Page:Jefferson's Germantown letters.djvu/20

xiv 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.