Evening star., 1950-12-24

ouSCCoo4 ully SO1IOOStCu GIlO AOOCA
business at the corner Of Pennsyl-
yania avenue and Fourteenth
street NV. 1t was while he was
interested in the National, in 1855.
that he introduced the first gas
cooking stove known in this city
and referred to by one of the daily
papers under the title. Gas Cook
ing" as follows:
Zone of the most labor saving
and money making expedients
ever introduced, and especially
valuable for persons Of scanty
means, is the cooking with gas.
What a world of labor and trouble
and time it saves! Mr.. Willard
brought one of his sheet-iron
ibroilers to our Office some days
ago and, having attached gutta
percha tube to one Of the gas
pipes, cooked a couple Of chops
and steak in a few minutes. the
tenderest we ever tasted. and, what
lis peculiar to the process, free
from the smoke and fumes which
generally rise from broiling meat.
Anybody can see the operation any
day in the kitchen Of the National
Hotel"
1t was while Guy & Briggs were
running the hotel that guests were
made sick by poisonous sewer
gases, resulting In the closing Of
the place for several months.
Many Notable Guests
It then went into the hands OF
Col. Franklin Tenney and later
sold to H. S. Benson Of Phila-
delphia, who subsequently sold out
to Tenney & Jones and George H.
Calvert, and June 1. 1871, became
the sole property of Mr.. Calvert.
who later sold a part interest to
w. H. Crosby. The land upon
which the hotel stood was early
owned by David Burnes. Here as
early as 1916 was the Weightman
Building.
Many notable persons have re-
sided at the National. From the
beginning it was popular con-
gressional stopping place and
among it's guests as far back as
the 21st session, were Senator Levi
Woodbury. of New Hampshire,
Senator Charles E. Dudley Of New
York, Campbell White of New
York and Allen Mari OF Penn
sylvania. President Andrew jack
son was a guest there in 1929 and
later on Senator Green OF Mis-
souri, made it his home.
| In 1862, a series of grand enter
tainments, termed 1.-The Carnival
of Parties" was conducted at the
National, where beautiful women
and distinguished men were wont
to assemble. There was one on
the night of February 4, 1862.
attended by 500 persons, Congress
being largely represented. New
Hampshire was represented by
Senator and Mrs. Hale and
daughters and Judge and Mrs.
| Upham: Kentucky by Mrs. Critten-
den, New York by Mrs. Spaulding.
wife of the chairman OF the Ways
and Means Committee. Other
guests were Vice President and
Mrs. Hamlin, B. B. Brabson, Ten
nessee; DR.. Rabe, the prominent
California Pacific Railroad lobby
ist; Senator Baker of Oregon, Cas-
sius M. Clay, Kentucky; John c.
Breckinridge and Gen. Winfield
Scott.
The daughters of Judge Foote.
ex-commissioner of patents, were
married at the National, one to
ex-senator Henderson. and the
other to Mr.. Arnold, the wealthy
New York merchant. Horatio
Kings daughter was married
at the National also. Since
those days the house has been the
scene of many brilliant events
and is constantly filled with guests
from all parts of the world.
Clay Died There
Perhaps the most noted of the
many prominent people who have
made the National their home was
the celebrated Kentuckian., Henry
Clay.
Mr.. Clay died in the National
in room 80 on June %. 1852. in
the 10th year of his age. His
body was taken to his beloved
Kentucky, where his ashes were
laid to rest at Lexington. Nine
months before his death he made
some suggestion concerning the
inscription to be put upon a gold
medal his friends caused to be
struck in commemoration Of his
services.