The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-08-26
TuE DIVERSIONS OF THE EDITOR OF
4 SUCCESSFUL. AMERICAN
NEWSPAPER.
Newport, Il. r., Cor. Chicago Times.l


Newport, Il. T., Cor. Chicago Tincs.l
When / came here more than a
month ago everything was waiting for
Mr.. Bennett. There could be no polo
because Mr.. James Gordon Bennett
was not here. There were no college
reception because "nothing could be
done in Newport until Mr.. Ben
nett contts.'' CottagerS, tradcsmcn,
sssports," boatmcn, fishermen - the
whole connunity-seemeu anNiOusly
waiting for Mr.. Bennett to inaugu-
rate the pleasure and business of the
season. / knew that the Herald man
was no end of 4 swell, and spent a
great deal Of money, patronizing
amusements and giving extensive
entertainments, and that he would
naturally be a jewel III the eyes OF the
tradeslnen but could not quite under
stand why a community where million
aires arc as plenty as blackbcrries should
not enjoy itself and make 4 certain
amount of business for tradcsmcn,
perhaps in in feeble sort of way, but
still after 4 fashion, without him. But
somehow things did not seem to move.
At last tho prayers Of the trades people
were answered ; the smoke stack of
the yacht Polynia hove in sight in tho
harbor, and Mr.. James GOrtlcn Bennett
actually aIighted on the wharf. After
that matters in Newport began to mend
rapidly.
Certainly there was perccptible
difference in the appearance of things,
and all because q sandy-haircd, thin
faced, ordinary-looking youngish man
sat on the vcranda of 4 large stone house
i'll the busiest part Of the town, and
kicked his heels against the legs of his
chair. 1 could not sec that he did
much else for the first few days after
his arrival, but everybody seemed per-
fectly satisfied. Business did not OK
:,ctly boom with the tradcsmen and
hotel proprictors, because the weather
was too cool iii New York and Boston.
The dog days of the rest Of the world
arc Ncwport's halcyon days, and the
dog days were slow in arriving; but l
could see that people folt that the one
great requisite to the success of the sea-
son had been secured, and that with
Mr.. Benpctt and little hot weather
all would be we'll with Newport. l
think they were right, for at last the
hot weather has come, tho hotels arc
full, tho trades people arc smiling, and
1 have begun to understand why it is
that Mr.. Bennett is so important 4 fac
tor in tho success of the season.
1t is not at all surprising that tho
permanent residents here, who live for
tho most part Off the summer residents,
have high regard for Mr.. Bennett.
Whatever he can do to help their inter
ests he docs. When he lands from his
yacht he does not go ashore in his own
boat, but whistles for one of the local
boatmcn to come Off and get him.
When he reaches the wharf people per-
ccivc that he has not had one of his
own carriages come for him, but q car
riage from 4 livery stable. To supply
his table with fish, of which he is very
found, he hunts up young dealer who
i, just starting in business, and buys of
him. His patronage of local trades
men is very great, and is cnuitably dis
tributed. And the good he, does them
does not come so much from his direct
purchases as for the patronage which
hc causes in others, so to speak. His
entertainments, for which tho supplies
arc obtained here as far rs practicable,
are en,ulatcu by other swclIs, and his
way of patronizing local dealers is
naturally cmulatcd also. He contri-
hutcs to sports, offers prizes for boat
men, and stimulates activity of every
sort. The Casino is tho great central
institution of Newport. 1t attracts
many visitors, and is 4 place of :lmusc-
mcnt for townspcopIc rs we'll as for
visitors, and but for MIR. Bennett there
would have been no Casino.
l think that l do wrong, perhaps, in
allutling 10 Mr.. Bennett as Il "sWcIl.'
| haven't slang dictionary at hand to
give mo the precise meaning of that
term, but l think that a swell is a per-
son who seeks to make a great display,
either with money or without it, and
that the word does not necessarily
apply to \ rich man, who, without
making an exhibition of himself, spends
his money Iavishly for his own pleas
urc. Mr.. bennett may have been Il
| swell in every sense of tho word at ono
time, but he docs not appear to nc to
he one now.
l cannot illustrate tho difference be-
tween the two sorts of ncn better than
by contrasting the appearance of Mr.
Bennett the other day at the polo
grounds, with a fellow who is unmis.
takably a tremendously heavy swell
The latter individual, one Ely Goddard
I by name, came down here last week
| from Vermont, whcro his uncle o,
| some other male relative owns Il copper
I NINA with tIp rHi,tpnf Il r,