The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-29

ne turned 10 DIAL out the SANE treatment
10 Hyer and Sullivan, but they had 1ed
Then soms one told the bounoer who II
Was he had vanquiShed, and he had to b
relieved Of his job while he went back Il
the bar 10 accept one Of the hundred oderI
Of refreshments. He needed the drink 10
steady his nerves, no said.
That year famous guests began 10 arrive
almost every week. One OF these vas
Capt John Vine Hall, who had Just brought
the Great Eastern into port on her hrs,
trip across the ocean. Clerk Carr has often
told reporters that no more popular guest
eyer stopped at the hotel than the com
mander Of the ship which was the marine
But In October Of the same year, 1850,
the hotel entertained ls most distinguished
guest, the Prince Of Wales, present King Of
England. The story Of his visit, including
his famous Rame Of leapfrog with q duke,
was told By Clerk Carr 10 the reporters
only when he was In particularly good
nature, because ~ 10 that game Of leap
frog certain English papers had expressed
doubts, and the clerk sometimes felt q
little fretful about H.
all right, for one game went ,wroDg, OF
that visit the old clerk used 10 say:,
HThe Prince Of Wales with HE suite,
including Lord Lyons, the Duke Of New
castle and a dozen other titled persons,
occupied the entire paTlor floor and part
Of the floor above. II took the royal party
ell day TO get from downtown 10 the hotel,
40 elaborate was the official welcome on
the way from the ship 10 T%wenty-third
street.
sPsrlors 81 and IS we're set apart a. the
Princes own private suite. He wa only
q ~youngster, about 10. and full Of frolio
and life. He used 10 play at leapfrog after
dinner In the corridor Of the parior door.
There was a largo mirror At the end Of
the corridor, and on one occasion when
the Duke Of Newcastle, apparently a. fond
Of a frolic 90 the young Prince, took part
In q game he jumped over the Princes back
and Slid forward squArely against the
mirror. Fortunately IL was very heavy
and did pot break.
THE Prince remained three days At the
hotel and left $500 10 be distributed as tips
among the s~ervants.'
Although Douglas had been a hero at the
hotel, the patriotism and Northern SYM
PATTY Of the guests was demonstrated not
long afterward. Following the firing upon
Fort Sumter, the First Massachusetts, Regi-
ment on its way 10 the front went 10 the
hotel for a meal. Says Mr.. Carr in his
reoolleotions:
Il remember distinctly the patriotic
enthusiasm with which the guests OF tho
hotel received the soldiers. rhe ladies
were particularly attentive. When the
soldiers entered the dining room all the
other guests rose and cheered them, and the
ladies personally served the soldiers, TAX
Ing the dishes from the walters
later during the war crowds regularly
gathered In the hotel corridor 10 read war
bulletins from the front, which we're posted
In several parts Of the big lobby. Indeed.
for a time the hotel seemed almost like a
military headquarters.
Gen. Winfield Scott stopped there and
excited surprise by his great stature, He
occupied room IL on the ground floor and
q special bed was built TO accommodate
him there, as non that the hotel owned
was large enough.
Another popular war hero who stotSped
at the hotel, together with his family and
Gen. Marcy. his father-in-law, was Gen.
George B. Mcclellan. The youth Of the city
particularly we're enthusiastic over 1Little
Mac az they a~hectionately called him,
and made the hotel their political head
quarters while he was there.
During the war Gems. Grant. Halleok,
Burnsides and many other famous sol
diers stopped at the hotel, and their friends
and partlsans made things lively In the big
lobby daily and until late at night.
The worst fire that occurred In the hotel
caused the death OF several women servants.
Not much was said In those days about
freproohng 10 building. but the Fifth Ave
nue. was well built to resist fires, having
many three foot brick partition walls. Its
luck served Il well during the draft riots.
Says Col. Carr:
Il was at the hotel at the moment OF the
attack by the anti-draft rioters upon the