would
make you never listened to. Cad but he
was fire-eating, wicked old cuss, and
he didn't care a tinkers darn what he
said either in public speech or In private.
He woke up the natives when he spoke
there at the hotel. Lawyer Carlisle-long
since dead-who lived, think. around
OH Four-and-a- Street. was one Of
the ringleaders too, and he, Johnson and
Toombs made. q team that was hard to
beat. I've seen them slip off togther
many nights. and go out for work In
different sections Of the city. They kept
things boiling until the final clash came.
Mr.. Davis-Jefferson Davis--lived around
on c street, near Four-and-a-h but
he was not very often at the st. Charles.
guess If the walls of some Of the rooms
Of the old hotel could talk some interest
ing stories would be related-some untold
history of tho Civil War. But It's we'll
enough that such thing Is impossible,
for there's trouble enough as It Is
Henry Lewis, an aged colored man.
who has been around the st. Charles
since 1850, when a Mr.. Wayne was pro-
prietor. occupies portion Of the room
formerly used as @ cafe as sleeping
room. 1t is in close proximity to the
slave cells. Lewis said:
Use been around dis hotel a long time,
but never seed any ghosts dat knows
OF. Sometimes I hears moanin' sounds
an rattlin' OF chains. an l knowledges
that it makes me feel kinder creepy like
In dat old resterrant. an when looks.
out de window an sees dem rows of
cells, thinks of dem niggers that bin
locked up dere, an course I feels funny
like But I amt seed no ghosts dat l
knows of."-Washington Post.