The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-30
Two Stories of Real Life.


Two Stories of Real Life
On the 10Th of June last there sat at one
of the tables in the Hoffman cafe a man
of prodigious siz5. He was six feet six
in height, his neck was like a column.
his shoulders were more than three feet
broad and his chest swelled like the
bulge of a hogshead. He was both a
gourmand and a gourmet. His face was
smooth shaven, cheeks bloated, but he
had pleasant smile and was the life of
the party with which he was dining.
He was dressed in good taste and in the
latest fashion. He wore rather conspic-
uous jewelry. He would have been
picked out for rather fast club man.
and he was. His home was in Hart
ford, where he has lived some twenty
years the ideal life-for Hartford-of a
man of the world. lie kept fast horses,
there was a breath of comment always
respecting his relations with certain wo-
men, he was a cool poker player, he en-
tertained as no other bachelor in Hart
ford did. and was regarded by the lively
young men there az a model good fellow.
At the same time business men respected
him. He had come from rich business
family in Pittstield and brought some
SIC, 900 to Hartford. He established and
managed several manufacturing enter
prises. Last spring he went to st. Louis
with Edgar Wells in connection with the
purchase of the Wabash railroad sys-
tenn, and his financial suggestions We're
there deemed worth considering. His
name is Plunkett, and he is now wan
derer and a defaulter for many thous-
and dollars. He has been living dishon-
estly nobody knows how long. When
three or four weeks ago Plunkett ran
away, people in Hartford said that an
other man was ruined by fast and riot
GUS living, and that such a course of life
III Plunkett led was sure to bring man
to a dishonorable end.
That is one story. Now for another:
On the very day that Plunkett was
dining and winning at the Hoffman with
his jovial, fashionable companions there
hurried up Broadway slender, sharp
featured, sallow-faced man who entered
the st. James Hotel and seated himself
in the lobby as though awaiting some
one. His clothes were plain, almost
shabby. The front of his coat was spot
ted as though he were careless in his eat
ing. His boots were not well cleaned.
From under his bushy eyebrows there
peered, however, a pair of very bright,
quick eyes, remarkably so for a man of
his apparent years-his age was plainly
not far from 20. y prosperous business
man came into the lobby, and the re-
spect with which he treated the old man
indicated that the latter was a person of
some consequence. notwithstanding his
plain appearance. The conversation be-
tween them having been finished, the
old man went to the cloak room, called
for a basket, and then retiring to Sc
cluded place, took out some bread and
butter and cakes and ate his frugal meal.
He had spent the night at a reputable
but cheap lodging hotel, and lie had
brought food enough in a basket from
his home to sustain him for two days.
Yet this man was a power in the finan-
cial world. He was reputed to be worth
million. He had served on rail-
road directories with such men as Sam
uel j. Tilden. He was president of half
dozen great corporations, and his credit
was so great that banks eagerly accepted
his paper and called it gilt-edged. Men
accepted his financial views as the best
to be had, and his name and experience
alene had floated more than one com
pany from embarrassment to success.
He, like Plunkett, was Hartford man,
but, unlike the younger man, he was a
person of singularly correct habits in
private life. His food was of the plain
est. He never knew the taste of wine or
or stronger spirits. He never used to-
bacco. He never had fast horse. lie
never visited theaters, or, in fact, never
allowed himself the milder forms of So
cial pleasures. He was very active in
his church, which he almost carried on
his shoulders. He was frequent dele
gate to missionary and other charitable
gatherings. He was an enthusiastic
member of the White Cross League, and
made many addresses in favor of active
efforts to reclaim fallen women and
to punish unchastity in men. When
in New York. where he spent
much of his time, he always de
clined invitations of his business
colleagues to participate in designations,
everywhere regarded as n man of model
life. This was Geo. NJ. Bartholomew.
and last week he, too. was admitted a
defaulter for some $3.50, 900, taken from
the funds of the great Charter Oak In
surance Company, of which he was
President. He has fled like Plunkett,
though Bartholomew hiding place is
known and Piunkett's is not. His dis
honesty has involved several corpora
lions, Will cripple probably a number OF
banks, and cause loss to many individ f
uals.
Here, then, we find that the dissipated,
fast-living. poker-playing /
man of the world, and the abstemious.
plain-Gving, moral man and protesting /
Christian have been doing the same
thing and absconding. 1t /
is no wonder that Hartford people are
dazed by these very conspIc-
uous revelations of similar dishonest
practices on the part of man of moral
and man of immoral life.-Nelc lork:
SIM.
a Washington special says: The Tay-
Tor family of Tennessee is certainly re-
mark able. In this city are two broth
ers of the gubernatorial candidates, who
both say that if they were in Tennessee
during the coming election they would
vote for neither Bob nor Air. 1t is as
serted further that such of the two can
didatss' speeches as are of a set char
acter were written by another brother
named Jim, who is the smartest MEM
har nf .Ia Fap,;Iy lin, vrrpta .b. Z