urposes, coffee houses have been universally deemed the most
convenient places of resort, because, at a small expense of time or
money, persons wanted may be found and spoke with, appointments may
be made, current news heard, and whatever it most concerns us to
know. In all cities, therefore, and large towns that I have seen in
the British dominions, sufficient encouragement has been given to
support one or more coffee houses in a genteel manner. How comes it
then that New York, the most central, and one of the largest and
most prosperous cities in British America, cannot support one
coffee house? It is a scandal to the city and its inhabitants to be
destitute of such a convenience for want of due encouragement. A
coffee house, indeed, there is, a very good and comfortable one,
extremely well tended and accommodated, but it is frequented but by
an inconsiderable number of people; and I have observed with
surprise, that but a small part of those who do frequent it,
contribute anything at all to the expense of it, but come in and go
out without calling for or paying anything to the house. In all the
coffee houses in London, it is customary for every one that comes
in to call for at least a dish of coffee, or leave the value of
one, which is but reasonable, because when the keepers of these
houses have been at the expense of setting them up and providing
all necessaries for the accommodation of company, every one that
comes to receive the benefit of these conveniences ought to
contribute something towards the expense of them.

A FRIEND TO THE CITY.

_New York's First Coffee House_

Some chroniclers of New York's early days are confident that the first
coffee house in America was opened in New York; but the earliest
authenticated record they have presented is that on November 1, 1696,
John Hutchins bought a lot on Broadway, between Trinity churchyard and
what is now Cedar Street, and there built a house, naming it the King's
Arms. Against this record, Boston can present the statement in Samuel
Gardner Drake's _History and Antiquities of the City of Boston_ that
Benj. Harris sold books at the "London Coffee House" in 1689.

[Illustration: NEW YORK'S PIONEER COFFEE HOUSE, THE KING'S ARMS, OPENED
IN 1696

This view shows the garden side of the historic old house as it was
conducted by John Hutchins, near Tr