Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-01-12
WHEN WASHINGTON WAS GUEST AT
CROSSK KEYS TAVERN, WOODBRIDGE
First President Was Entertained at a Ball by the Citi-
zens Of that P|aCe-Story as Published in New
York World 100 Years Later.

The old post-road to Woodbridge
which the party was now travelling
was a splendid highway. 1t was the
turnpike over which the daily stages
to Elizabethtown passed. and great
quantities of freight were hauled
along it from New York to khe out
lying towns and villages. Previous
to 1880 pack-horses and rude carts
carried much of the merchandise
transported between these points,
but in 1892 a regular stage line was
organized by Solomon Smith and
James Moore, who began business
by Issuing to the public the follow
ing curious announcement.
This is to give notice unto gentle
men, merchants, tradesmen. travel
lers and others that Solomon Smith
and James Moore, of Burlington,
keepeth two stage wagons intending
to go from Burlington to Amboy
and from Amboy to Burlington back
again nee every week, or oftener Ii
business presents. They have also
a very good stone house. very COM
modious for the storing Of any sort
OF merchants goods. free from any
charge, where good care will be TAX
en- OF all sorts of goods.
Here and there a blacksmith shop
was located bearing various legends
over yawning doors. One of these
inscriptions Is still preserved and
was today copied by The World cor
respondent. 1t reads thus:
Travellers may find One within
who can both shoe and unshoe hor-
ses and mules as 1t should be done.
Bolts, CHAMBERS and other horse
sickness cured not too long delayed.
The four shoes of a horse set for
three s%hillings.
Washington Headquarters, New
Brunswick.
Darkness had begun to settle over
the landscape when Washington
drove up to the Gross Keys" He
was expected, however, and In each
pane of the old-fashioned windows
cleaned a "tallow Dip" making the
house look as though a conf1agration
were blazing within. Landlord
Manning welcomed his distinguish
ed guests with great respect, and
conducted them to the most spa
cious rooms In the house. AS Gen.
Washington made himself ready for
supper he could hear the noisy prep
aratioDs going on below for the
country ball about to ba given in his
honor. Though averse to display of
any sort, Washington had a decided
weakness for balls, and as he
changed his coat he paced In state
ly fashion q measure or two of the
minuet.
Washington Makes Il Sensation.
Below the captains and other ofi
GERS of the military companies that
were to act as the generals escori
on the morrow had eathered In the
spacious ballroom with which the
"Cross-Keys" was provided. They
were Respondent in new uniforms,
procured expressly for the occasion
and they stood about impatiently
awaiting the coming of the Presi-
dent-elect. After the general haG
despatched his supper he was con
Quoted to the ballroom, and there
the assembled guests were presented
to him, due regard being paid to the
relative Importance of those who
sought the homer of an Introduction
to the Father of his Country.
First came the gentlemen in gold
lace, n right here a sensation oc-
Cured, which created so much talk
and 80 much criticism of Gen. Wash
ington, that 1t is still retained In
the recollection of the oldest inhabi
tants of woodbridge, who remember
to have heard 1t from their grand
fathers, who, indeed, were eye-wlt-
nesses Of the scene.
AS Capt. John Weeden was pre-
sented to the general the gentleman
who was engaged in making the in
PRODUCTION said:
capt. Weeden, general, with his
company, act as your b~ody-guard to-
morrow
The captain bowed Gin graceful
acknowledgment of the honor con-
ferred upon him, but Washington
did not bow. He examined the cap
tain's uniform with a critical eye
and his face at once clouded with a
frown of ~displeasure.
"If Captain Weeden," said the
general, will give place to some one
else, / shall be pleased. There is
far too much red about this uniform
to please my eye. For years I fought
red coats and l do not now fancy an
escort with scarlet trappings."
The captain was mortified beyond
expression at the generals criticism
of his uniform and never got over
1t. His friends, too-and there
were many of them-thought that
Gen. Washington had been unduly
severe In thus publicly rebaking the
Tyoung officer. The Worlds CORE
s%pondent today found "a OF Capt.
Weeden's descendants who had
heard the story related by his
father. Evidently the episode had
its ~infiuence In forming an estimate
OF the character of the c~hcrry-free
hero, for In answer to a question put
by the correspondent the old gentle
man said:
Washington was In many re-
spects q great man, but sometimes
he was a genuine cad"
A Famous Bali.
The incidents OF that famous ball
at Gross Keys Inn will never be
forgotten. Many of them were to-
day most graphically repeated to
The Worlds correspondent by Mr..
Jeremiah Daily, a dignifed but af-
fable old gentleman. whose father
shook Gen. Washington by the hand
the inn. Capt ~Inslee, OF Wood
bridge, also volunteered much yalu-
able and interesting information.
The captain is q hero of the wal of
the rebellion, but he has deIved deep