Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-10-27

lAAA aAI 49, 80
As in New York, each rich man vies
with his rivals in business or com
merce or r~ailroading in the lavish
outlay Of money on his residence aud
grounds: but unlike the New Yorker
he does not seem 10 rest ~eontentedly
in his luxurious quarters. Bret
Harte's sketch Of the two California
miners who, after a bitter quarrel
over a batch ofyellow biscuits aud a
separation of several years, tind on
meeting that one has just got home
from q pasear to New York, while the
other is fresh from a winter l Paris,
is not so wide Of the truth. A large
number OF men who have made their
fortunes on this coast nominally re-
side in this city, but really live In
New York or abroad. Ex Governor
Stanford is a good example. With
the exception OF Charles Croeker he
is the Wealthiest man on this coast.
He has the finest private residence
in this city, one Of the most beautiful
suburban villas, one of the largest
stock ranches, where the young
thoroughbreds now at the East were
raised. Yetit is announced that he
has rented a fine mansion on Fifth
avenue, New York, and will remove
there With his family in a few weeks.
merely retaining this city as his voting
residence. His magnificent house, on
the pinnacle of what is locally known
as Mob Hill, will remain in charge o.
the hOusekeeper,
This house add the half-dozen 9th
ers which are in its immediate yicin.
ity form one Of the sights which arr
always pointed out to strangers. D
all these dwellings of millionaires
Stanford is the most imposing, while
it far excels any of the others in thu
beauty, variety and cost OF its interior
decorations. Like the others, 1t i
built of wood, but the material is 81
judiciously used that it presents to tn,
eve the massiveness and solidity o
stone. The grounds VI exceeding.
beautiful, comprising one halt OF Al
entire square or block, the lower por
ton being surrounded by an immens
wall Of dark blue stone, capped witt
granite and surmounted by an irol
fence. The other half Of this squsr
is covered by tie castellated structur
!, built By the late Mark Hopkins, on
of the Central Pacific railway kings
and now occupied by his widow.
I spreads over more than one-half tn
LOT, while the remainder is oOyereI
} with a big wall and a spiral drivewa
leading from the barn and carriage
house, which form a part Of the lowe
: wall. In Mrs, Hopkins house tn
shades are drawn during more tina
half the year, the lady spending tn
summer and fall at Great harrington
Mass. Further up the street is tn
J, Cotton mansion, built in classic styl
and surrounded by an ire
fence of Roman pixies with til
lictor's fasces for gate posts. 1t is no
occupied, but it is frequently deserte
for months. In the next block is th
huge residence Of Charles Crocke
which has been abandoned by th
family since early in the summer. i
e lawn is beautiful, comprising an entil
city block, with the exception Of
e single lot, surrounded by a high boar
fence. This lot belonged TO an oil
German, who refused TO sell Whe
{ Croker wished to buy all the properl
in the block, constantly fixing a prie
a few thousands above Crocker's ofeI
and as soon as Croker came to hi
|, terms making another advance. Ate
this had happened in all about fly
times, and Crocker had offered full
FIVE times the real worth Of the prop
erty, the millionaire changed his tao
tics. He withdrew all his offers, re
fused to buy at any price, built a hig
board fence about the lot, making
worthless; and the exuberant vegets
ton Of California is fast TRANSFORMER
the unsightly fence into a thing
beauty. The owners Of these fou
houses represent fully Sl30,0O0,OO
t, The houses have cost no less tina
three millions in all. Each has a FIN
picture gallery, filed with chOit
work Of the best modern artists
we'll as several specimens Of the oil
masters. Each is filed with beautifl
furniture and objects of art from a
: quarters Of the globe. Yet thei
treasures repose in darkened room
! the greater part Of the year, and the
I owners seen TO have little enjoymeI
9 from them.
1t would take a statistician 10 ket
any record Of the political situate
o in this State and city. 1t seems to |
J a kind of "go-as-you please contes
with a great variety Of entries. Eve
0 the colored men have felt called upC
o to put up a ticket, which is really q
r Endorsement Of the leading Dem
g cratic candidates. This, with Il
Prohibition, Greenback, Farmers al
q Anti Monopoly tickets beside ii
tickets Of the two main parties, max
the situation complicated In loo
politics the confusion grows wor
COMPOUNDED. The rival Republic;
8 conventions, after nominating cand
e dates and hurting defiance at ear
,e other, have finally pooled their issu
D, and a joint convention will sOon me
a and begin again the work of nomin
e tions. The Democrats are in sessi
We and the local Bourbon bosses a
s busy. John Kelly's place in this CT
is held BY a blind saloon keeper nam
"Chris" Buckley, who has great pol
ical saga5ity and a keen eye for I
j.. main chance and the spoils. Despi
* the dust that fills the political a
ut little interest is taken either in t
ne city or State contest by any but I
professional politicians. There is
I'D marked absence Of any importa
re issues between the parties, and I
at campaign bids fair to degenerate in
Gu a vulgar struggle forfat Offices betwe
n the place hunters.
'st A rather interesting case has be
's- in the courts for more than a we,
49, 1t is the suit of Mrs. Piercy TO "a
as control Of the child Of her dead &
NJ Samuel w. Piercy was a Califorr
r. boy who thought he was an actor.
Is went on the stage and achieved me
OGRE success, His acting gained h
nd small professional reputation, but
r. won him rich wife in the person
re a daughter Of Dunphy, a wealt
he Wholesale butcher ofthis city who
ell cattle on a thousand hills from q.
to gon to Sonora. One child was be