The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-11
HIVE OF BUSY WORKERS
THE MEN WHO TOLL IN THE MILLS
BUILDING.

Cleveland, William C. Whitney,
Secretary Tracy, Dan Lamont, Henry
Clews, and Henry Willard Among
the Tenants.
(Copyrtaht)
NEW YoRK, Sept 10.-There are more
celebrities in the great Mills building, on
Broad street, opposite the New York Stock
Exchange. than in any other building in
New York. 1t is a 9-story structure, with
entrances on Broad and Wall streets and
Exchange place, and has population of a
good-sized town. 1t numbers two possible
presidential candidates, one ex-President Of
the United States, one ex-cabinet officer IN
der Cleveland, the Secretary of the Navy in
Harrison's cabinet, one of the most remark
able of the presidential private secretaries,
a famous orator and former secretary to
Gen. Grant, former reporter now a mill
ionaire, lightning members of the stock ex-
change and financiers worth from S.. 900, 900
to $50, 900, 900, including Darius Q. Mills,
the father-in-law of Wbitelaw Reid, the
republican candidate for Vice President.
The lives of these mel would fill volumes.
Glance at them briefly at random.
William G. Whitney, Secretary of the
Navy in Mr.. Cleveland's cabinet, has offices
on the fourth story, being identified with
the Metropolitan Traction Company. He
is also interested in the Standard Oil
Company, the New York Loan and I'm
provement Company, the New York Life
Insurance Company and various railroad
corporations. He Is, withal, so well known
1t is impossible to tell anything new about
him.
Henry Willard is another distinguished
tenant Of this building. He used to be a
reporter and has a persuasive tongue. He
is disliked by men who have not the wealth
that calls forth his elOquence. Berlin
bankers are said. moreover, to be getting q
little tired Of the man of talk rather than
deeds. He is of the build of Mirabeau,
With some OF his mag letism. Thea there
are the Wormsers and the Seligmans, with
semitic genius for monetary accumulation.
The boutOnnjeres of Isidor Wormser make
him one OF the Wall street sights. So does
his Pirate of Penzance collars.
Henry Clews who the Duke of Marlborough
says Is the smartest man he ever met, is in-
trenched in a financial Gibraltar on the
ground floor, with able lieutenants In the
persons Of James Blauch ard Clews and
John Clews, his nephews. Henry Clews
came from Statfordshire, England, aud it is
curiou, fact that he was originally de-
signed for the N nistry. | asked him this
question: ITO what one thing more thaa
anything else do you attribute your success
in Wall streetn And he answered, ITO
minding my own business and to applying
myself closely to it. / work steadfastly
with a set purpose all the time, aud that
means success
Emerson said that the secret of success
was concentrate The sage of Concord
and the practical man Of Wall street are
here in agreement.
Mr.. Clews is a member Of the Union Club
and the Union League. He lives in one Of
the uptown palaces of New York and has a
fine collection of pictures. He is a man of
very domestic habits and very temperate.
be does not smoke, and gives it as a reason
that his father did not smoke before MIN,
and that he has always folio we'd to advau-
tage the good example OF bis father. Fur
thermore, he does not require the weed, as
be is full OF natural stimulant and does
not feel the need Of anything artificial.
James Blanchard Clews, who at 80 years
or age. is one of the successful young men
OF Wall street, is member of the Union
League and OF the Manhattan Athletic
Club He used to reside in Buffalo, where
he boarded in the same house with Grover
Cleveland. John Clews is a Brooklynite
and may be seen every day among the
shouting throngs on the stock exchange.
MODEST MERIT.
Benjamin F. Tracy, now Secretary of the
Navy, is one of the firm of Tracy, 1ard-
man q Platt, who are located on the fourth
story. Mr.. Tracy was there the other day.
He frequently comes on from Washington.
he is a well-built man of medium hight,
with closely cropped gray beard. He is
about 90 years old and came from near
Us EeRo, in this state He was born
of very humble parentage, and to
this day his rather eccentric father
gees harefOoted, as In years gone by. Mr..
Tracy taught school in rough locality near
Owego and lost his left eye in a fight with
the bully of the school. The bully ia ques-
tton had soundly thrashed all of Mr. Tracy's
predecessors in the pedagogue'8 chair, but
was nearly killed in his encounter with
Schoolmaster Tracy. Mr.. Tracy went to
the war as a captain, was promoted to be
colonel Of his regiment and reached the
rank Of general. He presided at she New
York state convention in 1888 which nomi-
mated Warner Miller for governor, and in
the same year, ex-senator Thomas H. Platt
having the appointment Of a cabinet officer
in his control, he selected ME. Tracy for
Secretary of the Navy. He is man Of
could have this place he said: 81 can never
hold that position after William c. Whit
ney."
He is Of a generous nature. That was
shown not merely by the above remark but
by the commentator which he bestowed
upon his predecessor in one of his reports
accompanying the Presidents message. He
Is of hand in his manners and yet deliber-
ate in speech. He is careless in dress and
goes around with his hands in his pockets.
He is hard worker. a plodder, a faithful
and a safe man for any duties which he cares
to undertake. He took the cabinet position
with reluctance, and it is a striking fact
that if he had yielded to his modest disin-
clination to assume that high office he would
have escaped a calamity which has dark
ened his recent years. This was the loss OF
his wife and daughters by fret his Wash
ington residence.
The intimacy and the friendship, almost
as close as that OF Damon and Pythias.
which existed for years between Mr.. Tracy
and ex-senator Platt is not generally
known. They were children together in
Oswego, played pranks on passers.by,
played base ball in the same nine and col
Elaborated in writing campaign songs when
M. Platt kept drug store in Owego. Sec
rotary Tracy has a good many political
enemies in Brooklyn, his home, but also
many warm friends. His enemies accuse
him Of putting the patronage of the navy
department under the OWL service rules.
Gen. Horace Porter's erect and soldierly
figure is familiar in the great building. He
is 80 years older than at the battle of
Chickamauga, and the imperial IS gray aud
time has touched the fearless face here and
there, but be is the same popular gentle
man, as quiet and modest as though he had