Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-12
ALL MEN HAVE HOBBIES.
Some of the Peculiar Diversions Indulge<
by Prominent Men of the Day.
Joe Jefferson Is an artist.

Joe Jefferson is an artist.
Edwin Booth is an enthusiastic whist
player.
Billy Florence is a fisherman. His
chief hobby, though, seems TO be prac-
teal joking.
Oscar ). StrauS, ex-Nlinister to Tur-
key, makes hobby of collecting and
studying books on American history.
George Bancroft, the historian, is
passionateiy fond of roses and has
some of the finest specimens in the
country.
Robert Bonner devotes all his time
and attention to his horses. His mania
is to own the fastest horse on the trot-
ting turf.
George w. Childs, the Philadelphia
journalist and philanthropist, is fond
of collecting authors manuscript, chi
ma, and bric-a-brac.
William Rockefeller is an admirer of
fast horses. He own a three-quarter
mile track at which he treats his friends
to races between his own horses
Cooper Hewitt, son of ex-Mayor
Hewitt, has one of the best collection
of musical instruments in America and
knows how to play on nearly all of
them.
John D. Rockefeller's hobbies are
churches and charities, and he devotes
all his spare time to furthering the in
terests of the Methodist Church. He is
also fond of horses.
Henry Willard, the railroad mag
nate, is passionately fond of music He
is good performer on the violoncello,
and is thoroughly posted on all doings
in the operate world.
Russell Sage is an enthusiastic chess
player. After solving the problem of
the bulls and bears, and puts and calls
on Wall street, he goes home to solve
problems on the chess board.
Mrs. Harrison is a very good painter.
Nearly all the pictures in the Harrison
homestead were painted by her, and
many of them are really works of art.
The President takes a great deal of in
terest in his wife's work.
Jesse Seligman devotes all his spare
time and attention to the Hebrew Or
phan Asylum, improving that institu-
ton and doing what he can to add to
the comfort of the children who live
there. This seems to be perfect hob
by with him.
has one of the finest collections of for
eign stamps in the world and devotes
great deal of his spare time in ar
ranging them and sticking them in
albums according to their classified
ton. Another hobby is his baby.
Bryton Ives, of Wall street, has per-
haps the finest and most valuable col
lection of old manuscripts, missals and
rare books in the country. He attends
all the sales and frequently sends COM
missions to the book sales that take
place in Europe, and is considered
well-posted photographer.
w. E. Kimball, the great tobacconist,
has the finest collection of orchids in
the country. He has spent fabulous
sums Of money to buy some of the
rarest of these queer plants that could
be found. He devotes a great deal of
his time in studying and watching their
growth.
Henry Clews, of Wall street fame,
devotes all his spare time and attention
to his house. You can take his atten-
ton away from his business if you be-
gin to talk about his house. and he is
perfectly delighted when anybody re-
quests to be taken over the building.
His bathroom is of solid onyx, and cost
$4,000.
John Wanamaker, the Postmaster
General, has been busy man all his
life. His only hobby is the Sunday
school which is connected with Bethany
Church in Philadelphia. He is so
wrapped up in the success of this Sun
day-school that he is frequently caught
neglecting his business to discuss Sum
day-school matters.
Charles A. Dana finds recreation
among the flowers. His flowers have
taken prizes at the flower shows in this
vicinity for number of years and al
ways form one of the most attractive
exhibits at the show. He is especially
fond of chrysanthemum and has thous-
ands of varieties of these curious plants
in his garden.
Jay Gould's hobby seems to have
been collecting dollars; but in addition
to this very interesting collection,
which now numbers several millions,
he is very fond of flowers. He has per-
haps, the finest conservatory in the
country, and he works among his flow
ers and rare plants in this conservatory
just as his gardener would.
President Harrison is very fond of
bric-a-brac. In his house in Indian
apolis he has rare collection, among
which are some very valuable Greek
and Roman coins. He also keeps a
scrap-book, in which he has a copy of
all the speeches he has ever made,
This scrap-book was very useful when
General Lew Wallace was compiling
his autobiography.
William Waldorf Astor, who is heir
presumptive to about 5000, 900, 900, is
a very model young man for Million
aires son. He is good bushes man,
and has no particular hobby. He is
moderately fond of horses and yacht
ing, and is good fencer and boxer.
He is a man of strong literary and ar
tistic tastes, and if he had not been
millionaire's son he would probably
have been an artist.-PjttSburg Dis
patch.