davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26

The original structure was opened
for business by John Gadsby on
Washington's birthday. 1926. There
was a parade in which half Of Con-
banquet and ball. This was the first
public house to use gas for cooking,
in 1855.
When Alexander H. Stephens came
to live at the National Hotel he in
sisted on getting ,Clays old room
and lived in lit for many years, until
he left Washington to become Gov
indomitable little, Georgian held his
castle and was carried back and forta
to, the Capitol in the strong arms of
his faithful negro. Senator David Da-
Wis lived there during his senatorial
career, and before that, when he was
on the Supreme bench. Judge Clifford
was for several years his companion
In the same hotel.
The ebbs and flow of American poll
tics for three centuries was nowhere
better observed than in the lobby
Of the old Riggs House. which until
18th and G streets. While other no.
tells. taverns and inns referred to
have been mentioned as the resorts
and gathering places of the southern
politicians, the original Riggs House
litical and social Headquarters of the
northerners. Then, in the eighties. it
became more and more the rallying
place of the western contingent as
the growth of the country and the
spread of political sentiment made
itself felt.
The cliques in Washington life in
the seventies can best be pictured by
the most popular hotels of those days.
The Riggs House drew the New Eng.
landers, New Yorkers and Pennsyl-
La 1nn Haf ~ n ~ syuy0 a
Mecca for the southern statesmen.
near-statesfaen and their camp fol-
lowers. Thu weBterners sought the
National The Ebbitt bore the talis-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26

played there was the one which
brought on the bloody. conflict be-
tween the north and south. Carlisle,
Johnson and Toombs used to hold
rallies in the hotel lobby or on the front
steps. and on street corners. They
kept feeling stirred up until the clash
came, and eyewitnesses have told of
seeing them leave the hotel many
nights to spread their sentiments in
various parts Of the city. Jefferson
Davis lived on street near ~. not
far from the st. Charles, and had &C.
castona1 conferences there.
u All of the old-time houses in the
vicinity Of the old ST. Charles have a
history all their own. From the days
of Madison to those of Mark Twain
and Whftelaw Reid, hundreds of ycele-
brities have lived in these boa riding
houses, s
& The quaint old colonial residence at
226 Sd street was for many years the
residence, of John c. Calhoun and
other southern leaders. From the
states rights and slavery point of
view 1t Is equaled in interest only by
the pretentious residence of Duke
Gwynn, first representative from Mis-
souri, and later senator from Cali
fornia. Gwynn was the millionaire
representative from the south, and
by southern interests I'm behalf of
states rights. In the ante-bellum days
the Gwynn residence was one of the
show places of the capital. It was OF
unusual architecture, on the south
east corner of. Sd and C streets, and
recently has been renovated as boys
Club.
Xxx =
I A MOTHER sidelight on how the civil
a war separated old hotel pals IL
caught at farewell ,dinnert in the,
sKirkwood House. SUCCESSOR !. to the
irving House and predecessor, to. the
Raleigh. In 1853 Senator Upham OF.
Vermont died OF smallpox In .the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26

-l- Frg ssar- =
Cold Harbor. He was one of the
most popular men of his day in Con-
gress and there was a sad parting
when the dinner party went down
to see the southern boat pull out
after midnight. 80
wood House on the night of the as
sassination of President Lincoln, and
was included in the list of those
marked for slaughter. =
! From time immemorial Presidents
have gone from suites of,rooms on the
second floor of the Willard Hotel,
14th street and Pennsylvania avenue.
to the east front of the Capitol to
take the oath of Office and deliver
their inaugural addresses. Gen. Grant
often stayed there. and it is q house
tradition of his genial, unceremonious
sit in the back office chatting with
the clerks. Vice President Hendricks
was very partial to the house.
This institution, which has for a
half century had q worldwide repu-
tation. has had an intimate part in
It first gained attention as the MAN
sion House" and CITY Hotel" Later
it was called ''Willtamson's. and then
"Fuller's." which name 1T bore until
about 1853. when It was purchased
by Henry. Joe and Edward Willard.
"Fuller's" was in its heyday in 1924,
when Lafayette visited America. The
grand ball given in his honor In the
great salon has never been surpassed
in brilliancy. "Wiliard's Hotel" was
formally opened with much elaborate
ceremony. George Washington Parke
Custis presided, and Edward Everett,
who succeeded Daniel Webster as
Secretary Of State, responded for the
Willards.
There are many stories told Of how
Lincoln came to washington. Though
he was struggled into Wizards in
disguise and under cover Of darkness.
Pafrick DonnelIy, = -bellboy- In, 1851.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26

related. many years afterward. that
he had seen Lincoln. wearing SOL
dier's overcoat and cap. aHght from
kcarriage at night, and the greatest
precaution taken lest it be known
! that the Presidents lect was in the
| city.
| During the civil war Wizards was
the headquarters for the Army, which
| was for several years encamped on
I the Virginia shore. The prevalence
of brigadier generals in the hotel and
1 streets for the first three years of the
war provoked a witticism of Gen.
! Nesmith >of Oregon. During debate
In the Senate on the increase of the
| Army ne said that generals pervade
the streets to such an extent that
man who, threw a stick at an annoy
! ing dog missed the dog and hit three
brigadier generals, and it was not a
good day for brigadier generals.
! either" ~
Although the nomenclature of
Washington hotels has never boosted
fanciful names, such as The Bulls
| Head or dragon and Horse" nor
/ have they attracted attention by pic
| torial signs. there was one distin-
| guished exception THE Indian
/; Queen" At a very early date the
sign, The Indian Queen" was hung
out at the northeast corner of 18th
and F streets. Some years later the
3! the Metropolitan Hotel did considera-
BILE business and was known far and
| wide among the gentry as The In
! ldian Queen" The swaying sign, de-
i picting Pocahontas, dates back be-
|; yond 1915. for the present manage
ment of the Metropolitan treasures as
an original deed to the property a
bill rendered to Thoaoas Dougherty,
who was clerk of the House for sew
| eral sessions.
! One of the most noted bonifaces in
Washington's history. Jesse Brown.
| became proprietor of 1.-THE Indian
| Queen" in 1921. Hotel life then was
far different from today. The office
/ and bar we're one, and on corner of
this spa4Ioue room was pile of slip
pers. TIT guests on retiring for the
/ night p4E On a pair of slippers. re-
ceived aspiefe of candle and left their
boots toSbe 4olished. The host, wear
| ing a big white apron, would meet his
guests at the dining room door and
conduct them to a table on which
| large dishes of food had been already
placed. As be carved and "helped" his
patrons.she would describe the merits
Of the sepd set before them.
4r1** X + ~
AaEMBERS of Congress from cot
Au ton states have always main
tanned Id headquarters at the Metro
politan and there dispensed o1d-time
hospitality. Their long residence is
shown II such Illustrations as Sena-
tor Ransow Of North Carolina and
lssnataE Hampton OF South Carolina
and Representative Culberson of
Texas. all Of whom; stopped stAaeEe. for
abcut fifteen yezf 80 -
The fact that Henry Clay died
there, aud that it was the first hotel
of architectural pretensions gave the
National Hotel, at the northeast cor
ner of 9Th street and Pennsylvania
! avenue, q prestige that has continued
! for seventy years. 1t was originally
known as the Gadsby House. ac-
! curing its present name in 1850.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26

manic legend. Army and Navy Head
quarters" and had the Stars and
Stripes and a spread eagle on its sta
tionary and china. The bonanza
kings from the Pacific coast and
President elect would stop at the
brand-new Arlington.
The Riggs House held the diStinc-
tion of having the only billiard room
in Washington frequented by a Presi-
dent of the United States. There, in
the early days of 1881, when newly
established as President, James A.
Garfield went night after night to
play billiards with the cronies of his
administration.
One of the sensational encounters
written into the Riggs history is
dated March 5, 1889, on which occa-
sion Maj. George A. Armes tweaked
the nose of Gov. Beaver of Pennsyl-
vania. Armes was a retired officer and
mad essayed to serve as volunteer aid
to the chief marshal of Benjamin
Harrison's inaugural parade. He had
a handsome uniform brave in gold
lace and hat with yellow horse
hair plume about a yard long. Beaver
was one-legged survivor of the re-
pulse of Pickett's charge and grand
marshal of the parade. Armes went
riding up the Avenue in a blaze of
glory, despite a drenching rain, and
Beaver sent a subaltern to suppress
him.
The next night while the governor
was standing in the Riggs lobby up
STROBE Maj. Armes and gave the gov
ernor'S nose powerful tweak, for
which act he was court martialed.
When the wrongs of struggling
Cuba were arousing the fighting
spirit of the United States, in 1898.
came Consul General Fitzhugh Lee.
late of Havana, to tell President Nc
Kinley all about the insurrectos and
the brutalities of Weyler, Blanco and
the others. His story was long
one. and he had dinner at the White
House. When he returned late that
night to the Riggs. crowd
of several thousand American citi-
zens had gathered to cheer him.
Finally he was induced to step out on
the balcony and in a few words of
appreciation for their approval asked
What have 1 done that any other
American would not have done under
similar circumstances"
John G. Carlisle of Kentucky made
the Riggs House his headquarters
while Speaker and while senator
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26

Irving House, which was then closed
for many months. When it was re-
opened as the KiFkwood House it
was a popular resort for many mem-
beFs OF Congress- especially from the
youth. Vice President John C. Rreck:
saass se nha sehater JAMES msn W E.
Grimes Of Iowa had. their rooms in
an annex on 18th street, long the
home of Col John H. Riley. In that
house was given the dinner at which
Representative Lawrence M. Keitt of
South Carolina, johnson and Hind
man of Arkansas. Wigfall, Pike and
others met for the last time until
the war was over. keitt withdrew
from Congress-. as he had been chosen
a delegate to the secession conven-
ton. He was killed in the; battle of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26

BENJAMIN Harrison of Indiana. while
senator. lived in the Riggs House for
six winters. Russell Sage frequently
occupied a room there after confer
ences with the political powers.
In these new days of politics. when
the women share equally with the
men the right of suffrage, it IL espe-
cially interesting to note that in the
pjopssE.s days of the suffrage move
merit theERiS was national head
quarters for the early suffrage work
ers. Year after year. Susan B. An
thony came there, and Elizabeth Cady
Stanton frequently came with her
And in the new era Of ma tional prohi-
bition, it is worthy of note that
Frances Willard, the only woman
other pioneers of the temperance
movement and other uplift endeavors
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26

was distinguished as having the finest
cafe and saloon in the capital, and
ther best-patronized slave barracoons.
capable of safeguarding ITS slaves.
One Of its most distinguished fea-
lures was that It's entrance was ore
Elemental. with three beautiful co1ored
marble columns and two square pi.
lasters. the only columns uninjured
when the British, under Gen. Ross, in
1914, pillaged and sacked the Capitol
and White House and ate President
Madison's dinner. The st. Charles
was being built at that time.
The tales Of gambling for big stakes
are somewhat preposterous. 1t is re-
lated that New Orleans slave trader
lost zoe "likeiy slaves, in one game.
But by all odds the biggest game ever
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26
MISUNDERSTANDING
Like to Live in a Cabinet
BY Ring w. Lardner.

work for is a syndicate of New York
| City and the stuff they send out is
printed by a whole lot OF papers, and
! further and more / manage to get
things printed in weekly magazine
| once in a vile and between the news
papers and the weekly / guess they
would be very few people that
| wouldn't see your stuff. and at lease
L would guarantee that when they
was law past like prohibition. peo-
being lot of them that don't seem
to of never heard OF 1t.
Once in vile l might maybe half
10 rewrite your proclamations and
touch them up little, but / guess
you wouldn' mind that as long as we
! was getting paid for them and your
name would go on them as co-author.
Between you and ], SEN, / don't be-
lieve President Wilson got a nickle
I for his stuff vile Bryan and Lansing
and Colby has been trying to place it,
and vile / don't like to indulge in no
personaltys none of the men who
have seen their name mentioned in
connection with being the next secy.
of state has ever sold anything to a
magazine or news paper. What
storys has Philander H. Knox wrote
for inst And besides that, Sen. /
wouldn't be surprised II We could get
Mrs. Preston or Dick Dorgan to liven
with few drawings.
Now. suppose the story they been
spreading around about has reached
your ears, namely that / got a y
vote for president on the democratic
ticket at the San Francisco conven-
ton Well SEN, / won't deny the
story as it is true, but it is only fair
that you ought to know all the facts
namely, that the man that give me
the Y vote was " stewed at the time.
This man was delegate at large
from st. Louis and the change of
ether got him. As a matter of fact.
Sem, haven't never been nothing but
a republican If that and at the time
vile the y portion from Missouri was
hiccoughing my name I was eating
supper at the home of an old buddy
Of youS, Hiram johnson.
Now Sem. I suppose you will want
to know why I am thinking about,
leaveing my present position. Well
Sem. might of asked you the same
told me it was none Of my business
Well SEN, 1 might say that goes
double but I won't. Sen. The reason
is because the house we got is too big
to heat with imaginary coal and any
way 1 have always been wild to live
in a cabinet.
II you ever get to New York give
me a ring or call me up and come out
to dinner. You will half to take pot
luck. as they say, but am friend
of a lot of the boys around here that
seen far into the future. and We can
go around visiting in the evening.
also they's a man and his wife here
that voted for Mr.. Cox that We show
to all visitors. and mean vile wishing
you and Mrs. Fl. a happy new vt. ana
hopeing to hear a favorable reply to
this application ! will half TO remain,
RING W. LARDNER-
Longs Ialand. Sec. ID. $50. -.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26
n r. w. G. HARDING, Sporting
II Editor, Daily Star, Marion,

N r. w. G. HARDING, Sporting
I'M Editor. Daily Star, Marion
o. Dear w. c.
am writeing you this oper
letter to apply for position in youl
cabinet witch I understand you are
going to name the members early in
Feb. and this will give you plenty Of
time to look up about me between
now and then and 1 am sure you
won't find nobody that they won'i
give me a boost unlest its certain
partys that does it on. acct. of jellousy
or personal animals.
Now SEN, understand they's IL
positions to be filled and all I want is
one, so don't come back with no song
and dance about not haveing no open
ing at this time, and please call
around later. Also it don't make much
differents to the writer witch secy
you put me in as / know as much
about one as another, though If 1 was
to succeed Secy Baker l would want
q clause in my contract so as l would
be excused from pretending like
thought the Army had the best foot
ball team.
OF coarse 1 would kind of prefer
secy. of state on acct. of that being
lst in line for promotion and II they
should be anything happen to you and
Brother Coolidge-but We won't talk
about that Sen.
Now 1 have looked up in a book
about secy. of state and what does he
half to do and etc. and have also read
up about the different men that has
held the position lately and what allied
them and etc. and 1 can promise you
won't have no fault to find with me
along those grounds. For inst. one
of them wanted more jack and said
he couldn't live on what the job paid
and quit to 20 on the lecture platform
where they give him something like
$500 a night and drinking water.
Well Sen, l give you my word to
not cult and go on no lecture plat
form for no $500 a night and as far
as salery is conserved, why some men
takes care of their money and makes
both ends meet the other. vile other
men is born cut-ups and runs wild
and likes the grape and ETC.. but be-
lieve me, Sem, am not the kind that
hangs around chautauquas trying to
make a date with somebody.
Now w. c.. the book says that the
main dutys of this position is keeper
OIL the great Sedi anu seems en1e ."s
new laws and statues gets published
and also the presidents messa ges and
proclamations,a and presenting foreign
minister to the president and etc.
Well. Sen, we haven't never kept a
seal but l understand they aren't no
bother at all and will take pretty good
care of themselfs If you furnish them
with plenty of water and cracked ice
and their favorite food, witch Is squid
AS you have lived in Washington a
long vile .or the Mrs. can probably
tell me where a person can buy the
best cuts OF sQuid.
\ y ~ $50 49,
, Now In regards to seeing that the
laws and your messages and etc. gets
published Well Sen. the people Il
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26

net officers, senators, representatives
Army and Navy officers. and other
prominent officials. These included
ex-Vice President w heller Justice Har-
Ian. Solicitor General Phillips. Consul
General Merritt, George H. Pendleton
who was a representative and sena-
tor from Ohio. representative Joseph
Miller of Ohio. Gch. Edward McCook.
Senator's Frye Of Madpe. George F.
Edmunds ef1vern0nt, who was Presi-
rill of Vermont. who served the sec
ond longest period of any man who
was ever IN Congress: George S.
Boutwell, of Massachusetts,. repre-
sentative senator and Secretary of
the Treasury; Representative Martin
l. Townsend of New York. Senator
Angus Cameron of Wisconsin. and
many others.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26

on top and resplendently Haunting the
name Royal George" 1t is interest
ing to note that when Pennsylvania
avenue was first macada mixed and
the "Unter Den Linden" trees cut
down. the breaking Of the stone for
the roadway was done by hundreds OF
Germans, recently landed. men and
women wearing their picturesque Co.'S
tunes. During the cholera epidemic
many of them died.
Randolph. however. trusted himaelf
to the stage no oftener than neces-
sary. but usually rode to the Capitol
on favorite horse. He would enter
the Senate chamber hike a gust of
wind from across the Virginia hills,
wearing a pair Of silver spurs, car
ed by fox hound, which slept be-
meath his desk.
Other men famous in history who
had their pipe dream while sitting be-
fore the great open fireplace in the
Union Tavern-many of which dreams
ton Irving, Talleyrand. Francis Scott
Key, Louis Philippe, Lorenzo Dow and
Robert Fulton, inventor of the steam
boat.
Peck's Hotel in Georgetown was
one of the important rendezvous for
some wears thereafter. There Martin
Van Buren,. then senator from New
York, paved his political vista to the
White House. In the distinguished
"mess," as 1T was then called. were
Senator Rufus King Of New York. for
merly a delegate from Massachusetts,,
who was twice minister to Great
Britain and a candidate for President
In 1916; Representative Stephen Van
Rensselaer, OF New York, Represents
tive Charles Fenton Mercer of Virginia,
Representative Samuel Edwards of
Pennsylvania, Representative Benjamin
Gorham Of Massachusetts. Representa-
tive Lewis McLane of Delaware, and
Representatives John Nelson and Henry
r. Warield Of Maryland.
Tradition says that the civil war
was Matched in the old st. Charles
Hotel. now known as the Capitol, at
I'd street and Pennsylvania avenue,
and which for many years was the
home Of such noted men as Daniel
Webster, Presidents Van Buren, and
Johnson, Gen. Andrew Jackson and
Robert Toombs, the latter a repre-
sentative from Georgia from 1917
to 1853. and in the Senate from 1853
until his formal expulsion in 1861. He
was subsequently secretary Of stats
of the Confederacy.
When page in the Senate, the late
Senator Arthur Pue German of Mary
land occupied a small room in the at
tic of the St. Charles. From its
yeranda Andy johnson made at least
two of his famous speeches in oppo-
sition to the plans Of the secession
lists.
Statesmen and politicians. especially
from the southern states, made their
HEADQUARTERS at the st. Charles, which
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26

LANDMARKS Where Upu and Spread Civic We're Discussed and
Great Political Were MdTh Hoste Century When
Tide of Travel Turned Toward Whgon-Suter Tavern Where George
Washington All Southern
GEORGETOWN and the CAPITOL
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1920-04-08
Home loluIl||
Y Helps Y |
HOME GARDEN STILL NEEDED
All Food Thus Raised is a Distinct
Gain, Helping to Overcome
Worlds Shortage.

1t has been proved that organiza-
hon will effect material increase
IN the supply of food products. Dur
ing the war home gardening was car
ried on to an extent that very greatly
relieved the shortage. Many fam
lies supplied their tables with vege.
tables entirely out of their own gar
aen plots. Every ton Of food thus
raised is gain. What is needed now
Is organization, and this should be
soected as a preliminary step. If the
people Will support this movement, In
full recognition of it's Importance, u
great acreage will be added to the
productive area of the country. The
farm lands that heretofore have pro-
1uced market truck will probably b
devoted to other staples, or possibly
to grazing. There will be no waste
land, but, on the contrary, more land
under cultivation.
The seriousness Of this situation
cannot be too strongly urged. Every
person who is in position to become
gardener during the coming season
! should do his bit for the relief of the
country from the food stringency.-
Washington Star
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1920-04-08
PATH OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP
Oath Taken by Residents Of Old
Athens Might Be Revived Today
With Good Results.

AS part of the campaign to "sell
indianapolis to its own citizens" those
In charge of arrangements for the con-
vention of the Associated Advertising
Clubs of the World have written what
they term sales contract which will
be distributed among clubs and other
organizations. The contract is . re-
hinder of the oath that residents of
Athens took centuries ago. 1t said:
1--WE will never bring disgrace on
This. our city. by an act of dishonesty
Dr. cowardice.
ave will fight for the ideals and
sacred things Of the city, both alone
and with many.
1--WE will revere and obey the city's
laws. and we will do our best to in
cite like reverence and respect in
those about us who are prone to az
null them or set them at naught.
eve will strive Increasingly t.
quicken the public's sense of Civic
duty.
"Thus in all these ways we will
transmit this city, not only not less
but greater, better and more beautiful
than 1t was transmitted to u.s."