Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-03

SURVIVORS OF a past generation of poll -
tiCians.
1t was in its heyday in the twenty
years from 1880 to 1000. George W.
Hunter; genial. quiet and somewhat
reserved man, with gray hair and heavy
gray mustache. was its owner until he
died in the late eighties. His mantle
then fell upon his son, Forest Hunter,
q courteous and popular young man,
who managed 1t for years and who, re :
tired still lives in Harrisburg.
nome OF their successors ever had the
popularity of the Hunters, father and
son. IN the management of the Lochiel.
HENRY X. BOYER, former Speaker
l. of the House. state treasurer, and
Scvrral times government official in
thlS city, claims the distinction of hav e
ing introduced Boies Penrose to Mat =
thrw STANLEY Quay in the old Lochiel
II was the political pivot of Pennsyl-
yania Rcpublicanism during the years
| have mentioned.
The center of political gravity then
changed to the Commonwealth Hotel, at
the northeast corner of Market street
and the square" "Jim" Russ, an
ltallan Immigrant. who began life by
shining shoes in Harrisburg and rose
~ w h't'u HotCl proprietor, was ltS
lessee.
Later on Russ established the Senate
Hotel. on the opposite corner. across
II" square, with it's famous restaurant.
The restaurant building has. within the
past eight weeks, been torn away and
a big office building is to be erected on
the site.
Al one time four of the Russ family
owned or managed hotels in Harrisburg
-th" Hotel Russ, owned by Pat"
Russ; the Grand Hotel, by Lewis Russ a:
the Commonwealth, by James Russ, and
the Hotel Columbus, on Third street
by Norris T.. Russ.
All of these hostelries have disap-
pcarcd or changed hands. and the sole
survivor in the hotel business today is
Morris L. Russ, of the Columbus.
0F THE smaller and less noted hotels
" OF the last decade of the last CEN
tury the National Hotel. whose pro-
prirtor was Fred W. Ebel, Immediately
to IN" rear and north of the State
ll"uSc, and the Harris House, on North
Third street. were perhaps the best
known.
Both Of thqm were conspicuous as
thirst "mporiums. A member could
sneak away from his desk in House or
senate, slip out the back entrance.
throw in Il "hracer" at Fred Ebcl's
place and be back in his seat again in
the space of eight minutes. That is,
provided he did not encounter coterie
of fellow sufferers in the bar who in
sisted upon his tarrying in the oasis.
Tn" Harris House was noted for its
cold snacks" in the way of shellfsh,
cold meats, salads and ''sich." Be
~ fhnr OF, Ia
Jail alley that was easy Of access for
legislators with tender conscience and
dread Of publicity in their libations.
For those of the senators and mem
bers who boarded downtown it was a
halfway house between the hill and the
dining table at the midday adjourn
ment.
TOHN II. FOW. once perpetrated a
- joke in the Harris House that was
talked of for years afterward. 4
member from central county was n
tight wad' and a solo drinkcr. His
custom was to drop hurriedly into the
side door of the Harris House. buy
drink, and slip out again when nobody
was around.
One evening, just after Adjournment.
FOw saw him sneak in. and instantly
l''N~N'N Wv Nplu W IL 'Ollllf vi
bPrS walking down the street with him
to halt every legislator that came along
and fir" him into the Harris House with
the announcement that "jOc B is
buying drinks.
Meanwhile Fow rushed in and in his
ioviaI way insisted that the tightwad
'Sct EN- up He delayed his victim
with an anccdote for n few moments
until the crowd began pouring in and
then turning to the grinning legislators
loudly announced: Come on. fellows
Joe'S buying the drinks.
The victims bill was n thriller be
fore he could make breakaway. lie
was never known to take drink in Il
public bar in Harrisburg aftcrward.
GEORGE VI. HARRY is II Harris
~ burg institution. That is as far as
one individual can be.
Every legislator who amounted to
anything in the last twenty five years
knew him. His cigar store at the cor
her of Third and Walnut streets. just
as You emerge from the Capitol grounds
is a Legislative landmark. He has sup
piled the Executive Mansion for nearly
q quarter of Il century with cigars.
More political stories have been told
in his place than anywhere in Harris
burg outside the Capitol itself.
He is former newspaper and sum
mer resort correspondent. He was an
Associated Press man. too. Israel W.
Durham made his place his headQuar-
ters during som" of the hottest battles
on the hill.
ST NOTICE that the ever recurr"nt
l. transit situation is on the boards
- -, Dl,;IoI,1nh;n - IL T.
Its pity they can't keep that
old skeleton from rattling every once in
a while. Every time hear its bones
shake ] recall an episode that occurred
during the session in which it became "A
law.
ut was when the grand consolda-
tion Of PhiIadcluhia trOlleys took place
and the present Rapid Transit came into
being. ] never saw anybody work
harder than some of the Philadelphia
leaders did for that measure.
'Thr last night when. the bill was
to come up on third reading and final
passage the half dozen men who were
engineering it locked themselves up in
a room in the Lochiel Hotel. They sent
word they wanted some Of the best
cigars had and told me to bring them
myself.
that they gave Inc password, for no
one could get in without it.
"Whpn ! got there | found j.. Dur
ham. John Elkin. Clayt. Fri and two
or three more whose names | do not
recall. I had to take second supply
of cigars up to them. | never saw n
group Of men smoke as many cigars in
so short time in my life.
But, Judging by results, they smoked
to some purpose.
When the city naYS the L 1,