The Washington herald., 1907-07-10

great rendezvous for pirates ii olden
days, pretty Agnes SURFACE, a scrub
woman, was woed and won by an Eng
fish baronet, and rose to high estate
in London.
Elizabeth Crafts, a young and energetic
tavern keeper Of Manchester by-the-Sea,
dreamed one night that she married a
sailor from a foreign port. At the same
time a young Scotchman dreamed that
he met pretty girl in white. with roses
in her hair, and married her. Later these
two met. recognized each other from Tire
dream, and, like the good. old fairy tales.
married and lived happy ever after
ward" 1t was this energetic Elizabeth
who was always knitting, even when on
the canal boats going TO the city for her
supplies. and it is solemnly declared that
once she fell overheard, and before they
had lshed her up from the water she
had knit seven stitches,
The oddities in inn-keepers may not
have been more pronounced than in other
people. hut because they were more in
the public eve they received more COM
ment The keeper Of a tavern at New
bury. Mass, named his sons. respectively,
Tearing" and Adding" because one
happened TO be born while part of the
inn was being demolished and the other
while a new wing was being added Pok-
ing the fire seems TO have been a great
ceremony and one performed only by
permission of the august landlord. At
Smithfeld Pa. Boss Rush won re-
nown for keeping his poker under lock
and key, and allowing no one to touch
the sacred fire. which he guarded with
the zeal of a vestal virgin Jesse Brown,
keeper of the famous Indian Queen"
tavern Of Washington, which once stood
where the Metropolitan Hotel now stands.
was noted for his qUickness in reading
faces and his subsequent classification
Of his guests. On this first impression
depended the Cut OF meat the guest was
to receive. As he himself did the carving.
the more delicate td-bits went 10 the
favored guests and the men OF lower
social scale must be content with any
thing they could get. On holidays, Brown
made his eggnog in a barrel His clerk,
who was also his baTkeeper, was the
official directory of Washington, not only
remembering where everybody of impor-
tance lived. but also stating the hours
they might be seen.
Inn keepers were invested in early times
with a certain amount Of personal dignity
that would admit of no degradation. This
Charles Dickens found out to his sorrow
when making his memorable tour through
the United States in 1872. He put up at
the celebrated Calf House, in Louisville.
and when Major ThrockmOrtOn, the pro-
prietor, went personally TO Inquire after
the comfort of his distinguished guest he
was coldly informed, "All right, sir; all
right If 1 want anything I viii ring for
YOU" Dickens had never before learned
that there is a vast distinction between
the English and the American hotel
keeper. and so hurriedly and abjectly
apologized 10 the irate Throckmorton,
who was about to throw him through the
window
Taverns sometimes arose TO the dignity
Of State houses, by reason Of the political
uses to which they were put After Ba-
cons men had burned the old church at
jamestown, where assemblies had been
held, the House of Burgesses met IN the
little tavern near by. Later, when Vir-
ginias capitol was moved to Williams
burg. the burgesses convened in the old
Raleigh Tavern. At GAINESVILLE, Ohio, The
quarters Of the State legislature il 1910
ISL
The Free and Accepted Masons Of
America have carefully preserved in the
lodge rooms in Boston a bunch of clay
grapes Of no particular artistic value, but
of considerable historic Importance. They
are part Of a sign made from English
clay, that once hung over the celebrated
tavern, THE Bunch of Grapes" which
stood, according to old records, on the
corner of King street and the westerly
side of MaCkerel lane 1t was here in
1888 that Henry Price, a Boston tailor,
armed with authority from England.
founded the first Grand Lodge of Masons
in America. Other important meetings
have been held there, and Presidents Of
the United States and governors have
more than once made il their headquar-
ters. The meeting Of the men who found
ed Trinity Church Boston, was held there
Gen. Stark put up al the Bunch of Grapes
after the battle Of Bennington; the BOs-
ton Humane Society was founded there in
1915; also the first meeting of the Ohio
Company called by Menasseh Cutler to
colOnize the Western reserve.
Washington, like Queen Elizabeth, seems
TO have spent much of his time going to
private houses and inns to make them
sacred shrines for later generations. In
his diaries he always mentions the place
where he stopped. the name OF the land
lord sometimes the quality Of the food
and invariably the clean beds" Andrew
Jackson always called for ham. while
Henry Clay must have buckwheat cakes
TO finish meal Louis Philippe kept 2