The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-07
ABOUT JAY COOKE.
The Father of the Northern Pacific and His
Personal characteristics.


Personal characteristics.
Pelee Island Letter in Chicago Inter Ocean.
homogeneous, almost impossible, as it APP
pears, Mr.. Cooke is the most generous and
free handed OF men, not often in great sums,
in concentrated benefactions, which resound
over a continent or circle round the globe,
but in those daily gifts and charities which
sweeten our dull lives and cause constant
sunshine for those near to himself is it that
this love of humanity is loved in turn.
To his family, his friends his servants land
they, too, share his friendship, he is most
kind, most consderate, and it is thing not
to be forgotten by those who have witnessed
it, how quickly he ignores himself that the
least of these shall be remembered and be
content. Let me give an instance from per-
sonal observations About ten years
ago, on hot June day, when
fishing for black bass on the
shoals of Chickenolee (the great bass reef eff
the south shore of Pelee Island, Lake Erie),
the fish bit gamely. and 10th to leave the
royal sport Mr.. Cooke and single guest, in
a small skiff, fished on until tired, heated
anu thirsty, the oarsman rowed back to the
steam tug lying at anchor. The steamer
reached, goodly hamper in the cabin open
ed, and IN Large dipper two bottles of good
Catawba wine were poured, with broken ice
to cool the same, and then, with eager steps,
the thirsty millionaire rushed round the
boy might drink from ont the dipper, then
to his single guest, and last of all himself.
1t is not easy to tell this story and give to
it the full measure of the kindly courtesy
from which it spr ang and like many another
flower of highest breeding it loses somewhat
in translation; but it may serve to show how
in the daily trifes of busy life, the small
amenities of intercourse, this true gentleman
is true to himself, and, therefore, mot false
to any man."
At home with his children and grand
children it is a scene of happiness complete,
and his daughters (now wives and mothers)
sit upon his knee and fondle him as in their
childish days, while to their children he is
known par excellence as Candy Grandpa"
for seldom do they find on exploration that
those capacious pockets are bare of that most
potent charm of childhood.
If there be one passion to which Mr.. Cooke
is subject it is that of angling; if there be one
ambition nearest his heart it is that he may
catch the largest, the gamiest and the great
est number of fish as against any living
angler, and have yet to hear of his being
excelled in the gentle Waltonian art. His
biennial home at Gibraltar" is kept ND
mainly for this end, as from it as center, with
family and friends, he starts at early morn
ing for the bass grounds at the East Sister,"
or the larger lee and greater reefs of Pelee.
Personally Mr.. Cooke is above the middle
height, of excellent physique and with
ford complexion. and large, frank blue
eve, hair once chestnut, but now turned
to gray, with full gray beard Worn long
The genera expression is of kindly genial
ity and hearty love of his fellows but there
is not a trace of the sharp, shrewd calcula-
tor, thouGl in powers of rapid computation