Evening star., 1940-04-21

PRODUCTION to this distinguished gen.
tleman.
After his death his house was oc-
cupied at different times by Admiral
Paulding and Vice President Gar
ret A. Hobart, and when occupied by
Senator Marcus A. Hanna, close
friend Of President Mckinley, it
was known as the Little White
House. Senator Don Cameron also
resided here, and here was born
Lilly Hammersley, born Lilly Price,
who in after life became the Dow
ager Duchess of Marlboro. The resi-
dence was purchased by the Cosmos
Club November IA, 1917.
Where is the Belasco Theater, for
merly stood a three-story- -and-attic
building erected by Commodore
John Rodgers in 1881 as his home.
It was spacious for this period, hav-
ing more than two dozen rooms, and
the commodore, finding its upkeep
required more than he could afford,
moved elsewhere. and it became for
time fashionable boarding house
in which lived a number of dis
tinguished people, including John c.
Calhoun, while serving as Secre-
tary of War in President Jackson's
cabinet, and Henry Clay, a part
Of the time that he was Secretary
Of State for the second Adams.
After ceasing to be a boarding
house, 1t was taken over as a club
house and took the name of the
Washington Club. Daniel E. Sickles
and Philip Barton Key belonged to
this club at the time the former
shot the latter, and it was into this
house Key was carried in a dying
condition.
The next event of importance
which occurred in the house for
merly on this site was the attempted
assassination Of Secretary Seward
on the same night Lincoln was
shot by John Wilkes Booth at
Fords Theater. Seward. who had
taken over the house for himself
and family and was living there at
the time, was i'll in bed and occupy
Ing the south front room in the
third story of the mansion. His
son Frederick and wife, who had
retired, occupied the adjoining room.
In the room with the Secretary at
the time Of the attack were his
daughter Fanny and male nurse,
Mrs. Seward, the mother, had re-
tired for the night. and Mai. Sew
ard, another son, was lying on a
lounge, the better to be in readi-
ness later to relieve one of the
watchers at his fathers bedside.
Lewis Payne, who afterward was
tried for his part in the conspiracy
and executed, proved to be the one
who made the assault on Secretary
Seward.
Selected by Blaine.
After the Inauguration of Presi-
dent Benjamin Harrison, when
James G. Blaine was looking for
a home, he selected the old Seward
mansion, and after making ex-
tenslve repairs and improvements,
moved in. AS Harrison's Secretary
Of State (the second time he had
been called to occupy this high
office. he having previously been
in Garfelds cabinet) he desired a
residence close by, and this ad-
mirably suited his needs. There,
happiness and sadness were mingled
together, for there his son and al
most constant companion, Walker
Blaine, passed away, and there he
himself died on January ~, 1893,
at the age Of SO.
The Cosmos Club, which will
probably soon be moving from Mad
ison place, has served a useful
purpose since it was organized
nearly 81 years ago, and it's career
has been a very successful one. To
make this possible, however, it has
selected its officers with care, as
any one familiar with scientific and
literary Washington will agree, after
reading the following list Of its
officers, given in order Of service:
j. w. Powell, S. r. Baird, James G.
yelling, j. w. Powell, Garrick NAL
lery, E. M. Gallaudet, William Hark-
ness, Robert Fletcher. John S. Bill
ings, Henry G. Yarrow. Clarence E.
Dutton, Joseph K. McCammon,
John Mills Browne, John r. East
man, G. Brown Goode, G. H. Gill
bert, James r. Marshall, Swan M.
Burnett, Henry Gannett, Charles
D. Walcott, Bernard r. Green, John
r. Proctor. Rufus H. Thayer,
George M. Sternberg. Joseph G.
Hornblower. o. H. Tillmann, Rich.
ard Rathbun. Simon Newcomb, w.
H. Holmes, Clifford Pinchot, L. O.
Howard, H. w. Wiley, Herbert Put
nam. G. E. Monroe, F. v. Coville,
Hugh M. Smith, r. w. Clarke,
Arthur P. Davis, David White,
George Putnam, John G. Hoyt, Gll-
bert Grosvenor, Lyman j. Briggs,
G. L. Marlatt, Charles s. Hamlin,
George Otis Smith, George K. Bur-
CESS, w. p. Stafford, Vernon kellogg.
Charles G. Abbot. David White,
John Hanna, Arthur L. Day, r. G.
Cottrell. Charles p. Neill, w. J.
Humphreys, j. Wilmer Latimer.
Alexander Wetmore. Leason H.
Adams
The present officers Of the club
are: william Mcclellan, president:
Louis A. Simon, vice president.
Charles 8. Piggot, secretary; George
E. Fleming, treasurer. Managers.
John e. Graf. Henry c. Morris
Herman Stabler, L. H. Adams. w
Q. Huntington, D. H. Sawyer. Louis
II. Tripp. Victor s. CLARK, Harold