The morning news., 1889-03-11
QUEER FADS OF BIG MEN.
COLLECTING OLD EDITIONS OF
THE BIBLE.

Bathing in Violet Water at S5 Per
Quart-CoL Fred Grants Diamond
Studded Match safe-Mrs. Langtry's
Gloves and the Literary Aspirations
of the Vanderbilts.
(CopUright 1897
NEW YORK, March 9-Sone Of the hob
bies pursued by our ell-known and wealthy
citizens are very costly.
Brayton Ives, the Tel-known financier
and society man, is a bibliophile. This
may not seem to be an expensive pursuit.
but Mr.. Ives manages to spend a good deal
of money upon it. Only the other day he
spent some 81 200 upon rare copy Of an
early edition of the Holy Writ.
1t is a somewhat peculiar fact that while
the Vanderbilt family have hobbies, they
are of an intellectual and religious turn.
Pretty much every person of wealth and
position attended the great fancy costume
bali few weeks ago. 1t was the social
event of the season. Cornelius Vanderbilt
instead of going to the ball sent some other
members of his family, and himself went to
lecture at the New York Historical So
ciety. Historical research is one of his
hobbies.
Frederick W. Vanderbilt is r.ore nter-
ested in collec ting rare books and manu-
scripts, and in assisting in the work of the
Young Mems Christian Association than in
ANYTHING else.
The millionaire George Law, who is so
often written of, has another kind of a
hobby II is to associate with SPORTS and
prize fighter, to wine them and dine them,
ard make them costly presents, asking
nothing in return but that they shall concur
in his opinion that he is a greater pugilist
than Spllivsn himself.
Henry Clews is one of the most successful
financiers in New York and the head of a
great no Sc. But it is MIR. Clews' ambition
to be rated a litera eur.
William Waldorf Astor, ex-United States
minister to italy, is another man whose
greatest ambition is to be a novelist.
Pretty much every one knows the fad of
Hon James w Hustled, who was so many
times speaker Of the assembly. 1t is the
collection of scarf pins and scarfs. 1t is
said he has a different scarf pin for every
dav Of the legislature ald each OF an origi-
nal design, too.
Col. Ere Grant has match box which
engages about as much of his attention as
anything else. 1t is a handsome affair
being of Roman gold studded with dia-
one ulhIlblu III inc COllocLlOu lb as
large as pea, and it is by pressing upon
this that the box is opened. The box was
given to ex-President Grant by the Shah
Of Persia The colonel is never tired of
showing it, and of talking about it.
Ex-Mayor Hewitt's hobby is the study of
our coinage system, and his ambition IS to
write a work that will help settle the ques-
tions of the coinage Of gold and silver which
are now puzzli G Europe and America. He
ha, Of nar1fo hao
ing upon the matter.
Lew Dockstader, the well-known min
strel, has queer passion for pepper and
salt business suits, and has any number of
them.
Pierre Lorillard is not so much taken up
with his big business as with open air sports
aud a love of antiquities of all kinds and
from anywhere. He has paid out a good
deal for the latter.
Norvin r. Green, who is at the head Of
the Western Union Telegraph Company,
has his queer ways too. One is to walk up
TO the y stor house bar at 4:30 o'clock every
day. He says not word, but the waiter
mixes him drink of which the principal
ingredient is rye whisky. He pays for it
and disar pears, still without word.
BILLY" Florerfce s a slave to his hobby,
which is salmon fishing. He is said to have
the best collection of hooks and o her ap-
pliances for the pursuit of this fine sport in
the country. Billy also has a weakness
for practical joking.
Ned" Harrigsn, the author and actor,
when not engaged upon his plays, finds mis-
chief enjoyment in hunting through the
second hand clothes store, or driving bar
gains with Irish or Italian laborers on the
Sc, eets for tue fearful and wonderful gar
ments that are worn in his stage representa-
tions
SAM Carpenter, the well known rail
road man. does not care for theaters or So
cial affairs, but he has a weakness for
stuyding up and affecting upon his lends
the queere and most unexpected jokes.
Judge Patrick Gavan Duffy is the best
known and most original OF New Yorks
police magistrates. 1t is his fad to wander
about the corridors of the uptown hotels
with his silk hat on the back of his head,
and enjoy the salu ations of the throngs of
politicians and men about town who know
him.
Mrs. James Brown Potter hss hobby.
She bathes in violes wafer at $5 per quart.
Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt loves flowers
above almost everything. Her drawing
rooms are always well filed with them,
most exquisitelv arranged.
MIS-. Frank Leslie is peculiarly fond Of
rare and costly jewels, and las . fine col
lection of them. Mrs. Pierre Lorillard
has somewhat similar tastes, aud seems to
affect green as a color, having some rare
emerald:
Ella Wheeler Wilcox is said to have a
weakness for cats, as Ms. Frances Hodg-
son Burnett has for children, aud for driv-
ing in handsome cabs.
VIM F. Howe, the well-known criminal
lawyer, ruus to loud clothing and scarfs
with the heaviest and flashiest jewelry he
can buy His partner affects quiet clothes
but it is in his ambition to rate as the most
industrious theater-goer in New York.
DAVID WECHSLER.