St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-16
HOW WALL STREET LUNCHES.
Miliionaires, Brok ers and Brokers
Clerks, and Their Customers.

Miliionaires, Brok ers and Brokers
Clerks, and Their Customers.
New York World.
Probably the most interesting lunch
eaten down in the middle of the day is
the one eaten on the fifth floor of the
Western Union building, TO which Jay
Gould, Russell Sage, Sydney Dillon. Dr..
Norvin Green, the president Of the
company; A. L. Hopkins, president of
other railroad and telegraph magnateS
who happen to be around at the time
have been accustomed to sit down. The
company round the table is, of courses
not so comprehensive in its make-u p a.
was the case year or so ago. Mr.
Gould, for instance. is now rarely
present. He only comes down to the
Western Union building once week.
This visit occurs on Wednesday. when
the Western Union committee meeting
is held, and he doesn't always attend
this. He came into town the 18th of
October. and has only been down TO two
meetings since that time.
Cyrus w. Field is not so familiar or
frequent a figure at the lunch table as
he used to be. When he was dealt out
of Manhattan, or. more properly speak
ing. when he dealt himself out, his aSso-
citation with the Gould interest practi-
eally ceased, and, as his relations with
Mr.. Gould had been business rela-
tions entirely. with no social
color at all, his appearance at the
lunch table came TO an end at
the same time. Notwithstanding these
OBJECTIONS, however, the lunch is served
just the same every day, and, as there
are usually a number of people who
come there on business connected with
Mr.. Gould's properties and are invited
to stay to lunch, the luncheon hour sees
goodly-sized company gathered around
the board. Mr.. Sage invariably starts
from his Office at Rector street and
Broadway about / O'Clock, and
thence he makes a Decline for
J the luncheon. Nothing ever interferes
with this journey. The chickering's
over puts and calls. spreads and strad-
dies, must cease when the hands of the
Trinity church clock. which he can see
from his Office window, approach the
hour mentioned. If any one comes in
at this time Mr.. Sage's genial and
talented secretary. John L. Mccain,
ynnchsafes the information that the
millionaire is about to start for his mid
dav meal and that he will not return
until 2:30, and no matter who the
visitor may be, he must rest satisfied
with this statement.
About the same time Sydney Dillon
energies from his Office on the seventh
floor of No. 40 Wall street and heads in
the same direction as MIR. Sage. When
they reach the building these two mil
lionaires usually make two or three
visits to the leading Offices in the build
ing before proceeding to the lunch
room. They either go into Mr..
Gould's room and have little chat
with him, or, IN his absence,
talk for a few minutes with George
Gould in the next room or with Presid-
ent Hopkins in his room on the Dey
street side of the building. About I:30
or | As they start up stairs and are prob
ably Joined in the elevator by DR.. Green,
who leaves his Office on the third floor
and also leaves a number of people in
the ante-room waiting to see him.
A year or so ago. when the original
regiment of millionaireS were always
on hand, they were disposed around the
luncheon table according to their wealth
and position. Mr. Gould took the head
of the table with Russell! Sage on one
side of him and Mr.. Dillon on the other.
Then came DR.. Green, Cyrus Field,
George Gould. l.. A. Hopkins and Gen.
Eckert, and whatever invited guests
there may have been. During the con-
tinued absence of Mr.. Gould, which
dates back now practically to his de-
parture for Europe, about year ago,
the order of precedence, which was
almost as rigid as that observed at an
English drawing-room. has fallen into
neglect. and the luneherS are jumbled
up without much reference to
the number of millions they pos
sess or the number of offices
they hold. Naturally the conversation
during luncheon hour sayors of the
shop. Railroads and telegraph matters
are casually discussed. New issues of
bonds and dividends declared by lead
ing companies, prospective passing of
some dividends and the prospective in
crease of other dividends forms, and
has always formed, as a matter
OF course, the staple and stable
many very interesting pieces or
financial news have certainly leaked
out of this room, not perhaps so much
BY reason of the talk of the New York
ers who are mentioned as usually pres
ent there, but through the indiscreet
remarks of outsiders who have lunched
there by invitation.
The luncheon only lasts about half an
hour, and in view of the wealth repre-
scented round the table, is always of the
simplest and most inexpensive char
acter. AS is usual in such cases, it is
furnished by neighboring caterer and
consists of little soup, meat with one
or two vegetables, tea and coffee and
dessert. There was always liquor at
hand, but as matter of fact, it was never
served. Millionaires, and particularly
millionaires who are conducting railroad
deals or who are still operating the stock
market. leave all kinds of stimulantS
very carefully alone. If any man in
the world absolutely needs a clear
head for the successful conduct of his
business that man is mae down
in Wall street. He must think on the
Jump. He has no time to deliberate and
to reyolye things in his mind. so that
his mental faculties must always be
clear, without any kind of cloud rest
ing on them, and ready at all times for
prompt decisions. which are, of course.
the basis of prompt action.
Mr. Gould rarely il ever takes any
thing to drink, and is now, If possible,
more abstemious than he ever was. Mr..
Sage attributes great deal of his sue
cess in life to his good health, and says
that his good health is the result OF mod
crate eating and drinking at regular in
tervals He calls the lunch at the West
ern Union building. dinner" and the
meal which he takes when he goes up
to his house IN Fifth avenue, and which
is served at $50 O'Clock, .'high tea, an
English phrase, which means that
meats and other substantial riands are
a part of the repast. He goes to bed at
10.on orI fat hraa l-faSs in ba