The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-05-30
Miss Tessie Fair Will Marry One
in Herman Oelrichs.
HE HAS ENJOYED LIFE QUIETLY
AS Becomes Man of Wealth and Social
POsition-He is at Home in Society, the
Sea or the Ranch.


blades, some might say the Mark Antony, as
ever. No detail of his personality indicates how
much puzzled is the average man about him
as that OF his age. Even during the last few
weeks this has been placed at all sorts of
figures, from thirty-six to fifty years. Let this
doubt be set ut rest June s, 1850, in Baltimore,
was the exact date of his birth, and he is young
for his years. He became prominent in social
political and financial circles, by no startling
episode or heroic actions, but by average
traits of character and gifts of temperament,
which won for him prestige in various direc-
lions. He became the head of the firm of Gel
richs & Co., almost before any of his friends or
relatives realized it. He is exceedingly quiet
in his business methods but effective in attain
Ing substantial results. The social prestige of
his mothers family gave him the entree to
over with Lord Baltimore and the Mays who
married into that family, have not forgotten the
fact nor allowed others to forget it. Although
educated in quiet Baltimore, he grew up as
boy in New York, and after an elaborate educa
ton in Germany, returned to the city of his
adoption TO fill what has really been his most
important role, that of a man about town. His
careerin this capacity dates from 1871. The
foundation of his reputation as early poll
tlcian bonvivant and financier were all well laid
when Miss Fair had attained the grandiose age
OF one.
Among Mr. Oelrchs' early afinties was the
beautiful Miss Fannie Work, now Mrs Burke
Roche. Oelrichs has always been passionate
admirer of beauty and Miss Work was exceed
ingly beautiful. About the same time Mr.. Gel
richS was paying attention to the daughter OF
his banker friend the late Mr.. Montague, the
actor, was also in attendance. The cause of
Oelrichs' break with Miss Work was character
stic He was an intimate friend of Montague,
as was also the young ladyS father, Frank
Work. 1t was Miss Works disdain of Mon
tague on account of his profession that angered
the spirited young Herman and caused the
glamour of her beauty to fade from his eyes.
Miss Work married Roche out Of pique and
Oelr1chS went west oftener than ever. fear
less rider with spirit for adventure that moth
ing could subdue, Oelrichs became the hero of
many an incident, mythical and true. How
ever, he kept up his membership at the differ
ent clubs and although being for the time
cowboy he never forgot he was city man. His
return to New York was always an event with the
gay set of which he was the most prominent
member. Archie Belmont, James Gordon Ben
nett Ikey Bell jr.. afterwards minister to the
Netherlands; Schuyler Crosby, who had that
little difference with Russell Harrison Martin
and Travis G. Van Buren,, grandSonS of the IA
nous President Van Buren,; and Wright San
| ford OelrichS made himself both useful and
| entertaining to this merry crew. The OelrichS
cocktail is still known all over Manhattan
island, and its fame has crossed the water. 1t
| is favorite beverage with the Duke of Beau
| forts set in London.
AS a married man, Mr.. Oelrichs ought to be
| able to maintain an excellent cuisine, as the
| following incidents will show. About Christ
mas year ago. during the course of an after
| dinner conversation, Colonel John R. Fellows,
district attorney of New York remarked that
no one ever tasted perfect dish of terrapin
unless it had been prepared by Mr.. Oelrichs.
| There were quite number of local politicians
present who thought they knew some
thing about terrapin. Frank L. Palmer,
Judge Maurice j. Power, Fred Loud
and gentleman only known to fame
as 'Terrapin Tom" These worthless of New
| York local politics disputed Mr.. OelrichS'
rights to the palm. '"Fhen let US have a contest
| and decide this matter quietly" remarked Eel
| lows. Each OF you shall bring dish and the
most famous terrapin you can obtain, and am
willing you should all be judges of the feast"
''Terrapin Tom sent to Philadelphia for his
sample, procuring three different samples from
Philadelphia caterers. There was also dish
| of terrapin from Washington, one from Balti-
| timore and two from New York restaurants
including the famous Trayers variety. Mr.
| Oelrichs cooked his terrapin az home and
warmed it over in chafing dish at the private
apartments where the contest took place. Each
dish was numbered by an outsider, and the
| judges wrote their opinions on a card. Number
= was the winning number, and it was then dis
! covered that No. had the name of Herman
OelrichS after it, on the list which had been pre-
pared before the beginning of the contest. This
prize winning DISH strange to relate did not
| contain one drop of Madeira or any other wine.
| Terrapin, butter salt and pepper were the only
! ingredients used.
a prince in trifes is Herman Oelrichs L
pass over little episodes of Mr.. OelrichS' gal
lantry which have connected his name with the
! beauty and genius of the stage. 1t is quite
| unnecessary to say, however, that Mr.. Oelrchs'
chlvalry has always been quite equal to his ap.
| probation of charm. Living in the hot bed of
luxury, he has remained q trained athlete and
prudent man of business, for surely a man to
whom ocean swimming is a pasttime is not to
! be confounded with the green room lounger
| Most New York men of fashion think Just from
| Seabright to Long Branch long enough for q
ride and quite too long for walk Oelrichs
thinks nothing OF swimming this distance in the
ocean. In 1888 he came near having
been carried out to sea by the
tide, but he was entirely oblivious
of the fact. He was rescued by friend who
happened to be cruising about at the time. 1t was
with quite some difficulty he was induced to 90
on board. On his return to shore he was asked
whether he was alarmed at mis- narrow escape.
mo-, said he quietly. but was hungry and it
was lunch time Besides escaping a watery
grave. Miss Fairs future husband narrowly
missed being burned to death, and this in the
very midst OF his wooing- Last year his bachelor
quarters near the Union club, the property OF
James Gordon Bennett took fire, and had it not
been for the promptnesS of the fire department
there would be no wedding to celebrate or
chronicle. The death Of Wright Sanford was a
great blow to Oelrichs. The Monday suppers
given in their apartments were feature OF
the gayer side of New York life They
were such affairs as Theophile Gauthier aud
scribe in Paris. Sometimes these SupperS were
chaperoned and sometimes they were not The
two hundred quite as often as the -four hun
dred" were perfect. In matters OF this kind
OelrichS is more than man; he is an artist
VIII the husband of Senator Fairs heircss ever
be mayor OF New York city: The best judges oil
political fortunes here say not. Oelrichs is q
politician for the same reason that he is every
thing else-it is o part of his many-Sided char
acter as a man of the world, but he will never
sacrifice pleasure to ambition. He MAY
be minister to Paris or Vienna
but he does not really aspire to be
mayor of this city, or President of the United
States, yet he has frequently been named. fol
the former position, and several of his devotees
have been rash enough to think he might some
day be the dark horse in presidential race
AS it is, however, he represents the Demo
cratic party in its national committee, and nc
doubt pulls an athletic stroke during important
political campaigns.
He fell in love with Miss Fair in 1887. an(
has since been continuously devoted to her /
is undoubtedly fact that it was the persistence
and tact which he displayed in his courJshiI
which won the day. Mr.. w. II. Gilbert's savin!
is amply vindicated in his case 1T is not 81
much the gallant who .woos as the gallant.
way of woong"
A report reached the city from California to
day that Herman Oelrichs, who is to marry Mis-
TeSsie Fair in San Francisco on June g. had or
dered 2S0-ton steam yacht to be built for hin
in this City and 10 be ready for him upon his ar
rival i'll Now York, his intention being to TAX
his bride on cruise along the Mediterranean
coast. 1t was also reported that Mr.. Oelrich
had engaged a cottage at Princess garden
Cowes. for the summer.
) Mr. Thomas Manning, of Manning's yachtin
agency, when shown the Geographic messag
containing the above report. said: 'There is n
truth whatever in 1t, as have chartered for MI
Oelrichs the steam yacht stranger belonging Il
MIR. George S. Scott. The Stranger is now ur
derOOinp EXPANSIVE rpDairs Mt rI,-