Charlotte home and Democrat., 1886-10-08
Two Stories Of Real Life.

On the 25th Of une last there sat at
one of the tsbleeain the Hoffman csfe q
man of prodigious sizes Hs vas six feet,
six in height, his neck was like column,
his Shoulders more than three feet broad, |,
and his chest swelled like the bulge Of q
hogshead. He was both gourmand and
a gourmet. His face was emooth shaven,
cheeks bloated, but he had q pleasant
smile aud was the life OF the party with
which he was dining. He was dressed in
good taste aud in the lstest fashion. He
wore rather conspicuous iewelry. He
would have been picked ont for za4rather
fast club man, aud he was. His home was
in Hartford, where he has lived some
twenty years the ideal life-for Hartford
of a man of the world. He Kept fast
horses, there was breath OF of'comment al
ways respecting his relations with certain
women, he was cool poker player. he
entertained as no other bachelor in Hart
ford did, and was regarded by the lively
young men there as the model good fell
low. At the same time business men re-
speoted him. He had come from a rich
business family in Pittsfield, and brought
some $40, 900 to Hartford. He established
and managed several manufacturing en-
terprises. Last spriug be went TO St.
Louis with Edgar Wells in connection
with the purchase of the Wabash Railroad
system, and his financial suggestions were
there deemed worth considering. His
name is Plunkett, and he is now a wan
derer and defaulter for many thousand
dollars. He has been living dishonesty
10 one knows how long. When, three or
four weeks ago, Plunkett ran away, people
in Hartford said that another man was
ruined by fast and riotous living, and
that such course of life as Plunkett led
was sure to bring . man to dishonorable
end.
That is one story. Now for another:
On the very day that Plunkett was din
ing and wining at the Hoffman House
with his jovial, fashionable companions,
there hurried up Broadway q slender,
sallow.faced man who entered the st.
James Hotel and seated himself in the
lobby a. though awaiting some one. y His
clothes were plain, almost shabby. The
front of his coat was spotted as though he
were careless in bis eating. His boots
were not well cleaned. From under his
bushy eyebrows there peered, however, q
pair Of very bright, quick eyes, remark
ably so for man of his apparent years
his age was plainly not far from 20. A
prosperous business man came into the
lobby, and the respect with which he
treated the old man indicated that the lat
ter was person of some consequence not
withstauding bis plain appearance. The
conversation between them having been
| finished, the old man went to the cloak
| room, called for basket, aud then retir-
ing to secluded place, took out some
| bread and butter aud cakes and ate his
frugal meal. He had spent the night at a
| reputable bat cheap lodging hotel, and he
| had brought food enough in a basket from
| his home to sustain him for two days.
Yet this man was power in the financial
| world. He was reputed to be worth a
| million. He had served on railroad direc-
| tories with such men as Samuel J. Tilden.
He was President of half a dozen great
| corporations, and his credit was so great
that banks eagerly accepted his paper and
called it gilt edged. Men accepted bis
| financial views as the best to be had, and
his name and experience alone had foated
| more than one company from embarrass-
| ment TO success.
| He, like Plunkett, was Hartford man;
but, unlike the younger man, he was .
person of singularly correct habits in pri-
vate life. His food was of the plainest.
He never knew the taste of wine or
stronger spirits. He never used tobacco.
He never had fast horse. He never
visited theatres, nor, 10 fact, ever allowed
himself milder forms of social pleasures.
He was very active in his church, which
he almost carried on his shoulders. He
was frequent delegate to missionary and
charitable gatherings. He was an en-
thusiastic member of the White Gross
League, and made many addresses in favor
of active efforts to reclaim fallen women
and to punish unchastity in men. When
in New York, whore he spent much of bis
time, he always declined invitations Of his
business colleagues to participate in dis
sipations, harmless or otherwise, and he
was every where regarded as man of
model life. This was Geo. NJ. Bartholo-
new, and last week, he, too, was admit
tedly dsfaulter for some $l20 900, taken
from'th funds of the great Charter Oak
Insurance Company, of which he was
President. He has fed like Plunkett,
though Barholomew's hiding place is
known and Plankett's is not. His dis,
honesty has involved several corporations,
| will cripple probably number of banks,
aud cause loss to many individuals. %.
Here, then, we find that the dissipated,
| iasniooaoie. iast-NEiog, PoAeT T-Piaying man
Of the world, and the absteminous, plain
living, moral man and protesting Christian
have been doing the same thing-embez
cling and absconding. Il is no wonde,
that Hartford people are somewhat dazed
by these very conspicuous revelations Of
similar dishonest practices on the part oi
man of moral and man of immoral life
--Nesc York ASun.ls e501E s8z.I
|