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OldWaldorf Bar Days
ness applied to many of his meals. He often ate in the
Men's Cafe, across the corridor. To attendants he main–
tained an attitude of intolerance.
If
he was in a bad
humor-a not infrequent condition-the wai ter who
served him must leave the food on the table, and im–
mediately move away. Penrose would not touch food as
long as the waiter hovered about.
Here might be mentioned General Benjamin F. Tracy,
who, after serving as Secretary of Navy in President
Harrison's Cabinet, resumed a successful law practice in
New York. A man of vigorous health and personality
was General Tracy, and distinguished-looking as well.
At the age of eighty-three, he was still arguing cases,
appearing before the United States Supreme Court for
that purpose.
Senator Stephen
B.
Elkins ofWest Virginia was some–
times numbered in the crowd, but not often. His sons,
"Dave'',-who followed in father's footsteps and, after
an interval, succeeded to his seat in the Senate-and
"Steve", proved more ardent customers. Their grand–
father, Senator Gassaway Davis, of West Virginia, was
an occasional visitor during the early days of the Bar.
Lieutenant General Nelson A. Miles, U.S.A., always
a heroic figure, even when out of uniform, headed the
roster of army men who occasionally came in to satisfy a
thirst; and the United States Navy was more than once
ably represented by Rear Admiral "Bob" Evans. Of
course, Evans wasn't the whole Navy, and he was by no
means the only member of our maritime arm of defense
who graced the place during its history. Remember, one
is speaking of the Navy.