Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-07-05
APPROACH TO OGONTZ.

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 a
Philadelphia man, but in reality he is a
western product, and that which is
Philadelphian 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
12 every day he leaves to catch train
of the Reading railroad and go to his
country place at Chelten Hills, some
eight miles from town. Mr.. Cooke gives
enough time to his Office to keep in touch
with current affairs, and to give gen
eral supervision over his business inter
ests. But his heart seems to be in the
broad fields of his farm, and his affec-
tions are pinned to the trees which shade
his lawn. Once there he is no longer
the banker OF railroad magnate, but the
enthusiastic farmer watching 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 cattle,
sheep, swine and horses is decided upon
by him in person, 1t is his habit to
gather with his own hands the first
crops of early vegetables, fruits and ber-
ries,- and his success in kitchen garden
ing has been so great that all about
Philadelphia he is noted for being
always a little ahead of his neighbors.
There is nothing of the nabob at any
time in Mr.. Cookies appearance, but he
gives up in the country 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 those
substances he places upon it for its en-
richment 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 suitable to the
employment OF farmer who lends a
hand whenever he feels inclined. His
hothouses furnish him with all the
luxuries possible, and everything about
the place is complete. The pic-ure here
given shows Mr.. Cookies house very
fairly, and makes any description un.
necessary.
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 al
Sandusky, o. The old chief frequently
visited the home of Mr.. 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
MI Cooke takes its name, and "OgOntz'
and its hospitalities are known far and
near.
Mr.. Cooke has other places beside this
and he is now at one of them with hi.
son, Jay Cooke, Jr., and the children Of
the latter. This place is in Lycomina
county, Pa, where he has hunting
lodge. The brooks about there are aliy,
with trout, and he is now hunting thest
wary beauties in their chosen pools. II,
has another lodge in Cumberland couu
ty, Pa, at Pine Grove, where he own,
some 10000 acres of forest land. Mucl