Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-08

i klIlQly Vi CcOTBcCUWI1 SOl1cBc diiv
lets the President down easy. But
he formed an unfavorable impress
sion of the city. sarcastically re-
lferring to its spacious avenues.
| that begin in nothing and lead
nowhere: streets a mile long that
want only houses. roads and In
habitants; public buildings that
need but public to be complete,
and ornaments Of great thorough
fares which only lack great thor
Ioughfares to ornament-are its
leading features. u"
Dickens Second Visit
BY the time of the authors sec
ond visit Washington had grown
in population from 23.364 to
100. 199. not including George
towns 1884. Many important
buildings had been erected, and
extensive improvements had al
ready begun. The Star had made
its appearance 16 years before,
and local events were receiving
more space and consideration than
formerly
The announcement of Mr..
Dickens arrival was contained in
the following item in The Star of
February 3. 1868:
mfr. Charles Dickens arrived in
the city on Saturday evening, &C
companied by j. r. Osgood, ESQ.,,
of the firm Of Ticknor & Fields.
and Capt. Kelley, and immedi-
ately proceeded to- Welcker's on
Fifteenth street, where apart
ments had been provided for him.
self and suite.
Yesterday, he walked over a
great portion of the city. visiting
the Capitol Building in the course
of the day and called upon a few
friends, including some of his own
countrymen. He dined by invi-
tation yesterday with his old
friend, Senator Sumner. Secre-
tary Stanton was also a guest.
This morning he was engaged in
writing until IL o'clock when. in
company with his agents. Messrs.
Dolby and Kelly. he visited Car
roll Hall and expressed himself
we'll pleased with the room.
His ForeweII Readings
MFR. Dolby arrived in town this
morning from an extensive tour
through the principal cities of
New England where he has made
arrangements for Mr.. Dickens
readings to commence soon after
ne leaves Washington. stopping
in Baltimore and Philadelphia en-
route to give his farewell readings
in those cities.
Capt. M. P. Wild, the ticket
agent, is still engaged in disposing
of the tickets for the readings at
the store of Messrs. Philip & Sol
onions; and today there was quite
a demand for them. A few seats
for each evening remain unsold,
but no doubt will soon be taken.
Each ticket is for reserved seat,
and no others are sold. AS Mr..
Dickens takes care that his audi
Ience shall be comfortably seated.
he allows no chairs to be placed
in the aisles. and there will be no
trouble in reaching the seats. but
lit is his desire that all should be
seated at least 10 minutes before
he commences his readings"
Philip & Solomon's bookstore
was on Pennsylvania avenue be-
tween Ninth and Tenth streets,
and Welcker's Hotel was then at
727 Fifteenth street, but later ex-
tended south to include buildings
1913 and 725. 1t was a f1rst-clasS
establishment and frequented by
the foremost people of the city. In
1875 it's founder. John Welcker,
died, and his brother Peter D.
Welcker, ran the business for the
widow for some years. The widow
Iof the latter, Mrs. Anna E.
Welcker, resided in this city at rhe
Hotel Roosevelt. She told the
writer some years ago that she was
married to her husband in the
dining room of Welcker's Hotel
when a girl of only 16. II remem-
ber," she writes, when Algernon
Sartoris was stopping there"
which was prior to his marriage
to Nellie Grant. She also recalls
the frequent visits there of Gen.
U. S. Grant, Don Piatt and A. M.
Shoemaker, who kept restaurant
near the National Theater. Speak
ing of Nellie Grant, Mrs. Welcker
said she often saw her at the Ma
tional Theater in evening attire
and that she was a very sweet girl.
Welcker's has long since ceased to
exist and the site became partly
covered by the building erected for
the Swartzel. Rheem & Hensey Co.