The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-10
OLD CORCORAN HOUSE
Mansion Closely Identified
with Political Life.
DEPEW HAD PHONOGRAPH IN IT
II Is Now the Home of Mr.. william
CorcOran Eustis, Whose Wife Is a
daughter OF Former Vice President
Morton-DanieI webster Lived in
IL for a Long Period of Time.

Few private houses in Washington have
been more closely Identified with the Sc
| cial and political life of the National
/ Capital than the old Corcoran mansion
on the north side OF Lafayette Square. now
/ the home of Mr.. and Mrs. William Cor
coran Eustis. the latter the daughter Of
/ former Vice President Morton. Il was
for a long time the home Of Daniel Web
ster. and later of W. w. Corcoran, the
millionaire banker and philanthropist
| who, for a generation. dispensed there 2
! generous hospitality that made Il the
social center Of the city During the
/ civil war Mr. CorcOrans welI-knOwn
Southern sympathies very nearly caused
| his arrest and confinement in the old
capitol prison, and realizing that this
might occur ar any time. he leased his
home to the French Minister. the sup
position being that as the residence Of a
foreign minister # would. under inter-
national law. be exempt from seizure.
/ After the death Of Mr.. Corcoran II was
/ for some years the home Of Senator and
Mrs. Calvin S Brice. Of OHIO. Washing
ton, and Newport. and their lavish even
/ gorgeous. entertainments viii long be re-
membered in Washington.
Depevv Lived Here.
Senator Chauncey N. Depew made HIS
/ Washington home here until the present
/ season. and we'll maintained the tradi-
tions Of the place as a social center. Dur
/ ing his occupancy a marble bust OF
/ BLACK Dan had a conspicuous place
rr,
/ Gridiron chronicles that as soon as Mr.
/ Depew was elected to the Senate ne
realized that he would be recognized as
the intellectual successor Of the great
/ defender" and at once took steps TO
secure his former home. just as the
same reliable authority asserts that on
the day after Hon Joe Blackburn was
I first elected 90 Congress from the Ash
land district. he telegraphed 20 an agent
and requested him 20 engage for him
the former quarters Of Henry Clay
/ When the Corcoran house was the home
Of Senator Depcw, q brilliantly polished
brass phonograph stood in the bow win
dow OF the old art gallery. On one oc-
casiou two pedestrians in passing no.
ticed the brilliant New Yorker standing
near the instrument, laughing heartily nj
! something that was being said, pre-
sumably by the phonograph.
4 Why said one of the men. in evident
/ surprise, "What under the san does
/ Senator Depew want with a pbonographg
One would suppose that De heard at first
/ hand about everything worth hearing
''You surely don't suppose that he
keeps that thing for other people 20 talk
into. do YOU was ,Le answer Of his
companion. why. that is where he
stores his impromptu wituclsms for
future deliveries"
borrowed Associations.
Il would seem that the old mansion
had enough associations belonging to il
by right Of inheritance without the need
Of any borrowed ones but If one wishes
I to hear it invested with cffulgant glorics
let him attuue his ears To the songs
sung by the coiored drivers who conduct
visitors over the city in their ramshackle
old hacks. If there has ever been q
prominent actor I'm the drama Of Wash
ingtou life whom these historians have
not domicilcd there at one time or an
other, IL is due to mere forgetfuluess on
their part Charles Sumner and John
Hay have each lived here rather than at
their own homes a few doors to the east
Stephen Decatur had been borne here
after his fatal duel with Parron, when
they might fust as easily have allowed
him to breathe his last among his own
Lares and Penates in his home on the
Z opposite cOrL er.
They have had William II. Seward all
but murdered here, although a bronze
tablet marks another side Of the square
as the scene Of this tragedy. According
10 these ebon-skinned historians, Gen
Sicklas lived here at the time Of the
Barton Key tragedy. and the shooting
occurred in front of the house, while old
Washingtoniaus maintain that the I'M
Isavory romance that caused Keys death
was enacted I'm the house now occupied
by the Brazilian Ambassador. and that
Key met his fate on the east side of
Lafayette Square.
Members of the Cosmos Club almost
faint when they hear one of these his
torians explaining that lin the red brick
house YOU now see, Mrs. Dolly Madison
held her court" These and many other
notables have these artists located in
the old mansion I'm days gone by.
After alll what matters 1t? The curl
osity of the visitor is satisfied. and in
nine instances out Of ten he never knows
the case with two unreconstructed Mis-
sissippIans, constituents Of John Sharp
Williams, who engaged venerable old
darby, driving a spawned old horse at
tached to a rickcty old vehicle. to show
them the sights of the Capital.
working SoutheTnera.
With a quick grasp of the situation. ac-
CURED by long years of experience, the
Ill aear
ardent SOuthcrncrs. and proceeded to
work them accordingly. When they
reached the proper corner the old rascal
numbered his reserve batteries and be-
gan: a man named Senator Dupu, from
lup North somewher. lives in that house
now. and / aint sayin a word agin him.
lie may be a mighty good man for all I
know. but I remembers when a heap
bigger german than any Senator Dupu
ever was, or ever viii be. lived in that
very house Vas, sir. many is the time
Use helt his boss right under that very
arch right there. Ny old nanny used
ter belong TO Marse Jen Davis, and come
here from Missip to cook fer him when
vas boy. Vas, SIT. she cooked fer
him in the kitchen Of that very house
right there. and l use ter help wait on
the table, an I bet you right here that no
Senator Dupu don't have no sech vittels
as I use ter han roun for Marse jeff.
Why. I use ter tote out huff good Wit
tells to feed er whole alley full er these
Wuthless Washington nssers. An bet
you agin that the niggers that waits
there now don't git half as many fo
bits as use ter sit in them days Why.
every gemman that come from the Souf
use ter gimme 70 bits. cept them that
come from AIissip. and they genrilly
gimme er dollar I tell you them was