36 THE HISTORY OF COFFEE. 



was the scene of several brilliant Masonic dinners. The lodges, 

 in annual parade, would march from the City Hotel, on Broad- 

 way, down to Broad street ; through Broad to Pearl, and through 

 Pearl street to Wall and the Coffee-House which they thought 

 a long tramp. After the banquet the march would be resumed 

 along Pearl to Beekman street, up Beekman to Chatham street, 

 down Chatham to Broadway and the City Hotel. 



Caldwell & Kenyon kept a restaurant in the basement; 

 they afterwards sold out to Charles Ridabock, familiarly known 

 as the i Alderman.' Charles was a heavy, good-natured Ger- 

 man, who kept the dirtiest shop and the best oysters in the city. 

 He had been for many years an employe of George Washing- 

 ton Browne. 



In 1823, when the entire block on ^he west side of Water 

 street, between Pine and Wall streets, was mainly occupied by 

 the stores and offices of auctioneers, a hotel was opened on the 

 opposite side, at ISTos. 123 and 125 Water street, by George 

 Washington Browne, and called the ' Auction Hotel.' The host 

 had many friends among the merchants and was well patronized. 

 Some years later, in 1832, the physicians in the city urged all 

 to abstain from drinking beer and wine, and to drink pure 

 coffee, in order to avoid the cholera, then epidemic. Browne 

 immediately opened a large and convenient coffee-room on the 

 first floor of the hotel, and the wonders of coffee as a sanitary 

 beverage were highly commended. The hotel became familiarly 

 known as Browne's Coffee-House and was a favorite dining- 

 place. A number of merchants that dined there became known 

 as 'the club;' such men as Thomas H. Faile, John J. Boyd, 

 Samuel Paxon, Edward Penfold, George W. Blunt, Gilbert 

 Davis, and other well-known New Yorkers could daily be met 

 there. The club has ceased to meet, but the hotel is open, and 

 the coffee-room and restaurant are still patronized. 



On the south-east of what is now Pine and William streets, 



