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

70 80 the marble palace 90 the upper edge
o. the town.
'Ths Enc HoUso,' q Il Was called while
being built, was completed In August, lb5e,
and o. August "a the doors were opened,
with some ceremony, whom the hotel was
formally named the Fifth Avenue Hotel,
II 10 indicative Of the widespread popu.
lahty the hotel gained even before its start
to note the home Addresses Of the first
guests to register. Not from Newark,
Albany and Staten Island they. but:
JoHN Rattle, Mobile.
0EoR0R B. BROWN. Boston,
Or. HUhPaRI and wife, Nashville.
ANDREW LAWRBNcB, Bos ton.
But the young builders had been obliged
to ind about 1900 900 Of money to build
and open the hotel, and they needed help
when II came 10 the question Of furnishing
and fitting, 20 two practical hotel men Who
had capital or backing we're brought into
the business. These we're Hitchcock and
Darling, and the Co which appeared
after their Arm name was Stsvens, Mr.. Emo
renting TO the Arm the land and his interest
In the building, and 10 that Arm, without
q change, the lease has been renewed from
time TO time from first 10 last.
The original Hitchcock withdrew from
active part In the business for 9 time on ac-
count OF III health. Upon recovering his
health through travel he rejoined the firm
in active management. That was In 1879,
and II was upon his rsturn that very eEpen-
siVe interior alterations Were made, which
gave the hotel its reputation a. being the
handsOmest in the world.
But long before that time the hotel had
assumed lie peculiar place in social and
political history, which II eve lost. II
had been opened lees than a year when II
became the centre Of political interest in the
United States. This came about through
the entertainment there Of Stephen A.
Douglas In the summer Of 1880 while making
his campaign against Lincoln.
IL was not alone the presence there Of
Douglas that attracted 20 much attention,
but the fact that he made from the balcony
Of the hotel one Of his most vigorous verbal
attacks on Lincoln. The story Of that
speech wHs told ONE years ago 10 a sUN
reporter by William H. Carr, q clerk In the
hotel from 1880 10 1890. Said Mr.. Carr:
Mr.. Douglas wa accompanied by his
wife, a beautiful woman who won the adj
miration Of everybody in the house. Mr..
Douglas spoke from the hotel balcony and
tho crush 10 hear him was 70 tremendous
that during the speech people beneath the
balcony we're forced against the window Of
the corridor and the bottom sash broke with
q crash. The top sash slid down and just
escaped beheadinE some Of the mass In the
struggle
Even in those early days the hotel had
a bouncer, an of1oial who 10 now called a
house detective. He was on the job the
night Douglas spoke and stood at the
foot Of the staire up which people we're
croWding to reach Douglas and shake
hands with him.
Three ~pugilists Of the time, Billy Multi
gan, Yankee Sullivan and Tom Hyer, had
listened to the speech, and seeing a chance
for some press n~otioes-even then-fol-
lowed the crowd and tried 70 20 upstairs
and tell Douglas what a hne orator they
thought him. The first OF the three to
try TO pass the hotel sleuth standing on
the stairs was Mulligan.
The bouncer did not like Mr.. Muligan's
face, 70 he seized the pugilist by the coat
COLLAR and the slack Of his trousers and
him out into the crowd on the
giving him a Anal kick at parting
10 teach him not to do such a thing again.