The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

When Mr.. Robert Lorraine appears
for the first time in Baltimore, Nd,
next week in a new play, mot fer
Sale" by Mr.. Roi Cooper Megrue, one
of the members of his company viii be
Miss Jessie Abott; at least that is the
way the programme will have It. In
reality she is Miss Jessie Pickens, who
is returning to the stage after an abb
sence Of thirteen years. Miss Pickens
is a sister of Miss Bessie ABBOTT, the
grand opera singer.
".ss.s...................
son and other kindred spirits met. Then
there was Curre's Tavern in Craig's
Quincy, Lord Byron, James Boswell and
Robert Burns from time to time COM
mingled and INDUCED in the libation that
at that time was deemed an indispensable
element in the adjustment of all discus
sions.
Isle of Arms
The isle Of Man" Arms, in the same
dingy little. thoroughfare, was the night
ly rendezvous of the Cape club, the min
utes of which are today preserved III
the Antiquarian Museum there. Here met
Robert Ferguson, poet; Tom Lancashire,
comedian; Walter Rose, antiquarian; Cav
in Wilson, the poetic shoemaker; the
Laird of Cardrona, a bon vivant Of his
time; David Herd. Jacob More and the
notorious Deacon Brodie.
This club, with its amen corner was
instituted in 1888, and its branches ex-
tended to Glasgow, Manchester, London
and Charleston, S. c., where 1t still exists
as reminder of the good old days when
blue stocking aristocracy was measured
by brains and not wealth.
Lucky Blacks tavern, in the Gallo1'
Gate, was another famous haunt, where
the Bohemian spirits OF the colleges and
law courts nightly sat and feasted on
singed sleeps head, black puddlngs,
tripe and mutton pies.
Dublin, Ireland, had a famous "ar,en
corner near the College Gate, but little
is known of it.
"Amen corners in this country date
back to the days of the Pilgrims in Mas
sachuetts, when the varioGs leaders would
meet and discuss the betterment If their
conditions in the homes of Roger Will
hams Miles Standish and others, and
where it is safe to predict many Of the
blue laws, now extinct, were formulated.
AS country developed and as westward
the star of empire held its way so
moved the significance and destiny of
..amen corners.
Tn Boston there was the old Bell IN
Hand inn, off Newspaper row, Washing
ton street. where the patriots of 1876
congregated and where more 'ecently
some of Americas most celebrated
scholars and writer's have met to ex-
change views upon questions of nationa,
Importance. New York city boasts Of
one of the most historic hostelries in the
world. Fraunce's tavern, on Pearl street,
now headquarters for the Sons of the
Revolution.
At the time of the revolution it was
the favorite meeting place of George
washington, Alexander Hamilton, Mar
ouis Lafayette and other noble person.
ages of that period. and it was In the
Long room of this tavern that Washing
ton made his farewell address to the Of
ficers at the close of the war.
"Amen corners of much more recent
date were to be found at Young's, Bos-
ton: the Arlington. Washington; the old
sherman house, Chicago; the Coates
house, Kansas City; the Continental
hotel Philadelphia, and the Lick house.
San Francisco, where in the old gold
craze days fortunes were made and lost
in day.
Fifth Avenue Hotel
But the Fifth Avenue hotel. New York,
was beyond question the best known
''amen corners of the present genera
ton. On the night of April 4. l9os TINS
famous meeting place passed into history
and the walls that housed Abraham Lin
coin, the Prince of Wales, afterWaru
King Edward VII; Dom Pedro of Brazil,
William Mckinley, U. S. Grant, Roscoe
conkling. Chester A. Arthur. Generals w.
T. Sherman and Phil Sheridan were razed
to make room for the modern march OF
commercialism.
In this 'amen corner tom Platt,
Chauncey M. Depew. James G. Blame,
Conkling, Arthur, Grant. Odell, Hughes.
Watterson met and made American MIS-
tory. 1t was here that the famous 'Rum
Romanism and Rebellion" incident OF 1884
was enacted.
A. delegation of clergymen of whom
Rev. Samuel d. Burchard was one, went
10 his hotel one afternoon to assure
James G. Blaine, who was the NOMINEES
OF the republican paryt for the fresi-
dency. of their support. Standing upon
the steps and looking down upon the
"amen corner where Blaine stood. Dr.
Rurchard made speech, In the course
or which he SAID:
1--WE are republicans and we do not pro-
pose to leave our party to identify our
selves with a party whose antecedents
have been rum, Romanism and rebcl-
iion.'' ~
Mr.. Blaine ascended the stairs and from
the same step made reply, but did not
refer to the rum, Romanism and repei-
lion part Of DR.. Burchard's speech.
The democratic national committee
grasped the incident as great campaign
capital and inside of "a hours millions or
pamphlets containing the utterance were
spread broadcast. inferring that Blaine
had indorsed the expression. Had he
taken issue with the reverend gentlemen
re would, in all probability, have de-
feated Grover Cleveland for the Presi-
dency. Instead, politicians say Rum,
2omanism and Rebellion defeated hin.
To emphasize the significance OF TINS
amen corner Chauncey M. Depew IN
his speech the night farewell was
siven to the old place said
II know governors who thought they
did things from the executive chamber,
but they were accomplished from the
amen corner I know conventions wnere
N0 delegates thought they would make
Up the state ticket themselves, but they
received their inspiration from the plush
seats in the amen corner.