The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-31
HOW THE RICH RECEIVE.
Extraordinary Adventures at the
Home Of John D. Rockefeller.
Mrs. Russell Sage Interviewed-Mrs
Cornelius Vanderbilt Was Dressing,
But Mrs. Richard Croker Talks.
(Copyright.)

But Mrs. Richard Croker Talks.
(Copyright)
New York, Dec. 31.-NO one who has
ever casually noted the, proceedings of
blaekmailers and cranks, so far as their
proceedings become matter of public
concern, can have failed TO be impressed
by the apparent ease with which they
gain access to their victims. Unbalanced
or INSCRIPTIONS nobodies might be ex-
pected to encounter obstacles in securing
interviews with persons of the first i'm
portance. Yet the experiences of the as
sassin Prendergast with Carter Harrison
and of the woman celia Nicolaus with
George Gould point to an opposite con-
clusion. To test this matter l determined
to paw a personal visit to some of the
most noted men and women in the coun-
try, all total strangers to me, and to every
one of whom l was quite unknown. [
would simply call at the house of my vic
tim, send up my name, politely decline to
state the nature of my business and await
developments.
John D. Rockefeller's family seemed
promising, from my point of view, and l
determined to make beginning in that
QIHCblOu IL uloS bO RAOPNA " AACAbAOh
here that wore my ordinary, everyday
clothes, assumed my customary manner
and have every reason to belive, upon the
authority of my tailor and others, that 1
looked like a respectable member of the
community. Accordingly set out.
The Rockefellers live in one of New
Yorks most substantial neighborhoods,
namely, at No. West F'ifty-fourth street.
Just as turned into that thoroughfare
and had caught glimse of the SloO,O0O,-
600 oil magnate's house, two women &C
costed me. One of them pointed to the
edifce l was about to invade, if L could,
and said
O''Whose house is that, sir, pleasef'
The woman who addressed me was
young and very pretty. She was a tall
blonde, richly dressed and, like her aged
companion, seemed to be in luxurious
mourning. l replied that it was John D.
Rockefeller's house. Thereupon the pair
proceeded towards Fifth avenue and 1
proceeded towards the Rockefeller front
door.
I waited fully two minutes before any
one appeared in answer TO my ring. Then
a tall, dark-haired young woman opened
the door. She was dressed entirely in
white and had white cap on her head.
rs Mrs Rockefeller in?" l inquired.
have neglected to mention that the oil
magnate's front doors are merely i'm
mense pieces of plate glass with carved
wood frames. Beyond them were heavy
vestibule doors. The trim vision in white
first opened the veStibule doors and
closed them carefully after her. Then
she stationed herself so as to command a
full view of me through the glass and fix
ing her eyes upon my face, assumed an
attitude of attentive scrutiny. AS 1
rarely attract so much attention from q
member of the opposite sex, / could not
1o1, q /,
yet hoped the impression / made was
favorable In this l was disappointed,
for after regarding me for fully twenty
seconds the young woman opened the
door about an inch, grasped the knob
firmly in both hands, and called rather
than said:~
'What do you want?'
''Is Mrs. Rockefeller in?'
l asked for the lady instead Of her hus-
band, as being probably the most difficult
to see.
do you know MIR. Rockefeller9" asked
the young person, who evidently never
heard of Beau Brummel's criticism of the
employers of servants who answer one
question by asking another.
1t was Mrs Rockefeller 1 wished to
see" replied.
DO you know Mrs. Rockefeller2,,
asked the young person.
answered respectfully that I did not,
but asked her to be kind enough to take
my card to the lady. / extended the
piece of pasteboard, which bore simply
my name. The young person opened the
door sufficiently to admit her hand,
grasped the card, drew back hurriedly
and shut the door, leaving me, very liter
ally, out in the cold. Then she disap-
peared through the inner vestibule doors
Meanwhile, faced about and was sur
prised to see, at the corner of Fifth
avenue, the two women who had already
accosted me. They We're looking very
attentively at the home of the Rookie
fellers, and had evidently been specta-
tors of all that had passed.
waited some minutes by my watch
when carriage appeared at the corner
OF Fifth avenue and Eifty-fourth street
and stopped. The two women entered il
but the vehicle did not drive Off Instead
the window was lowered and from nv
station on the Rockefeller steps ! could see
the young woman in rich mourning look
ing Steadfastly towards the house Just
then the front door opened and a tall.
middle-aged, pleasant-faced gentleman,
with iron gray whiskers, and
smooth shaver chin appeared
de looked attentively at me for an in
stant, and walked off towards Sixth ave-
nue. without saying word l now began
10 wonder what had become Of the girl
VINO mad my card. 1T was several min
utes more before my curiosity on this
point was satisfied, and l whiled away the
time by looking at the pair in the car
rage. Just as was about to give up in
despair and walk away, the young woman
In white reappeared. She opened the
plate doors and said:
Mrs. Rockefeller can't see YOU"
Then the door was shut and the girl
vanished. Ihad been nineteen minutes at
tanning this result.
As l walked off toward Fifth avenue,
tried to get the number of the mys-
ferrous carriage, but l could see no num-
Der on it. The occupants paid no attention
10 me, and the last saw of them they
We're still in rapt contemplation of the |
ancestral halls of the Rockefellers.
l had begun badly. Nothing daunted, |
however, l walked to No. 500 Fifth ave-
nue., the private residence of Russell |
sage. A charming girl answered my ring. |
asked to see Mrs. Sage, she took |
my card, and asked me to be seated in |
The parlor. Two minutes afterwards the |
servant came down stairs and said Mrs. |
sage would see me- A moment later Mrs. |
Sage herself appeared.
The famed tinanG er's wife is petite, |
slender and very graceful. She would |
look much younger than she is were it
not that her hair is whitening. She was ,