Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-03-06
Mr.. orreNpoaeeR's OPPOSITION TO
the PROJECTED BUILDING.
III. Eamity To Tsmmanv-Long brsncn
in Decsv-Whst Mr.. winners D'o
for It-Mayorsity-sargsr

at Albany and have been repeaisu y, sno
newspapers. and finally the buiiuink oo..-
mission. being forced to select a sue out
side of the park, has concludeo 70 sPPt,o-
prlate the triangular square neni 'no
bridge entrance known as Iryon square.
The souih end of this square Is adorned py
the bnilding of the Stdats- Zenung, one Oh
the handsomest structures IL lower new
York. Mr.. Ottendorfer, the PROPRIETOR
has been manitesting hostility 10 lahlns-
No Hall for some time in his newspaper,
and he now claims that the proposed
Condemnation and appropriation OF
his property is simply retaliation ana
persecution on the part OF Iam-
many and Mayor Grant. L 90 ho' pe
lieve this. for the simple reason tnat .nis
site has been under discussion l9l y. Ieas'
three wears. or before MI Otteh4 Tn', uv
gan TO make his hostility TO Iaihinsny
fall seriously felt Viewed from as
tance Mr.. 0ttendorfer has always struck
me a. n gentleman inclined to exaggerate
his Importance very much. lie wears MS
skin wrong side out and Is nearly always
ready to manifest his 5ensitiyeness. MS
intellectual ability IS not great, anu
his chief distinction comes from .he
fact that he owns the most prohtaole 1 d
man newspaper IN the Uplted ota.es. sf.i'
Sio1ts- Zeii,inJ was established some hfty-
eight wears ago. In 1884 it fell into the
hands of German printer named IN.
His wife was remarkable woman. que
was indeed his helpmate and partner.
While Mr.. Uhl looked after the mecnahl-
cal department of the llttle newspaper ms
wife superintended the business end OF II,
and TO her sagacity and energy nuch OF
the success of the newspaper IS due.
HE MARRIED THE WIDOW.
She was one of the first to reach the
business Office every day. and one OF the
last To leave. and her influence was felt
throughout the entire establishment: Sir'
Ottendorfer in time became clerk In the
Office. After Mr. Uhls death he married
the widow. While she lived and Kept her
health she retained close grip upon the
business affairs of the paper. and AT her
death II was so well grounded that no sort
of Encouragement could shake or as
paraoe #. She was an exceedingly
beneyoIent woman, and she has LETT
traces of her beneficence throughout this
city. Mr.. Otteudorfer has haroored i0r
years al idea that he could make himseil
q great power politically IN TINS country.
| am told that he has even entertaiheu tue
idea that be might be elected mayor OF THIS
CITY. | have heard it said, when promi-
nent Germans were spoken of III connec-
ton with that office, that MIR. Ottendorter
would never support u man OF German ex-
traction for mayor because he had not
been permitted to enjoy that office himself.
He fell ont with Mayor Hewitt on account
of his ldiotic prejudice against forelgn-porn
citizens. and in small way helped 10 elect
Mr.. Grant.mayor. Shortly afterward zen
away from the administration. ana recent
lv he has been quite bitter IN his enmlty 10
Tammany and its bosses. While eminent
"a a reformer. NJ. Ottendorfer has never
failed 10 have a candidate for pretty much
every Office in the gift of the people. Not
long ago he insisted upon having one OF
his pro'eges sent 10 Congress. de asks
great deal politically and gives yery little
in return, so the Tammany people say, ana
the quarrel which has taken place was not
an unlooked-for development. Mr.. often
dorfer is now an old man and his healtn Is
sadly broken. He takes the proposition TO
appropriate his fine property seriously 70
heart. His wealth is estimated at S5.OOO,-
600.
THE END OF LONG BRANCH.
II seems 10 me that the death OF David
Durham WIthers puts an end 10 Long
Branch as a summer resort. Two years
ago. when last visited that place, 1t struck
me that its days were numbered. Inc
beautiful driveway along the blum had
been pretty thoroughly eaten away by the
waves: dog fennel was growing in the
| front yards of the cottages, and there was
an air of dilapidatlon and neglect
which bespoke village which had
| long ago seen its cllmacterIc. The
Monmouth-Park race-course was all
| that seemed 10 be drawing patron
age 10 the few hotels, and the blow
| which the town received last year by the
| LEGAL interference with the races, followed
| now by the death of the man who was
| alone imparting life to the town, ends the
| place as a fashionable resort. OF course
| the beautiful hotels at Hollywood and the
| handsome cottages at Elberon Will con-
| tnue to lmpart life and beauty TO the
| lower end Of the once great resort, but we
snail never see Long Branch IN its glory
again. Speaking Of Mr.. Withers. | see
| that he lett fortune estimated at some
| thing like 80, 1000, 0OO The bulk of this
| he made out of his race-course
| and his breeding farm at Brook
| dale. ~. j. Mr.. Witbers was an
| autocratic, strong-willed man, and since
| the death of Mr. Belmont has been re-
| garded as about the only man connected
| with racing in this country who was moved
| by a lofty purpose touching the turf. He
| mad the old southern idea that horse
| racing was q great and noble sport, ana he
had no sympathy whatever with the MERGE
| nary gamblers and bOok-makers who have
| dragged the pastime down TO the level of
| bunco and Skin" faro. He had no SYM
| patty for the men who gallop horses in
| snow and mud in order that a lot
| of professional gamblers may have some
| thing to wager money on. As the
| head OF the Racing Board of Con-
| troll he antagorhzed the blackleg gentry
| and invited their united hostility-much
| 10 his detriment and loss. Mr.. Witherss
| new race-course at Long Branch must have
Il l. 81 Of IGll orc
| What its future will be nobody can fore
| tell for the reason that the State of New
/ jersey is not showing very warm side to
sports of the turf at present, and few peo-
| pie will care toInvest in such an important
| piece of property without the assurance
| of non-interterence with their business.
| Mr.. James Gordon Bennett was partner
| with Sir. Withers in the Monmouth Park
| Racing Association, likewise Messrs. A. j.
| Cassatt and John A. Morris. the Louisiana
Lottery man. Mr.. Withers was the only
sportsman OF the old school in the comb
nation. He never lost his faith in the fu
| ture of racing in tins country. and up &c
| the last moment was trying to establish
his ideal. which was an English race
| course under the patronage OF rich anC
distinguished men. His death has proba
bly, spared him the spectacle of further
humiliation and degradation of what wa
once regarded in this country as the tru'
sport of gentlemen. The ethics of horse
racing. in my opinion, are likely to grow
much worse in this country before they
grow better.
CROKER AND THE MAYoRALTY.
One of the newspapers here the other
day. discussing the mayoralty, made the
| rather startling announcement that Rich
ard Croker barbored designs upon thai
Office and would probably have himselt
| nominated therefor this fall. From wha'
know of Mr. Croker / cannot believe
that he contemplates any such political
| move. At the same time, If he has any
intention of that kind, he will never have
a better opportunity tor gratifying bis
ambition. This being presidential year
Tammany Hall is pretty certain &c
pull its ticket through. After that
the trouble will begin. The organ.
| ization is growing so strong that 1t IL
| pretty CERTAIN to fall apart by reason of It's
| own weight. Every form of dissatisfac-
| ton will manifest itself after the PresI-
dent is chosen. and the probabilities are
that il will be many years before Tammany
is as strong and defiant as il is TO-DAY. Its
inability 10 furnish Offices to everybody
who makes a demand is naturally creating
dissenson, and when this aggregates
sufficiently there will be q protest
of some kind which will make the
nucleus for q grand Bipartisan rally.