The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-31
''No sir"
us Mr.. Whitney in2"
"No sir.n
when will he be int"
Don't know, sir"
What is the hest time :


What is the best time TO see him2n
This Is as good,a time as any. SIR,
ieIt my card for MIR Whitney and
walked up to Seventy-fourth street. stop
ping IN 'front.' of that domicile, which is
perhaps the only private residence in the
land that has figured much in politics
the home Of Richard Croker.
a young fellow answered nv ring and
When asked to see Mrs. Croker, he said
what DO YOU want to see her about2'
handed him my card in gloomy silence
pc IL understood that only visited those
70 Wnom l was total stranger, that did
not announce my business and that nv
caro- bore only my Nance, whereupon he
asked me to be seated in the parlor.
"A minute or two later Mrs. Croker came
IN. She is dignihed woman with let
black hair and handsome features. What
ever may be thought of Mr.. Croker there
is no denying that his wife has the man
ners and the appearance of lady. When
announced that was newspaper man,
Mrs. Croker looked a little severe.
MY impressions of some newspaper
methods have not always been favorable, :"
she said, gravely. 81 myself have
suffered from growing tendency on the
part of some journals TO invade the
privacy Of the home in an unwarrantable
manner. No one realizes more than nv
self the good that has been accomplished
by the newspaper press and the high
character of some Of its members, and on
that very account am the more amazed
by the journalistic attacks upon me To
be sure, my husband is in public life and
Tor that reason he Is very properly a sub
1ect of public notice. l have not a word
to say for or against anyone who may see
Mt to comment favorably or unfavorably
upon my husbands public acts. Those
are matters with which have nothing to
do. But some things l decidedly object
to.
ITO give you an instance of what
mean, there appeared recently an elab-
crate account of what l did and said in a
Turkish bathing establishment. 1 was
described as making myself conspicuous
and calling for drinks. The whole story
was false. l never was in such place in
all my life nor did ever do or say any
where or at any time one Of the things
imputed to me. On another occasion 1
had some well known people to dine with
me at my house. Imagine the amazement
with which / saw the next morning,
wildly exaggerated accounts OF the affair,
followed, ever since, by distorted and
inaccurate illusions calculated to give
the impression that instead of a quiet,
ordinary dinner my house had been made
the scene of unrestrained revelry. On
still another occasion man called and
when the door was opened he pushed past
the servant, entered my parlor and made
a copy of portrait of me without saying
a word to anyone. And they call that
journalism!
No one could have helped feeling that
Mrs. Croker had real grievance She
relapsed into pleasant smile, however,
as she said:
"The thing has ridiculous side as
well az painful one. | must say that
one newspaper has been particularly
Malicious mean in attacking me, for
pray understand that neither intend
nor imply any criticism of persons who
oppose my hus band politically. The pro-
prietor of New York newspaper not
long ago asked my husband to do him a
favor. That favor was refused for very
good reasons. Ever since then that
newspaper has been most malicious in its
attacks upon me. What reason there
can be for such conduct passes my COM
prehension, since consider myself very
domestic woman and have never sought
to find a sphere outside of my own
home"
AS babe Mrs. Croker adieu I thought
of what Napoleon's first consort said
about the penalty Of being great mans
wife.
1t was now getting late and as l fol-
lowed the stream of fashion adown Fifth
avenue / noticed the palatial home of Mr..
George H Bend. Mr.. Bend is one of the
most aristocratic as well as most genial
and retiring members of the Four Hun
dred. He is additionally distinguished as
the father of New York's reigning belle,
a young lady who has refused more offers
of marriage from titled swells than all
the rest of Gotham's plutocratic beauties
put together have had chance to accept.
AS am total stranger TO Mr.. Bend, and
as he never heard of me in all his life, l
resolved to call upon him.
A butler in livery opened the door. He
made a profound bow and took my card.
| asked for Mr.. Bend, and the butler,
opening door which led into a spacious
apartment, begged me to enter and be
seated. Then the butler made profound
bow once more and withdrew, while | de-
voted myself to an objective contempla-
ton of the luxury that surrounded me.
In few minutes the butler reap
peared.
''Mr. Bend will see you, sir" he said in
cold, respectful tones, and, with a bow,
'ifi is matter of vital Importance, but
as he has q severe headache he hopes it
will not be inconvenient for you to excuse
him to-day"
AS my business was Of no earthly i'm
portance to Mr.. Bend, had. to take my
leave without insisting upon seeing him,
but felt that under the circumstances
could not have been more courteously
treated had been a friend OF the family.
The butler bowed me out with homage
that was reverential.
The result Of my experiment convinces
me that people of wealth and position are
largely at the mercy of the irresponsible