Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-13


house deserted. In this yeritabl'
pslaee Of art are many costly treasures
in frescoes and wood-carving. and thu
collection Of paintings is the most val.
liable on this coast, but they are inyisi
bic 10 the public and lost to all goot
uses.
MILLIONAIRE CHARLES cRoCKER.
Charles Croker lives two blocks
further up on Mob Hill from the Stan
ford residence. His house Is more pre-
teniious, but not in so good taste. Hs
entertains moro than any Of the rail-
way millionaires, but he is the least
popular Of all. There is strain Of
insincerity in the man which il
always quickly discovered, and his
manners are inclined TO be purse.
proud. Among railroad-men he is
not regarded as Stanford's equal in
ability. In fact, it is the general i'm
preston that it was lucky day for
him when his neighbors took him into
business because Of his small ready
capital. as he wouldnever have climbed
to fortune unaided. His sons, however,
are men of force, the eldest being vice
president and actual head Of the South
ern Pacific Railroad Company, who
works as hard as any Of his ambitious
clerks, and knows every detail Of the
vast enterprise which he manages. The
only daughter is unmarried, not for
lack Of suitors, but because, like
many heiresses on this coast, she proba-
bly, suspects every eligible young man
of having designs on her fortune.
Croker, when in the city, may be seen
coming home in the street-car about 4
o'clock any afternoon. lie has full,
heavy face, pale and rather puffy, with
white hair and the benevolent aspect Of
country parson. His physiognomy
is no indication OF his character, how
ever, as he has the reputation Of being
bard at bargain.
A MAN WHO FORGOT HIS OWN HOUSE.
Huntington comes out here so sell
dom that he is almost unknown. He
finds New York and Washington the
best field for his financial ability, and
there is no question that without his
aid the great railroad property would
never have developed into such power
as it is now. Mark Hopkins, who was
the financial genius of the old Central
Pacific triumvirate, died early, worn
out by incessant labor. He built in his
last years a huge gothic castle on
the very summit of Mob Hill, but his
mind gave way before the structure was
finished, and when his attendant used
to lead him up past his own house to
get air and exercise he would often
say, "Who is the BANKED fool that is
putting good money into that ugly
hOuse?" He died of gradual softening
Of the brain, which is responsible for
the overthrow of many busy brain in
this climate, so conducive to over
work.
BONANZA-KING FLOOD.
The Bonanza millionaires are better
preserved than their railway prototypes.
" Uncle Billy" 0'Brien, as he was
Familiarity called, succumbed to whis-
key and idleness, his favorite pastime
beng TO lean against the pillars of the
Nevada Bank, talk gossip, and take
drinks with his cronies. lie has mag
nificent tomb out in the Catholic ceme-
terry, for which he had the shrewdness
TO provide the coin before he drew his
last breath. Flood looks like a hearty
Irish contractor, having a fine, fresh
color, large and not over-intelligent
face and full figure. He has spent
much money on his country place at
Menlo Park, and he is now putting up
an immense brown stone residence on
Mob Hill, which is expected to eclipse
all the wooden palaces in the vicinity.
lie has only one son and one daughter,
both unmarried and likely to remain
so. He has shown himself the least
ostentatious of any of the mil
lionaires, but what he may do when
his new house is finished remains to be
seen. His only daughter, Jennie, it
will be remembered, was sought after
by young Buck" Grant when he was
out here about two years ago. How
far the acquaintance went is unknown,
but the story, which is generally cred
tied, is that Miss Jennie discovered
that her sutton was paying too much
attention to other girls, and she refused
to have anything more to do with him.
A SELFISH HEIREss.
She is not a young woman who would
be sought for her charms of mind or
face. She looks like a well-settled
mstrOn Of forty, having large, full,
fat face, with heavy features, and she
adds to her mature appearance by brush
ing her hair straight back from the face
and doing it up in the simple and Sc
yerely plain style affected by housewives
Of thirty years ago. When she appears
at parties or the opera in full dress
she is even homelier than in street
dress, as decollete dress and light colors
do not harmonic with her sanguine
complexion and over-full figure. She
has 100000 in her own right, but
she is said to be penurious in her
tastes, and to look closely after every
dollar that she spends. Her selfish
character was very plainly be-
trayed by her actions at the
last seasons Italian opera, when
Patti and Scalchi created so great
furore here. Miss Jennie occupied
a conspicuous position every night in
the front of proscenium box; she
wore different costume nightly, and
she always carried huge bouquet, as
large around as the bottom Of bucket.
This she displayed throughout the per-
Torrance as sort Of foil to her blazing
diamonds, but no lyric flights of Diva
Patti, and no soul-stirring strains of
Scalchi's noble voice msyed her cold
nature to throw her bouquet as tribute
to genius. She went home with it every
time, to the great disgust Of those of
less means who were more generous
with their flowers.
sEcRETivB SENATOR FAIR,
A very good illustration of the ex-
IRENE secretiyeness of Senator Fair-a
trait to which ! reverted in previous
letter-is afforded by recent attempt
OF local newspaper-man to get at the