Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29


removed was separated from the most inhabited
part of the city by old fields and waste grounds
broken up by deep gulleys or ravines over which
there was occasionally paSsable road
THE election Of President by Congress was
then pending; one vote given or withheld would
decide the question between Mr. jefferson and
Mr.. Burr Mr.. Bayard from Delaware held that
vote. He with other influential and leading
members went TO ball given by Mr. Law. The
night was dark and rainy and on their at
tempt to return home the coachman lost his
way and until daybreak was driving about this
waste and broken ground and If not overturned
into the deep gullies was momentarily in DANCE.
of being so, an accident which would most prob
ably have cost some of the gentlemen their
lives, and as it so happened that the company in
the coach consisted Of Mr.. Bayard and three
other members Of Congress who had a leading
and decisive influence in this difficult crisis of
public affairs, the loss of either might have
turned the scales, then so nicely poised. Had 1t
been so, and Mr. Burr been elected to the PreSi-
dency, what an awful conflict, what civil COM
motions would have enSued"
FROM this old hotel Mr. Jefferson walked on
the morning of March 4, 1901, to be sworn
in rs President. He did not ride up to the Capt.
toll fence as some folks insist upon saying-con-
flsing his first with his second Inauguration
and hitch his horse to the fence in a most I'M
usual democratic sort of a way but he had rath-
er dignlfied escort, being attended by a num-
Der of citizens. and the Washington Artillery
even announced his entrance into the building
by a volley from their battery.
It is quite likely that the Alexandria Company
Of Rifemen also took part in the inaugural es-
cort with the local artillery, since it paraded IN
front of his lodgings earlier in the day.
For Is days after the Inauguration, Mr. JEFF
ferson continued to reside here, where the af-
fairs of state were carried on, and which for the
time being the Executive Mansion. For the
date of his removal to the White House. we are
indebted to the Intelligencer of March 20, 1901,
which tells us Yesterday the President of the
United States removed from Messrs. McMunn
and Conrads to the Presidents House"
Incidentally it was in one of the original
buildings forming this old hotel that Samuel
Harrison Smith issued the initial number of the
National Intelligencer, on October 81, 1900. and
which has proved of SO much value to those in
terested in early Washington history.
Thomas Law, the builder of this old hotel was
one of the earliest investors in real estate in this
city, and though he undoubtedly lost heavily.
yet unlike number of the others, he did not
go entirely broke Of the many brainy and
forceful men who early took up their residence
here and brought their fortunes along to help
build the Nations Capital Thomas Law was
without peer
member of an English family Of talent and
influence, he was the son of Edmund Law who
became Bishop Of Carlisle in 1869 One of hi;
brothers became Bishop of Ephin and another
the Bishop OF Chester, and subsequently of Bath
and Wells Lord Peterborough his elder broth
er, was ali eminent lawyer and acted as the
principal counsel for Warren Hastings in the
great Impeachment trial before the House of
Lords and afterward attorney general and lord
chief justice Of the Kings Bench
THOMAS LAW was born in 1856, and at the
age of II entered the service Of the British
East India Co III Bengal. His advancement
here rapid and in 1888 he was appointed
collector, judge and magistrate of Behar.
province with more than 100000 inhabitants,
an Office which he administered for six years
with great success. afterward, at the request of
Lord Corvallis the governor general. serving
for two years on the revenue board at Calcutta.
His health failed him in 1871 and he re-
turned to England. He sailed for America three
years later.
In India Mr. Law instituted many reforms