Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-02
LIKE BEAU 4R |! | Nh |
Without courtly 7Hraioes and
Education, However.
CAME FROM THE SOUTH
SURPASSED COUNT D'ohsEY IN
CHEEK AND NET E.
Old septuagenarian in Reminiscent
Mood Tells of Once Famous
Local Character.
CAME FROM THE SOUTH

enough to fish up, or sift out, anything OF
value to you, or others.
I'm 40 or early In the sos, there first ap-
peared in all the principal hotels of the ma
tional capital one of the most notable char
acters of it's history. He came and went
and established his fame as the great and
only successor and understudy of the i'm
mortal Beau Brummel of King Georges
reign in England.
This man possessed none of the graces
Of Count Dorsey, had no court manners
at all, nor education, nor accomplishments,
but surpassed all in the American quality
of cheek and nerve'-hence. his remarka BILE
success
when first knew him he was not young,
neither was he old, or at all decrepit, as in
the course of time he became, before he de-
parted finally from our midst.
WHO he was, or where he came from, no
one knew, and. as far as l can learn, no.
body yet knows, except that he was from
the south somewhere, conjecturally from
Virginia.
''There were many rumors about his ORR
gin, and concerning him romances as mar
velOuS as his own stories, woven out OF cob
webs and 'sunbeams from cucumbers.' One
was to the effect that he was the prodigal
son of a wealthy and distinguished and
aristocratic family, and had been discarded
and dsowned by them. and pensioned off
forbidden, 1t was said, to name or ap-
preach them, had been left to sink or
swim, survive or perish, as the winds and
waves Of the ocean of life might deter
mine.
He was voluble on all subjects In gen.
eral, adaptable and adoptible to all classes
and in conversation in every accidental
aggregation of small or large assemblases
of mankind he gained very shortly an I'M
mense and miscellaneous acquaintance.
and was popular in the three cities of the
District of Columbia and adjoining coun-
ties of Maryland and Virginia.
This man blew his own horn and blew
it well. and his fame and emoluments in
creased day by day. He announced him
self frankly as q chevalier of industry and
q common proclamation of his was: I am
Beau Hickman and l live by talents alone
Without talents no man can live
LAS l before said, he was a universal
guide, philosopher and friend, at ali times
at anybody's or everybody's service. He
knew all the mysteries of Washington, and
was a safe chaperon into AMI out of all
places from the highest to the lowest.
Made Himself Indispensable.
Such man soon made himself in6is-
pensable, and had he only been provi-
dent and kept bank account his fees and
gTatuities would have amounted to n hand
some sum before the days Of his restitution
and death and interment in the potters
field
Poor old, harmless Beau Hickman,
never had, could have an enemy. He
never looked out for the proverbial rainy
day Like Schuyler Colfax said of himself
he had first rate hindsight but never mad
foresight Although he pi1oted all his
clients anywhere they seemed TO want to
go he never participated In any of the
feasts, frolics or orgies which at times
ensued. He was remarkably honest. sober
and abstemious.
IF urged to drink he answered simply
and conclusively. L quote his own words
as l often heard them from his lips: No
by which he meant thrown or upset
He never asked or accepted a bigger
fee from each individual at one time than
a quarter of a dollar, and he had a large
clientele down on his books, all over the
city. whom he called his regular subscrib-
ers-they were In the White House, in both
wings of the Capitol, the Supreme Court,
the diplomatic corps, army and navy and
marine, and in every branch of trade in the
District. My father and Gales and Seaton
and Blair and Rives and all the big hotel
proprietors and bankers were down in his
books to be called upon pay day with
the polite, gentle reminder, Major Cor gem
eral. or senator, or judge, as the case
might be). I've called to see to my quar-
ters,' and the amount was always smilingly
handed out to him and bow returned In
acknowledgment.
Beau was known never to lie or cheat
or steal or swear or drink or quarrel or
fight or schemingly devise to deceive any
body VIVA in all his adventurous, I'M
fortunate life.
when he said can't drink, I'm easy
thowed, he usually added, but I'll take a
good Sugar and he invariably took half
a dozen. I know, for 1 paid for EN- many
a time and never begrudged the eXpendi-
ture.
At this time Beau Hickman made the
proposition to me to edit his autobiog-
raphy, which he would dictate to me
self and declined.
Beau once told the usual crowd about
him. In substance, follows:
g I used to run down to old Alexandria or
over to Baltimore, even as far as Phila-
madelphy or Camden or Princeton. occa-
sionally in dull times when business was
slow for change of air an change o scene.
of course. when everything was stag
nant that way the "SpondulickS" was
scarce with me. money was shy and it was
almost impossible to collar a dollar any
where. Everything was on the wing and
nothing could fly as fast as money; no
bird was so alert as the potential. almighty
dollar. They might a called it 1.-The Dodo,'
it seemed extinct. Under these circum-
stances l entered one of the principal ho-
tells of Baltimore one evening about 8
was assigned my room and about mid
night conveyed by a bell boy was shown
the way.
Lay Awake All Night.
II retired and lay awake all night, cos1-
tating how 1 could get away without lost
honor. 1 was as bad as the starting in the
cage. could not get out-there was no
way possible-no impossible way. / was
assuredly in for It, The next morning my
new landlord raped on my door and ad-
mitted him.
II was secretly uneasy, but he soon dssi-
pated this by loud, hearty volley of
laughter, and, rising from his chair, he
slapped me heartily on the back and spoke
Why, Beau. didn't know twas you. I've
you ''
II was astonished. He enlightened me,
as he went on to say: T learned you were
putting up at Barnum's. How did you make
out? Did they treat you well? Hardly or
you wouldn't be here now. hope you
played him some clever Hickman trick; and
If you did, tell me all about, it, for I owe
EN- no good will. If the story pleases me
1t shan't cost you cent for week in my
house and you shall have a $1O-btll to play
as good one on the Fountain House, or
the Three Ton Tavern-is it a go?
1T was, and / told him the whole story
with good lot O. frills and embroidery.
He laughed loud and long and he was a
white man. and trusted me, was as good
as his word and handed me a crisp, new,
ten-spot bank note on the spot. More'n that
he got my trunk away from Barnums s,