Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26
. ODAY-when an outgoing Presi-
dent has bought a permanent
home in the National Capital,

oDAY-when an outgoing Presi-
dent has bought a permanent
home in the National Capital.
when an incoming Vice Presi-
dent is hunting for a domicile and
when a record proportion of new con-
gressmen are trying to find homes
here-is emphasized the change that
has come over the city during the
last century. In thu yesterye4rs
Washington. when satirized by
Charles Dickens. was ascity of hotels
and boarding houses: today it is a
city Of homes. In those olden days
the taverns, inns. boarding houses
and hotels were the scenes OF politi-
cal hatchery, and. though Congress has
tense of all have in flle past been
fought out at the hotels. There. too.
were the scenes of social strife and
achievement. 81
Once. nine out of ten public men in
Washington lived in the public
houses, where today each mans home
is his castle and comparatively few
live the nomadic life of the hotel
guest. Who today can find a
parallel to Henry Clay, who stands as
q unique figure in national politics
and who lived at the National Hotel
for more than a score of years, and
finally died in his room looking out
on 9Th street? That room was as
much his home as Ashland itself. His
fVnic21 70 ho lot a
case in official life of the old days
fThe old hotelS-one of the most
famous being the scene where Wash
ington negotiated for the purchase
of the site for the federal city an
other being built cotemporaneously
with the Capitol-have been land
marks in the upbuilding of Washing
ton and the spread of civic spirit
There the celebrations of Washing
tons, of Jefferson's or of Lincoln's
birthdays have been held: to the
taverns came the travelling purveyors
of entertainment: there the citizens
met to discuss political issues; there
were the polling booths; there the
orphans court of the District of CO.
lumbia was organized.
= e +
PUT century ago the obstetrics of
the District were far different
day. They were not intended to ac-
commodate many persons at one time.
AS many of the guests came on horse
back or in their own carriages. the
stables were usually larger than the
noteis In the old licensing regula-
tions there seems to have been a fixed
proportion between the number of
leather beds and the number of stalls.
IN those picturesquely primitive
Gays there were no railroad trains and
magnificent terminal stations. Long
oefofe the old Baltimore and Ohio
landed its passengers ON the west
enore OF Tiber creek communication
with the outside world was by stage
coach. The guests were met at the
curbstone by the hotel proprietor. 1t
was customary, rather than unusual
for the furniture of the early hotels fo
be offered for sale every couple Of
years.
General interest was manifest in the
new federal city and the tide of travel
set IN. In the same year that the cor
ner stone OF the Capitol was laid(1793)I
and the White .NoasSs hseun. samuel
1iodgett, who was much interested in
the new city. laid the corner stone Of
massive building at Sth and e
streets. which came to be known as
completed as hotel and later was
better known as .Blodgett's" It's
front adorned with classic pediments.
1t was an imposing mass in the fields
and woods and swamp that constitute
60 me site OF the nascent capital. This
pudding was offered as first prize in
lottery. Some parts Of this building
were used for public meetings. and in
1900 the first theatrical production in.
the city was given there. The build
ing was practically abandoned. and in
fSl0 was purchased by the govern
ment and occupied as the general most
once, the patent Office and the city
post ONCE. 1t was burned down II,
1886. and on the site the government
erected the structure for many years
Heeapiea by the Indian bureau and the
land office, which was so much adj
mired by that eaptious critic OF all
things American, Charles Dickens.
The nations capital OF today one
or the most beautiful cities in the
world. was really born in a tavern
In Georgetown-the first tavern in
the District of Columbia. 1t was in
TINS long. low, wooden building at
Mhat Is now the northwest corner of
water and Congress. or 31st street,
for the capital. In later years II he
came an oyster house and restaurant.
put In those early days it was the
last proud word in "tayernkee ping"
This was Suffers Tavern" the IA
ton. Jefferson and all the southern
statesmen who journeyed over the
miserable road that led from their
homes to Philadelphia, then the tenn
porary capital They Travelled II,
etagecoaches. on horseback or in
their private carriages as their means
dictated, but they all stopped at
"Suters." where they were sure to
find comfortable beds, a bountifuI
table. congenial company and a cor
dial welcome at the hands of that
jolly old Scotchman, John Suter.
Thomas Jefferson. who while min
lister In France visited the wine coun-
tries OF Europe and made selection
for his own cellar. declared that "no
man on the Atlantic coast can bring
opt better bottle of Madeira or
sherry than Old Suffer-"
George Washington. in his diary
of March 20. 1871, tells of meeting
at Suffers Thomas Jefferson and the
commissioners appointed the previous
year. providing for the establishment
OF the permanent seat of government
on the Potomac. Washington's diary
for June q and % tells of the final
signing of the deeds and selection
OF the sites for the Capitol, "the Pres