The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-04
aRERLEY,s ECCENTR1C1T1Rs.
An Old Acquaintance Tells Some New
Stories of the Great Editor.

An Old Acquaintance Tells Some New
Stories of the Great Editor.
From the Letciston Journal.
The other day the writer met we'll
known Bangor gentleman, former New
Yorker, who used to be friend of Horace
Greeley. He cherishes the memory of the
great Greeley with the fondeSt regard, and
takes peculiar pleasure in spinning yarns
about his old chum and his eccentricities
The gentleman himself since the death of
his old friend goes about Bangor thorough
fares, dressed as precisely like Mr.. Greeley's
eccentric style as it would be possible for
one man to copy another's apparel. He
commonly wears the same style of coat that
Mr.. Greeley did, and of the same texture.
dis broad-brimmed hat is in all respects
fac simile of the hat the great journalist
always wore. Even his boots, necktie, UNI
brella and blue home-spun stockings ARE
perfect patterns of those articles in Mr.
Greeley's wardrobe Of long ago.
This same gentleman was often seen to
walk into DR.. Chapin's church in New
York city of a Sunday morning, arm in
arm with the famous editor of the New
York Tribune. They invariably came into
church late. Mr.. Greeley always had his
overcoat pockets stuffed full of New York
papers, and generally q big bundle of the
same was under his arm. Mr.. Greeley's
Bangor chum says that commonly the
great editor was in a comfortable doze five
minutes after he reached the church. He
invariably slept through the entire service.
Says the Penobsoot man:
II can see Greeley just as he appeared to
me so many times walking down Broad
way of lively afternoon. Anyone who
didn't know him would certainly have
taken the man for a green farmer from way
back, who had struck great city for the
first time in his life. He habitually looked
the same. | don't think l ever met him
but he wore the same broad bimmed hat,
the same old white overcoat, the same doe
skin pantaloons, the same blue stockings
and the same low-neck shoes. His doe-skin
pantaloons were tight fitting and al
ways short enough so that about an inch
and a half If those blue stockings was visi-
BILE as he wandered about the city. He
habtually kept sauntering gait, and with
an old umbrella tucked under his arm, of
a bright summer day, he was certainly the
most eccentric looking individual who APP
peared on Broadway.
But those blue stockings. the broad-brim-
med hat, the umbrella and all, invariably
received the most deferential respect from
all the New York millionaires and fashion
ables, wheresoever they appeared in New
York CITY. | have often been amused to
see him get into a horse-car. All the
horse-car-drivers in the sections of the city
where he was accustomed to ride knew him
He never hailed a horse-car conductor
Invariably he stood by the car-track as
the car whirled along and jumped onto the
rear platform as the car was in motion. If
a conductor stopped a car for Mr. Greeley,
he would never ride. He took peculiar
pride in jumping onto horse-car when it
was moving rapidly.
"Mr. Greeley took a great deal of com
fort in a picturesque grove at his summer
home in Chappaqua, about 20miles from
the city. 1t was a great hobby of his in
the summer time to get into his grove in
his shirt sleeves, and trim trees the whole
of an afternoon. He never BACKED his
boots, and when finally one New York
City bootblack did get a job on his boots,
he got 81 for it. He often told me after
this historic shine that he was bored to
death with bootblacks, aud said they had
provoked him to the extent that he madea
vow never TO allow a New York bootblack to
touch boot OF his with backing brush
l think Mr.. Greeley spoiled silk handker-
chiefs enough brushing dust and mud Off
his boots to have kept professional boot
black in his regular service.
Greeley was an apple eater. An old,
shriveled up apple woman always kept her
stand in front of the Tribune building
while the great editor in chief lived Mr.
Greeley called this woman his mascot, and
actually hired her to stay in front of the
Tribune building,
"As he came down town in the morning
with the New York papers stuffed in his over
coat pockets (he always bought all the New
York papers before reaching his Office,
where they were on file in exchange for
the Tribune, he habitually stopped at
this apple stand and said: Good morning,
auntie. Got any good apples this moTningp
He at once proceeded to fill his pockets.
He usually took about six then tossed his
mascot a half dollar and said, God bless
you. auntie,' as be wandered into the Tri-
bune building The morning after Mr.
Greeley's death there was no apple stand
i'll front of the Tribune building, and the
mascot has never been seen in New York
city since.
'"Greeley and Delmonico, the fashionable
New York city caterer, were great friends
Greeley was the only poorly dressed man
who was allowed to dine at Delmonico's,
I've heard. If a man presented himself at
the entrance 10 Delmonicos and didn't
wear a custom-made suit, and immaculate
linen, a colored waiter in a swallow-tail
coat generally appeared with a silver sal
yer, and presenting him with Delmonico's
card, politely showed him the door. | have
seen Greeley 60 into the fashionable entrance
on the corner of Fourteenth street and Fifth
avenue, in spring time, carrying a basket
full of empty tomato cans. which he had
a use for to put around his tomato plants
The face of the colored waiter was beaming
with smiles, however, as he bowed up to
Mr.. Greeley and gave him a seat OF the best
table. No one but Greeley could have dined
at Delmonico's and fetched into the grand
dining hall basket full of empty tomato
cans. recollect on one occasion of meeting
Mr.. Greeley on Broadway with 81 stand
on his back, making long strides for the rail
road station to catch the Chappaqua train"