Omaha daily bee., 1884-07-24
UNCLE RUFF AND HIS BRIDE.
How the MUSiC.LOYing FiIanCiGr Was
EltraICGi,
Captured by a Sweet Voice and Love-
ly Face in a City Church-A Ro-
nance of Seven Years Ago.

New York journal.
Rufus Hatch, better known among the
boys as "Uncle Rufe," resides in a hand.
some brownstone mansion at No. ~ Park
avenue. Four small olive branches be.
sides his handsome and accomplished
wife grace his freside. If Uncle Rufus
should lose all of the large fortune which
he now possesses he would not mind il
in the least provided his pretty wife was
still left to him. Toward her he evinces
the most tender devotion. 1t Is now
about seven years since MIR. Hatch be-
came acquainted with the lady who is
now his wife. Uncle Rufus is a passion.
ate lover of music. He has spent hun
dreds of thousands of dollars on music,
musical Instruments and artists. In
every corner of his spacious mansion
are to be found traces of
his love for music in instrume nts of
various kinds, from harmonics up to the
concert grand piano. Until very recently
Mr.. Hatch had musicales at his house,
which were conducted on the grandest
scale imaginable. Outlines as many as
fifteen opera singers, male and female,
would be hired for the occasion at fabul-
Gus prices. His emotions can be easily
imagined when on one evening, on en-
tering Grace church, he heard a fresh
young voice carolling forth holy hymns
in tones of alluring symphony. The
body of the church was deserted. The
voice came from the choir. He knelt
down and listened, entranced by the
sweet music. 1t was accompanied
sometimes by the sonorous tones of the
handsome church organ. From his long
experience with music, Uncle Rufus felt
sure that it was a master hand that
touched the keys. He remained there
for fully an hour listening to the music.
Then he heard footsteps coming slowly
down the stairs. He looked around and
saw DIR. Ever, the pastor of the church,
with whom ne was well acquainted, COM
ing down the stairs from the organ loft,
accompanied by a handsome young lady.
With her he fell deeply in love. Her
exquisite singing and playing had touched
a responsive cord in his heart. Hasten
ing towards the couple Uncle Rufus
greeted DIR. Ever warmly. Uncle
Rufus was quickly introduced to the
young lady. Her name was Miss Nellie
Gray. She was a member of an old
Knickerbocker family. Her father was
Commodore Gray, admiral of the Pacific
Mail Steamship line. At one time he
had been connected in business with Mr..
Hatch From the hour the latter first
met the old commodore's rosebud of a
daughter he was violently in love with
her. He called on her at her home, and
finally with the consent of herself and
parents he had the indispensable delight
of calling her his own. They were
married in Grace church, the scene of
their first meeting, by DR.. Ever.
Uncle Rufus was born in Kennebec,
Me-, in June. 1880. His father was a
farmer in moderate circumstances. Rufus
attended q school in the neighborhood
until he was twelve years of age. Then
he entered a grocery store in his native
city. He remained there until he was
sixteen years of age, when he left the pa
ternal roof-tree and started out to do
battle with the world alone. He went
west and settled in Rockford, Iii. There
he entered a store similar in character to
the one he was employed in at home.
Shortly after settling there the work of
building the Central g. Northwestern rail-
way was begun. He found employment
on it as general assistant to the
surveyors. He left this shortly af-
terward and entered into the CON-
mission business in Rockford. He was the
originator of that style of business there.
His business became SO large that he
started a branch in Chicago. He re.
moved to the latter city himself. While
there he with twenty other gentlemen of
means organized a large stock exchange
there. He also speculated largely him
self. He finally failed for $l60, 600. He
then came to New York and retrieved
his losses. He paid every one of his
Chicago debtors in full with compound
interest. In this city he also speculated
very heavily. In 1873 he was bulling
Northern Pacific when it fell so low that
he was again compelled to fail This time
his liabilities amounted to about $780,
600. His restless spirit, however, was
moi daunted by his misfortune. He again
started in, and as usual amassed a fabu-
Gus fortune. He again paid up all his
debts like gentleman, and is to-day n
of the few men who have been engaged
in stock transactions who can honestly
say, 81 owe no man a cent" He retired
from active business several years ago.
He is at present engaged in several
private land schemes of his own. he
has handsome and commodious offices in
the Washington building at the foot of
Broadway. He has also gained notoriety
as a decided wit. One of his peculiar
jokes is to tell the ''boys' that he is if
teen years older than he really is, and as
each year goes by he increases the num-
Der, much to the amusement of his per-