The Sunday Oregonian., April 05, 1908, Page 5, Image 5

THE SUNDAY OREGONIANY PORTLAND. APRIL. .1. I8.
F
CLOSES ITS DOORS
IN
Fifth-Avenue Hotel to
Be Torn Down.
i
LANDMARK CF OLD NEW YORK
URDUS HOSTELRY
A 'S Cl SIP Ml
Last of American-Plan Houses
in Metropolis.
RICH IN ITS TRADITIONS
Hundreds of I'ainous Men Slept Be
neath Its Kftof Political History
Made In "Amen Corner" life
time Guests Are Homeless.
NKW YORK. April 4. (ffperian New
Tor k. the srpHtest city In Anirrua. has
rot one A merican-plan hotel left. The
last of thorn wont tuday when the Flfth
Avrnue closed It? doors to make pines for
;i 20-story oftU-e building. And a number
f persons, employes and p nests, have'
tven forced to y-k new quarters after
living th-Mo an ordinary life time. In its
last days the famous old caravansary did
a record -brett kin i? business. Men and
w omen from all seetlonj? of the United
Jrtatr s replKtt'red there, and a rushing
business w as done In every department
iiicludinpr the eafe,
"And hero another reeord ends' re
marked 'Jim' Gray, for 2." years the head
barkeeper. '"This Is the .only hotel In
the elty that does not use cash registers.
1 wonder how it will seem to be around
with those thine:"
The "amen corner" known to politicians
all over the Union, is the one feature of
t lie old hotel t hat is not doomed to die.
It will simply be transplanted. The funny
plush-covered heiuliLS have been formal
ly turned over to the "amen corner"
corporation, an orca nidation ma do up of
the politicians, reporters and others, who
in times past., Rat tiered there to swap
political information sometimes misinfor
mation. Fntliered by I'Jatt.
It was throwch Senator Tlatt that the
'"amen corner" tame into existence. The
Senator resided at the hotel for 25 years,
in fact up to his second marriage, the
period covering the time when he was at
t he height of lifs power as a political
a utoera t. A linos t every night he could
be found on one of the plush-covered
benches in the southwest corner of the
lobby surrounded by his lieutenants from
alt quarters of the state,. There he
Tendered his decisions on ' matters of
political moment. Some reporter finally
described the session as I'iatt's Sunday
school c!as. Another writer added to
this by humorously remarking that it was
a well-drilled class, because Piatt always
pave the orders, and his associates
merely said "Amen." From this the
"amen corner" sprang into life. And
although a new group of politicians lias
appeared, many of whom have never
heard or have forgotten the legend, and
none of whom will say "A men" to any
party boss, the "amen corner" remains a
lixed tradition In the history of New
York. Members of the "amen onrner" organixa
t ion are .not exclusively Republicans, as
might he imagined. Hut every (trie is a
man why is sufficiently interested in poli
tics to discos! u in the lobby of the old
fashioned hotel at Kroadway and Twenty-third
street.
o Home Yet l liosen.
The "Amcners' will guard these benches
cp reful iy. Some day they may allow
them to blossom In the corridors of an
other hotel. At present there are numer
ous candidates, but the "Ameners" are
from Missouri. They must be shown that
a new political headquarters lias ap
peared. At present there is none In sight.
The oldest guest in the hotel remained
until the last possible moment. Then he
walked outside arm tn arm with Mr. i
Purling, one of the lessees, and turned
at the Hroadway door to take a last fare
well look. There were tears in his eyes
as ho did so. and he was not one. bit
ashamed of It. This person wa5 Nathan
iel Whitman, a bachelor, who Is In the
wholesale dry goods business. lie ap
peared In tlve hotel on February 7, isri9,
and wanted a "nice room for a few
months."
He finally picked out Nos. fiW and 60S. a
suite overlooking Broadway. And the few
months lengthened fnto a few years, and
Jinal'y into almost half a century.
"I fully intended to die here, but they
wouldn't let me." Whitman eonilded to
some friends in the lobby. "There is an
atmosphere here that no other hotel I
know of possesses, and I doubt if there
ever w'll ho another. It Is old-fashioned
and quaint, and perhaps that is why we
old people like it so much. And then, as
do most o'.l people, I hate this a la carte
dining. All over New York T have
tramped, trying to find some place like
It. but without result. Now I, am to
locate in a new-fashioned hotel, where the
orchestra plays all the time, and every-
body worries about drrss and diamonds.
I know I will not enjoy it. but what can
I do? Tt seems to me that they are tear
ing me down along with the old hotel."
Some Ancient History.
Up to last Summer, General Charles E.
I'm l,.rg w as the oldest resident of the
Uifth Avenue. Uvery -day he spent sev
ai hours in the "Amen Corner" and was
on.- of the best-known figures in the
place. Then be died. Two other old
chums of i-s passed anav about the
same- t in.-. They were Major Hanscom.
of Montana, and Major Stirling, of Mis
sissippi. Purine the Mexican War they
wen fellow Hid.- on the staff of fun
eral WinMeld S-ott. inning fie Rebellion
thry fought agitirst e;ic:i other.
I n 1 av M a .tor Han scotn took up his
r. sldenee on the fifth floor of the Fifth
Avenue. Three y ars later Major Sterling
v as assigned quarters a few doors away.
From that date until they died last year
t hey were inseparable.
All the babies of the Mexican and Civil
Wars were fought over and over again
in the lobbies of the hotel. Each proved
daily where the other one was wrong;,
and to hear them one would think they
wer bitter enemi s. Yet Major Sterling
lived lss than three months after Major
1-ianscbm had passed aw ay. and during
that period had practically nothing .o sav
to anybody. The death of his old chum
was a blow he could not stand.
One of the b?st-known employes of the
Fifth Avenue Is Thomas Gay," who for
f; years has been the head waiter. In
that time he has looked after the comfort
of more distinguished guests than any
other waiter In the whole world.
H ot e V s Fu mou s ii u e.t
Here are a few oT them: Presidents
Lincoln. Johnson. Grant. Hayes. Garrteld.
Arihu-. Harrison. Cleveland and Mc
Kinley, whtit thev were in office and
liSri k J. UbHhrx1rt" . V V:?? r fix 1 v
mm f
g Lbs e ' a wmdlt L sbI 1
Startling Snappy Exclusive Styles
just in NOT THE SAME as father
wore but with all the snap and gin
ger of the latest college fads
Second floor Take elevator.
Price $16.50 to $35
MISSES' MAN-TAILORED COATS
all new models
Price $9.85 to $25
Leading Clothier
President Uoosf velt ' boforr he attained
his present position; Koscoe, Conkling,
James G. Blaine. Thomas Reed. William
H. Seward. Mark H.mna, the Prime of
Wales (now Kins Udward), and practi
cally every big man In business and dip
lomatic life.
One of (Jay's greatest friends was Iave
Moffett. tho (Ytlorado mineownor. The
story of how- Moffett took Gay to Knrope.
has been told, but it has never been given
correctly. Mere it is In Gay's own words:
"I had known Mr. MofTett for a num
ber of years, and I believe we had a
mutual liking for each other. One Sum
mer, some years apo. he was eating
breakfast, and he called me over.
" 'Are you going away this Summer,
Tom?" he asked.
"I told him 1 had not made any plans.
" 'In that ease,' he continued, 'suppose
you go to Kurope with me on the Lucania.
The boat sails at 3 o'clock.' f
"At that moment Hiram Hitchcock,
then the senior member of the Hrl of
proprietors, came into the dining-room.
Mr. MofTett hailed him at once.
" 'Say, Hiram,' he began. I want to
take Tom here to Eftrope this afternoon
for a few months. He will be all the
better when he romcs back. Can he go?'
" 'Certainly. Pave.' replied Mr. Hitch
cock, as calmly as If he had been asked
for a match. Have a good time, Tom,'
he added to inc.
Toni's Blgsc-st Tip.
"And that was how 1 went to Kurope.
tt was the biggest tip 1 ever received in
my long career as a waiter."
Gay will not discuss his own business
affairs, but It Is common gossip that lie
is worth several hundred thousand dol
lars, and is not Worrying about the fu
ture. Du,t he hates to leave the hotel.
During the Civil War statesmen from
all the Northern states tnet in conference
at the Fifth-A venue. . In the old days
tt was nothing nnusual for as many as
50 men. prominent In the public life of
the country, to be there at the same time.
It was at the famous Peabody dinner,
held In the hotel, that the movement was
started for the nomination of General
Grnnt for the Presidency. Emperor Dom
Pedro, of Brazil, held court there; Joeph
Chamberlain was a visitor in the early
'Ss, and diplomats from every country in
the world have made the Fifth-Avenue
their headquarters.
Many of the patrons are women who
come to New York to spend the Winter.
It is nothing unusual to see these old
ladies, quaintly but richly dressed, sitting
in the old-fashioned parlor on the second
floor sewing or knitting, a picture not to
be met with in any other Broadway hotel.
There w as more, than one" reason for the
popularity of the Flfth'Avcnue Hotel in
its early days. It had the Held practically
to Itself, and until the building of the
Waldorf, the first and biggest of all the
new hotels, the Fifth-Avenue was re
garded as "the" hotel, and It is not.
m fact, due to any falling off 5n bus
ness that the decision to abandon the
place was reached, but because the
owners of the land wanted a better
money-maker on so. yaluable a site.
. Allot her Landmark Oooinccl.
Another landmark that passes away at
the same time as the Ktfth-AvenuF Hotel
Is the Madison-Square Theater, which oc
cupies part of tho same land, all owned
by the Kno estate. This bouse was
famotis years ago as the homo of the
Palmer Slock Company, including such
well-known thespiuns as Maurice Barry
more. Alexander Salvlni. Annie Russell.
Marie Borronshs. Harry : Woodruff.
Augustus Cooke. father o Blcanor
Kohson. and others under the manage
ment of the late A. M. Palmer.
Ijtter it fell under the management of
Hoyt and MrKee. and all of Iloyt's farces
had their premieres there. For the past
few years "Walter N. Iawrenc has been
the lessee of the theater. Recent sue
oess s. most of which are now on the
road, but which had their first produc
tions at the Madison-Square, are "The
Prince Chap." "The Man on the Box"
and "The Three of Vs."
Attcll and Sullivan Matched.
SAN FRANCISCO. April 4. Champion
Featherweight Abe Attell and Brooklyn
Tommv Sullivan were tonight matched to
fight ;o rounds In this city on some date
in the latter part of this month, to be
definitely decided on later. The fight is
to be a substitute for the Flynn-Kauf-mar.n
fight, which, has been called off.
Th men are to weigh In at 123 pounds at
5. o'clock on the day of the fight.
LAMENT LOST GLORY
Piatt and Depew Bid "Amen
Corner" Farewell.
BOAST OF FORMER POWER
Confirms Sturgess Sentence.
X
" WASHINGTON. April 4. The President
today confirmed the lenience of dismissal
impost d by vcourtmartiai In the cas of
First lieutenant Dexter Sturgeps, Thlr
tnth United States Cavalry as a result
of h:s cwi viet ion of financial irrcgularl
tks and false statements.
Xcw York Senile Senators MaJke
(Speeches at Last Gathering . of
Politicians in Old Fifth
Avenue Hotel.
NKW YORK. April 4. At midhight to
night the Fifth-Avenue Hotel, one of
the most famous hostelries of the city.
J ended its existence of half a century,
nut not until old-timers had once more
sat in the plush-covered seat in the. "amen
corner" and had" once more breathed an
acquiescent "amen'' to the words of the
"easy boss," whose political plans, there
promulgated, gave the spot world-renown.
In the old 'days Tom Piatt was se
cretive. Tonight he confessed that the
"amen corner" had "made and unmade
Presidents.'
Cliauncey Depew spoke with caution
when a part of the Inner circles in days
g-one by. Tonight he fairly boasted that
he had known Governors "who thought
they did things from the executive cham
ber, but they were done from the 'amen
corner'.' It was a Jolly, half-sorrowful
party that gathered to bid the old place
good-bye. ' ;
- Piatt Talks to Crowd.
After 49 years" life as a hotel, during
half of which time it served as headquar
ters of the Republican party of the state,
the house is to be torn down to make
way for a monster ofTlce building. Mak
ing his entrance in a wheel chair, assisted
by a friend on either side. Senator Piatt
tottered to the amen corner and again
heard the shouts of "Piatt, Piatt, Piatt!"
The aged Senator was visibly affected,
but managed to speak for some moments
to the crowd that surged about him and
which was kept from pressing too closely
upon the sacred spot only by. a cordon of
polic.
Senator Piatt, in a voice that was un
certain at times, aaid:
"Any effort, the very slightest, to ex
press what I feel at the thought of re
moval of this historic landmark whfch
was my home for all of ao years, would
compel mo to take my seat in silence, so
I must avoid that subject and assume a
cheerfulness which I have not go. This
noblp edifice in its day one of the most
Imposing in our city, even now in its ma
jestic simplicity is good to look at. The
Fifth-Avenue Hotel has entertained in its
days larger numbers of the great of the
earth than has any other house hi
America, but perhaps its ehinf fame wfll
remain in its long association with the
Republican party.
Not an Idle Hoat. v
"It is no idle boast to say that It wis
the judgment of the men who collected
In the amen corner and there threshed
out the issues of the day that for a
period of many years directed the desti
nies of the State of New York, wrote Its
statutes and decreed all its important
acts of government.
"I shall not take this time to consider
whether the changes that have latterly
occurred are reforms or otherwise. At
all events nobody can take away from
the Fifth Avenue Hotel the fame that it
for years enjoyed as the place where
from every city and county in the state
there" met and conferred the best and
strongest minds in the Republican party
and th place from which, when their
combined judgment had been finally
reached, there went the sertfiment in ac
cordance with which popular judgment
was moulded and put into effect.
"That sentiment, born of the large ex
perience and considerable Judgment of
the popular leaders who composed the
Republican organization and who habit
uairy afsembled here, and from here dis
persed throughout the state with a com
mon purpose and a harmonious under
standing, has made and unmade Presi
dents and Governors, has determined
party platforms and policies both in the
state and in the Nation, aaid has exer
cised a controlling influence upon affairs
for a period of time within which the Re
publfcan party achieved its greatest suc
cesses and the people of tle state their
largest measure of prosperity.
Shouts for UhaiiTicey.
Then there were cries for "Chaunccy,
and Senator Depew stepped upon .the
historic bench. He said:
"I have sat on this bench on and off
for 41) years. 1 have heard many great
questions discussed as to what was
the policy of the capital, and the capi
tal has always been found In this ror
ner. I know Governors who thought
i hey did tilings from the executive
chamber, but they were done from tho
anient corner.
. I have known conventions with itOO
delegates who thought thev would
make up the state ticket, but they re
ceived their inspiration from th plush
seats in the ament comer, Many a
man who sat on these benches thought
he would be Governor, and was grind to
get a nomination for the Assembly.
"1 speak from the vcnerableness of
old ago. Years don't count now. What
counts is your condition. Historic
memories like this should be preserved.
I saw lllaine. Conkling, Grant and
Arthur sit here. I have seen this cor
ner filled with men In uniforms, but at
other times by men-who wanted to be 1
decorated with uniforms. I do net be
lieve there will ever be again a spot in
the state or country where so much of
influence and power will go out to
make for history as went out from the
amen corner."
IS
JtKUIlSTAG PASSES THE ASSO
CIATIONS BILL.
ARIZONA WILIj NOT INSTRUCT
Hut Taft Is Undoubtedly Terri
tory's Choice for President,
PHOENIX. Ariz.. April 4. Republican
primaries were held In Arizona today for
the selection of delegates to the county
and territoral convention. Secretary Taft
was admittedly the strongest candidate in 1
the presidential Held, no special effort
being made for any other candidate, but
the issue of instructions or no instruc
tions is being hotly contested.
It is easy to predict that while Secre
tary Taft Is the territory's choice their
delegates to Chicago will not be in
MONTANA WUJi BE FOR TAFT
Republican State Central. Commit
tee Takes tnanlmois Vote.
HELENA, Mont.. April 4. The candi
dacy of Secretary Taft fortJie nomina
tion for President at Chicago was unani
mously Indorsed at the meeting of the
Montana Republican State Central Com
mittee tonight, r
It was decided to hold the eonvention
for 4he ' nomination of the delegates to
the National Convention at Butte on
May 15.
DISAGREE ABOUT LIABILITY
Minority of House Committee Ques
tions Constitutionality of Bill.
WASHINGTON. April 4.-The House
committee on judiciary, today presented
to the House the majority report recom
mending the Sterling employers liability
act as finally amended In the committee
yesterday. Representative J-Jttlefield of
Maine. Bannon of Ohio, and Parker of
West Virginia, submitted a minority re
port, in which they held unconstitutional
the clause incorporated by the. committee
governing the recovery of damages by in
jured employes. (
This clause is so drawn that an em
ploye suing his employer for damages
shall have deducted by the jury from the
amount of damages sustained a sum
equal in proportion to the per cent of
his own contributory -negligence, that Is
to say. If the employe sues for $10,000 and
the jury finds that his negligence was 90
per cent to blame for the accident, the
employe can stJJI recover from the em
ployer J1O0O.
It is anticipated that, when the bill is
called up on the floor for action, deter
mined opposition to. its. passage will de
velop, on the ground of unconstitution
ality assumed by Messrs. Littlefield, Ban
non and Parker in the minority report.
Law Prohibits Use of Foreign Lan
guages In All Public Meetings,
With Certain Exceptions.
BERIJX, April 4. The ReMistag to
day decided by a vote of SoO to 179 to
dopt section 7 of the government's
associations bill. The debate attracted
the largest gathering-of members re
ported in years, 362 out of a total of
3!7 being present, throe of wh-om de
clined to vote.
This section enacts that the German
larguago. is compulsory in all public
meetings In every part of th? empire,
except in the case of internal ional con
gresses or elertion meetings. Fur
ther exceptions will be permitted dur
ing the next 20 years, after the pro
mulgation of a law for those districts
where 6ft per cent of the inhabit ants
speak a language other than German,
but in these cases the authorities mtist
be notified .that a meeting is about to
occur and also, what language Is to be
spoken, eo cs to allow a competent po
lice reporter to bo present.
The debate on the section lasted
throughout the day and until nearly 10
o'clock tonight. The discussion was
sharp throughout and went on amfd
eontlnual agitation and . interruption.
The house was fairly evenly divided,
the so-called "bloc" supporting the
government against the opposition of
the Socialists, the Poles and the center
party. When the result of the division
was announced a scene of the wildest
tumult occurred, the house separating
Uie
rhe
been awaited with intense Interest
throughout the empire, owing to the
fact that It affects 4. 500.000 non-Germans,
comprising the Poles in the
eastern provinces, the Danes in the
north and the French in Alsace-Lorraine,
In addition to the less important
races not speaking German, the Wends.
the Maurians, the Lithuanians and the
Czechs.
Fast Voyage- Around Horn.
SAN FRANCISCO. April 4. the
Britlsn steamer Carlton, Captain Ad
ams. 'Whieh arrived today, mode the
run from Baltimore to this port with
only one stop and that forten minutes
to enable the engineers to replace a
badly-behaved check valve. The voy
age occupied 65 days and 14 hours.
Tbe Carlton brought 65H0 tons of coal
for the United State Navy, part of
the 80,000 tons being stored here for
the use of the big fleet. Contrary to
the custom for steam vessels, the Carl
tou roanded Cape Horn.
Blow to Hearst Party-
BOSTON, April 4. The Supreme Court
today decided that the Independence
"League is not one of the two leading
political parties of the state and that it
has no right to a representation on by
partisan boards.
Vlclds lo Poslcard Wnils.
"WASHINGTON, April 4. As a re
sult of numerous complaints of postals
and postcards being defaced by post
marking, the Postmaster-General has
ordered diseont lnuar.ee of t im post
marking of cards at the office of s d
dres. The postal card fad has reached
an enormous nrnport ion and the m w
ruling Is expected by postal officials
to be received with delight by the '
thousands of collectors.
The railroad stations of Berlin are about
to he provided itli automatic machine)".
h k'ti , by insert irjjf the prop r r fn i n . will
deliver an umbrella. Afterward the umbrella
may be returned and a portion of the money
recovered.
in Uie, greatest excitement.
The result of the house's action has
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To advertise ovac new and won
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30 DAYS
A ten-year guarantee with all
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Lady attendant
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&1Y MorrUow SU Ob p. Pot offices
Pf nalties ar provided for the men of
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