The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-24

mouse. II senator ODNklln, VINO was u
guest at his hotel for some time, could
have gotten along on So week, he
never did so; FOR as is we'll known. lie
was a man % wealth and most luxurious
taste and habits. He occupied one Of the
handsOmest suites I'm the hotel, and they
were all, according To the standards Of
the day. deliberately and elegantly fur
nished, and the Senator from New York,
the Beau Brummel 81 the upper House,
was an extravagant and an assiduous en-
tertaiaer
As 10 those. simpler days and the
prices that prevailed then IL is not unin-
teresting to copy a paragraph from q
paper OF that period regarding the famous
Welcker. the Gordon bieu Of the Capital
for many years. who possessed an auto.
graph from Charles Dickens. given 10 him
when that distinguished author was a
guest In Washington and declaring that
he was the best restauratcur I'm the
world
THE character of Welcker's entertain
ments is eminently select. and his prices
approach those OF the English Castle and
/ Falcon, or Philippe's. in Paris His
breakfasts and dinners q Ia carte are
about at New York rates less than those
Of the Fourteenth street DeImonic0.
I
restaurant prices. The most expensive
dinner be has ever given cost so q plate.
Fine dinners cost from 80 90 81 per
plate and breakfast from s. 20 s. per
plate He has fed between co and
40 people per diem, as On the day OF
Grants Inauguration His best rooms
rent at s a day and consist Of a suite
Of three rooms, but the habitants thereof
pay the establishment for food, wine,
&c, not less than SO a day
It VIII be seen that these prices are not
more economical than the prices Of to-
dag. quoted IN the article referred %, and
a further evidence OF the frugalty OF
that simpler time Il may not be UuiH-
terestlng To copy an article published
some time in the EOS by that Nestor Of
the press, Gath, anent the Arlington
Hotel:
Senator Cameron paid for himself and
wife $40 per month, and had but two
rooms. Senator Fent0D had pariar. TWO
bedrooms and an Office. and paid $1,000
per month Mr.. :. $. Cox and wife paid
So per week. and he gave buffet sup
per for 10J persons. which cost him $3.50.
Mr.. ". :. Huntington gave the japanese
the finest spread ever set in the Arlington
Hotel There were only twenty persons.
and he paid $1.0j0. Or. Helmbo.d paid S9j
about Loo y parlor and three bedrooms
in the second story of the .-.rlington,
with q small family occupying them, are
worth $3.50 per week during the season,
and one guest here pays for parlor,
bedroom. and bathroom SEQ per month
These are some echoes of the simpler
days. II is true that Senator and Mrs
Logan lived at Mrs. Rhine's boarding
house on Twelfth street, but it was then
one of the most fashionable boarding
houses ia town. with Senator's. Members,
and diplomats for its patrons, and equal
to the smarteSt boarding houses Of to-
day. but il must be taken into considera-
ton that Senator and Mrs. Logan lived
there only for "A short while, going later
10 a luxurious home on Capitol Hill and,
finally. buying the old stone house on
Columbia Heights. which has been con-
veTted into one OF the most magnificent
and interesting residences in town.
Senator Morrill, lived at a clearinghouse
in FOur-and-a-half street for a while,
and at Woruley's during the ante-bellum
days. then q very fashionable hotel; sub
sequenuy he and his family shared the
house of the Trenches on Capitol HILL
This most eminent statesman and de-
lightfUl man, though neither very rich
or very poor. lived up 10 what was sX-
meanly. Senator Sumner may have lived
at Mrs. Clements clearinghouse, which
was an excellent place. by the way, dur
ing She period named, 1850 10 1863, but il
viii be remembered, that he also once
lived in the famous Sumner house. now
occupied By the Metropolitan Club, which
adjOins the Arlington Hotel, and where
there was as much elegance and much
more dignity and Formally than can be
found sin any house in Washington to-
day. There were lackeys and footmeH
and q famous French chef; there was
constant wiuing and dining. ana notable
foreign visitors TO this country We're sure
of a seat at Mr.. Summers table and il
would be difficult 10 cite Senator to-day,
despite the fact that the Upper House
is made up o. millionaires. who lives in
as much elegance and style as did Mr..
Sumner. His yearly expenditure was so
great that If he could wherever he Isl be
told that he was hanger on at a
clearinghouse. he would send his spoOk
TO refute the charge.
AS 20 Mrs. Chipman's boarding house,
where William Pitt Fessenden was at one
tine a bOarder. il would be well TO read
the chronicles of the day. II was hardly
"a very humble hosiery" but q house
frequented by the greatest men OF the
day and conducted in q manner betting
its distinguished clientele. Senator
Foote, Of Vermont. the father of Mrs.
John p. Henderson, and man Of
wealth and influence. occupied a dis
tnguished position in the social as
well as the official world Mrs.
Carter's clearinghouse. where he is said
to have lived. was one of the noted
in town. and many dis
tinguished people besides Mr. FOOte lived
there. II might be noted in this con-
nection that at the time OF which our
distinguished statesman writes. Miss
F0Ote. now Mrs. Henderson. was n great
belle, in evidence at all the social func-
tons and Tepaying her social debts on
an adequate scale; it is hardly probable
she could have done so unless her sur
permitted. Mrs. Carter's board
ing house was a handsome. well-fUTnished
home on Capitol Hill. much patT0nized
by the great men-and that was I'm the
days Of great men-of that time At the
period of which our author writes the
shibboleth Of noblesse obIige obtained
more among officials than it does to-day,
and the economy practiced by the states
men, or imitation statesmen. of this
hour would have been SCOTned by their
OF a half century ago.
With all due respect to the distinguished
statesman who puts himself on record
regarding the life of q century ago. it
was really not so very much more eco
nomical than it is to-day. If prices were
lower. more. much more. was expected.
1t should be borne in mind that at that
period everybody kept a sideboard, and
the three bottle men" had 20 be con-
sidered. But whether he has learned his
ancient Washington or not. the point
ne makes IS not to be cOntroverted; the
salary OF Member or Senator is a third
less than II should be, he cannot live with
dignity here on the price he is paid. and