ten o'clock
Persons of every political hue and circumstance poured in , were presented to the major , and drank of the liquors which were being ordered without stint and despatched with the same freedom by the honorable committee of reception . And thus they came , and drank great draughts , and complimented one another . And although not a few marveled at finding the major such a queer person , and quite unlike what he had been represented , all joined in drinking his health and flattering his vanity . And when it was ten o'clock , there came divers delegations of ungainly persons , -LRB- from the custom house , and the post office , and Tammany Hall , and various other halls , -RRB- such as fighting men and vagabonds , who , being headed by such ambitious politicians as the invincible George Branders , and flanked by the too honest Emanuel Hart , presented an appearance so suspicious that the guests of the house began to look well to their pockets , while the landlord set several of his servants to gathering up the old clothes . Indeed , it seemed as if rascaldom had broken from its dominions to revel in the palace of St. Nicholas . And as all these shabby gentlemen , but very excellent politicians , stood much in need of something to quench their thirst , it was soon found that the small sum set apart to pay the landlord for all his services , would not even wipe out the score at his bar , to say nothing of the damage done his furniture and other little affairs . He had given bed and board to many a man without getting a dime in return , and thanked heaven that good fortune had enabled him to do so , but now he was not a little disturbed in his temper at the state of his accounts , for he knew the city was as slow to pay an `` over ordered '' bill as it was quick in paying homage to great demagogues .