Bisbee daily review., 1909-06-27
HISTORIC 0LD ]. CAPITAL HOTEL
 ID BE CLOSED
Metropolitan at Washington, Successor to the Colonial
 ''Indian Head"

WASHINGTON, June e5.-A cen
 tury ago when the visitor to Wash 'ington came wallowing from Balti-
 more through the expanse of dust
 or mud known as Pennsylvania ave
 nue. his stage drew up before the
 Indian Queen hotel. Tomorrow the
 successor to the Indian Queen is to
 close its doors and the site that has
 been used more than a hundred
 years for hotel is to lapse into bus
 mess uses.
 The Metropolitan is one of the
 three hotels-including rle St. James
 and the National-at the corner of
 Sixth street and 'the avenue" that
 long thrived on their proximity to the old Pennsylvania railroad station. When that was torn down the Metro
 politan fell into a decline and be- came unprofitable.
 In its day it was a famous place, as befitted the successor of tie orig inal hotel of the capital, which bore the figure of Pocahontas on it's sign board. Ben Perley Poore mas left a vivid account of the old tavern which he first visited in 1925, when Jesse Brown, the landlord. used to preside In a white apron at the carving table and announce in a voice that could be heard above the rattle of the crockery:
 T have delicious quarter of nut tho from the valley of Virginia, Sen. ator White. Let me send you a rare slice
 Colonel Jones, pray help Mrs smith to the fat and tender mongrel goose at your end of the table,
 Board at the Indian Queen was s10 a week. which wasn't so bad when you consider that brandy and whis- key were set out in decanters on the table for the use of the guests with out additional charge. The tavern 1 desk was behind the bar, with rows | of large bells hanging by circular springs on the wall. each with a bull. | let-shaped tongue that continued to ! yibrate several seconds after it was pulled, thus showing to which room | it belonged
 When the Indian Queen was torn down. eighty years ago, it gave place | to a larger building known as Browns hotel. The new hotel before | many years was a political center | Four years after the death of Jeffer- son, dinner. at which his followers gathered to keep alive his principles, | was given in the hotel. President Jackson and the members of his cab. | met were among the public men pres ent. The news of the dinner soon | spread over the country. and the ho- tel became the rendezvous of Ameri- | can politicians in Washington.
 Only half of the square was used | for the hotel, the front space be- tween the building and the avenue having been converted into a deep court yard which permitted the stage coaches to halt in front of the hotel | without interfering with general traf | fic. In the early sos 1t was de | cided to make use of the court yard | for more valuable purposes, and the building which stands today was put | up. It was erected by Marshall Brown, the son of the owner of the Indian Queen. The Brown estate | still owns the place.
 Three inaugural balls have been held in the Metropolitan. Presidents have spoken from the front balconies to crowds in the street below and political caucuses have been held within its walls. The Metropolitan has been the special resort of south- ern politicians. Among its guests have been: L. o. c. Lamar of Miss issippi, member of Cleveland's cab met; Gen. Joseph E. Johnson, Gen. Wade Hampton. Speaker c. F. Crisp, Gen. Fftzhugh Lee. Senator J. R. Berry, Speaker John G. Carlisle, Hilary A. Herbert. secretary of the navy under President Cleveland: Senator Morton, Vice President Stev. snson, Robert Toombs. President An drew Johnson, Vice President Hen. dricks. Representative Buck" Kill gore, Senator Culberson, Senator Bailey and Representative John Sharp Williams.