was quartered in a house occupied by the Rev.
Frederick Herman, now number 130 West
School House Lane, while Jefferson found
shelter at the King of Prussia tavern, an import-
ant hostelry still standing, but now used for
other purposes, Nos. 5516-18-20 Main Street.
Although the yellow fever by this time had al-
most entirely disappeared in Philadelphia, the
suburbs were still crowded with refugees. Every
inn, of which there were quite a number in
Germantown, was filled to its capacity and
the Secretary of State found great difficulty in
obtaining accommodations. A bed in the corner
of the public room of the King of Prussia was
the best he could obtain, the alternative being
to wrap himself in his cloak and sleep before
the open fire. Little rooms in the tavern, which
Jefferson describes as " cuddies," without a bed,
and without a chair or table cost four to eight
dollars a week, and at the time there was
not a single lodging house offering accommo-
dations. By the 9th of the month, however,
the refugees began flocking back to the city.
Page:Jefferson's Germantown letters.djvu/20
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xiv
INTRODUCTION
