Literary Cadet And Rhode Island Statesman

PUBLIC HOTELS.

It is to rescue the character of a very worthy and enterprizing young gentleman, who has recently established himself in this State, from unmerited opprobrium, and to screen a public hotel, from, perhaps, unpremeditated injury, that we give place to the following communication:

Messrs. Smith & Parmenter.

In the Boston Statesman of last week, I read with sincere regret, and with some surprize, the following article, which you will oblige me by republishing; and you will confer a still greater obligation, if you will allow me to append to it the few incidental remarks, which I shall offer by way of comment, and in vindication of myself and establishment:

"One story good until another hath its fellow." We copied from the Pawtucket Chronicle, or from some New-York paper, a statement, that one of the gentlemen engaged in an affair of honour in Rhode Island, had "hopped the twig" from Pawtucket, without paying his tavern bill. Since this, we have seen the tavern bill receipted in full, for eight days board, at four dollars per diem, amounting to 32 dollars. As pretty a piece of imposition, as to price, from the circumstances disclosed to us, 'as one would wish to see on a summer's day.' The Pawtucket tavern will not have much of duelling, or other custom, at that price, unless he keeps a better larder, and stops such advertisements. To get wounded, pay such a bill, and be squibbed in the newspapers, is as severe as the Connecticut sentence, that the default should be hanged, and pay forty shillings."

COMMENT.-It will be proper to inform Mr. Greene, that my house is generally denominated the Pawtucket Hotel or Tavern, and that the account to which he alludes was not made at my house.

The gentlemen, to whom Mr. Greene refers, took lodgings at my house previous to the "affair of honor" had between them, and I am not aware that they objected in the least, to the account offered to them for liquidation, prior their departure. They certainly appeared to be satisfied, and I have no reason to suppose that they were in the least displeased.

After the combat, the unfortunate party, to screen himself from the pursuits of public justice, and the vengeance of the laws of Rhode-Island, took lodgings at the Hotel of my worthy competitor, residing on the eastern side of Pawtucket Bridge, and in the State of Massachusetts, where he remained till his wounds had so far healed, as to enable him to return to Boston. As to the charges made against him whilst there, I know nothing, but am very much disposed to believe that they were not exhorbitant, or heavier than what the peculiar circumstances of the case demanded.

With this, however, I have nothing to do; and it simply remains for me, to request Mr. Greene, the Editor of the Statesman, to do me justice, and say, that the reported exhorbitant bill was not created at the "Pawtucket Hotel." I should not have noticed this affair at all, had it not been apparent to me, that the report circulated in the Statesman, was well calculated to injure me and my house, and to withhold from me that patronage, to which I hope I am entitled.

As the editor of the Statesman cannot but be aware, that the report he has circulated must be injurious to my establishment, I hope he will make the necessary correction.

B. T. EDWARDS.

Pawtucket Hotel, August 14, 1827.