St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-20

values was so great JhaG not MAN In
the length and breadth of the land failed
to feel the effect of the shock. FOrtu-
nately, however. each'of these men had
recovered from his difficulties just as the
business prosperity Of the country sur
vived the blow it received when Jay
Cooke & Co. suspended payment; and
again many years later when, after the
railroad had been finished and the sacri-
fees he had made to that end had been
made public by Mr.. Willard, he was
compelled to sever his connection with
the company he had controlled. When
it was known what treasure had been
spent in building the road the public
lost confidence in nearly all railroad
property and it's management, and the
result was temporarily disastrous.
No disaster, however. appeared great
enough to shake the confidence of
either of these men, and that confidence
has brought to each of them ample re-
ward. The elder of these men. Jay
Cooke. IS typical American, with firm
faith in big things. His character is
laid out in broad lines, and there is
nothing narrow In his mind or life. He
is counted as Philadelphia man, but
in reality he is Western product, and
that which is Philadelphia about him
has come to him not by nature but by
contact, Just as fair hands and cheeks
become brown when tanned by the sun.
He spends every morning in his office
in Fourth street in Philadelphia, but
shortly before IL every day he leaves to
catch train of the Reading railroad
and go to his country place at Chelton
Hills. some eight miles from town. MI.
Cooke gives enough time to his Office to
keep in touch with current affairs and
to give a general supervision over his
business interests. But his heart seems
to be IN the broad fields of his farm, and
his affections are pinned to the trees
which shade his lawn. Once there he
is no longer the banker or railroad mag
nate, but the enthusiastic farmer watch
ing with keen interest the marvellous
and ineXplicable changes which occur
from day to day in the vegetable world
as the sun shines and the rains fall.
Everything in relation to the rotation
of crops, the purchase and sale of cat
tie, sheep, swine and horses is decided
upon by him in person. 1t is his habit
to gather with his own hands the first
crop of early vegetables, fruits and ber-
rieS, and his success in kitchen
gardening has been so great that
all about Philadelphia he is noted
as being always little ahead
of his neighbor5. There is nothing of
the nabob at any time in Mr.. Cookies
appearance, but he gives up in the coun-
try even the little Difference he pays to
convention while in town, and on the
roads and in the fields he looks like
very farmer, not afraid of the soil he
cultivates or the substance he places
upon it for its enrichment. His famous
soft hat. which twenty years ago was so
familiar in Wall street, is laid aside for
an old straw contrivance of generous
brim, and rough clothes are put on suit
able to the employment of farmer who
lends a hand whenever he feels in
clined. His lighthouses furnish him
with all the luXurieS possible, and
everything about the place is complete.
In niche of the staircase is a bronze
medallion of the famous Seneca chief
Ogontz, who was known to Mr.. Cooke
when he was little boy and lived at
Sandusky, o. The old chief frequently
visited the home of MI. Cookies parents
and carried the little lad about on his
shoulders, teaching him many secrets
of hunting and fishing. 1t is from this
Indian chief that the country place of
Mr.. Cooke takes its name, and Ogontz
and its Inequalities are known far and
near.
MI. SUOkG ldS OtllCI pldCCS DtSitttS
| this, and he is now at one of them with
his son, Jay Cooke Jr., and the children
| of the latter. This place is in Lycom-
ing county, Pennsylvania, where he has
hunting lodge. The brooks about
there are alive with trout, and he is
now hunting these wary beauties in
their chosen pools. He has another
| lodge in Cumberland county, Pennsyl-
vania, at Pine Grove, where he owns
some 10000 acres of forest land. Much
charcoal is made here, and there is also
big output of fine charcoal iron.
When Mr.. Cooks firm failed he gave
up everything for the benefit Of his
| creditors, and, though there was much
! loud clamor at first, he preserved at all
times the sincere respect of those who
| knew him and his aims and objects.
| Long before this he settled in full with
all Of his personal creditors, and for
several years past he has been again
counted among the American million
aires; and in Philadelphia, at least, he
| is now one of the factors in the large
financial affairs.
Henry Willard is another kind of a
| man from Mr.. Cooke. He is of German
birth, and was already man when he
| came to this country some twenty five