Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-07-04
NOTED MEMS HOBBIES.
PURSUITS IN WHICH THEY FIND THEIR
GREATEST RECREATION.

The Quaint Tastes of Famous Million
Nircs-cOIlectlng All Sorts OF Things
Sermons, Pipes, SILVER, China, Chairs,
Old Laces, Books, All Come to the Net.
A hobby is a natural outlet for a mans
enthusiasm, and'a man who does not have
q hobby of some kind Is not apt to amount
to very much, says the New York Recorder.
A hobby is not necessarily some ridiculous
fad. Many make a hobby of the various
duties Of their daily lives, and some men
who are now millionaires made a hobby
OF their work In their caller life.
Everyone knows Robert Bonner's hobby.
For several years he has devoted most of his
spare time to fast horses. Hewants to own
and drive the fastest trotter in the world.
He gave $4,000 for Maud s. and when
Sunol lowered the 3-year-old record and
came very nearly to Maud SIS record, Mr..
Bonner purchased her for $41 900. Mr.. Bon
ner won't race his horses for money or for
any price. He gets all the enjoyment OF
them himself, and 1t was only after good
deal OF persuasion that he allowed Sunol to
stay In the west and to be given another
chance at q mile record.
Henry Clews prides himself on his house
and devotes a great deal Of time and money
to identifying 1t. He is particularly well
pleased with any one who expresses q de-
sire to go over his house, and one Of the
first rooms he will take a visitor is to the
bath room. He Is said to have expended
$4,000 on this room. The walls, floor, bath,
and In fact every part Of the room Is made
OF onyx.
Many members Of the Vanderbilt family
have hobbies, and as they have plenty OF
money to spend on them, everything that
they have collected is very fine. George
Un to- so hO fol cd Of in
his family. He Is the youngest son of the
late William H., and is now 90 years old.
He Is a great student of art and sculpture
and at the death of his mother the fine
Vanderbilt collection Of pictures and stat
uary will become his. Lately he has de-
veloped Napoleonic mania.
The particular hobby OF William X. VAN
derbilt is the collection of oak carvings.
He has several fine specimens for which
he Las paid very large sums. He is also
fond of growing fruit and small trees, and
has many in the grounds of his summer
residence at Islip, l.. l. He spends great
deal of time and thought on this Islip place
and is making 1t the most perfect summer
house In the country.
Cornelius Vanderbilt has a great collec-
ton Of pieces of china and miniatures con-
nected with Napoleon. Mr.. Hamilton
NICK. Twomby Is interested in the. Louis
XIV period of France, and not long ago he
purchased copy in crayon OF the famous
portrait of Nine. de Pompadour, for which
he paid $4,000.
Ex-Sectetary of the Navy William G.
Whitney has the finest collection of Gobe-
lin tapestries in the country and perhaps
in the world. The walls of the main hall
in his house are entirely concealed from
end to end behind folds of the rarest pat
terms, and several rooms in his house are
similarly decorated. Elbridge t. Gerry Is
another lover of tapestry, and although his
collection Is not so rare as Mr.. Whitney's
the pieces he has are unusually fine. Mr..
Gerry himself purchased many Of them
during his trip abroad.
Mr.. Henry Willard, the railroad mag
nate, Is q musician He is passionately
fond of music of all kinds, and is himself {
good performer on the violincello. Mr.
Willard is fond of playing on the instru
ment, accompanied by his daughter, whC
is first-class pianist.
One of the queerest fads is that of Will
liam II. Treadway, of the firm of r. G. Dul
IL Co. He has most unique collection o
sermons. He has been collecting them fo
the last thirty-four years and nowsSha
moro than 10000. These sermons he ha!
bound himself, and has made an indie.
which is very comprehensive and accurate
Mr.. William Aston goes in for all varietie
OF old china, and is said to have the fines
OOueCJlOu Oh DTeSuon ware Ill Inc WOTIl
He has spent about three ordinary fortune
in collecting it. He also has a very fin
solid silver service.
Mr.. Pierre Lorillard has a fine collection
OF meerschaum pipes, which is said to b
worth about $4,000. One OF his pipes
twenty-four inches long and Is very fin
specimen Of the old style Knickerbocke
pipe. Mr.. Ogden Goelet is another enthU
siastic pipe collector. Some of his pipe
are axOrieitnlv aaYyyad nT Nny-xyiD Groa
has large collection Of meersehaums an
George Gould has some very fine pipes.
Austin Corbin has two crazes. One is
mania for collecting old chairs of ever
variety and the other is his park. Anon
his chairs he has several of the colonii
period, q full suit of genuine Louis Quatorz
furniture chairs of the time of Queen BeE
and one that Is claimed to have held I'll
form Of the renowned William Wallace.
his park, which he Is trying to make 6
natural as possible, he Is having placed q
kinds OF wild animals and 1t is said to
as much as a mans life is worth to ventul
through 1t,
Senator Hawley Of Connecticut is said
own some of the finest violins in the Unitt
States. Theodore Havemeyer also pc
sesses number of valuable instrument
and 1t is said there are one or two Or
monas among them. Cooper Hewitt, ii
son OF eX-Mayor Hewitt has a very fiji
collection OF musical instruments and
claims to be able to play on nearly all
them. Perhaps his friends differ with hill
President Harrison is very fond of bri
n-brac. In his house in Indianapolis
has very rare collection, among whit
are some valuable Greek and Roman COLI
Another hobby of his is II scrap book
which he has q copyof every speech he b
ever made.
Jay Gould's hobby has been collectiI
dollars and when he got enough dollars
change them into railroad stocks a.
bonds. But he now takes great deal
pleasure in watching his flowers grow a
can often be seen, trowel in hand, amo
them. His collection of orchids is said
be worth $250,000.
About the Thumb Ring.
The fashion, occasionally observed,
wearing a ring on the thumb, Is of ancie