The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-10
DRONIN'S MAD CAPERS
Queer DOings Of a Wealthy and
Eccentric Philadelphia.
He Buys Livery Stables and Banks
When Their Owners Offend Him
Antics at Atlantic City.

the talk of three States has ss- The win
ter colony in Atlantic City and the easy
going natives by the ears for the past few
weeks by his mad capers. He came to At
lantic City about six weeks ago. and from
the day OF his arrival up TO the present
moment he has INDUCED in one wild prank
after another until his advent on the
streets has become the signal for a gather
ing of the clans OF all the small boys who
are allowed TO run loose, they following in
his wake. alternately jeering and cajoling
him. and not infrequently gathering sums
of money from his lavish hand. which. from
a small-boy view point. are quite bewilder-
ing.
Although Dronin is q native Philadel-
phian born and reared there. and although
Atlantic City is little more than a marine
suburb of the City of Brotherly Love. IL Is
a curious fact that hardly soul knew who
Dronin was until within the past few days
But the truth is that. with the one broad
fact that he seemed TO be a Croesus. with
a mania for pitching hts money out OF the
window, the Atlantic citizens were satisfied
An angel who showered money upon them
was not to be too closely investigated as 10
his antecedents. Now and then some one
stopped to wonder who the mischief Dronin
could be, but before his curiosity became
acute enough TO result in serious inquiry
the eccentric Monte Cristo, as he has come
to be called had cut up some new dido
that concentrated attention. His buying
livery stable because he thought lac was
not treated with sufficient consideration Dy
the proprietor, his buying an interest m
the Second National Bank because he did
not like the manners OF an employe, ms
purchase of a newspaper, OF shares IN n
railroad. OF a hotel. TO say nothing OF MS
minor investments in carts, carriages ana
every variety of cur dog that happened 70
be brought to him-all these things followed
each other with such bewildering raplulty
that IL is hardly to be wondered az that the
depths of its regular state Of winter coma
found little leisure 10 prosecute inquiries as
to who the curious being could De.
HOW HE MADE HIS MONEY.
Yet he is. or rather was a few years ago.
a very well-known man In Philadelphia
He is only Just turned forty years Of age,
yet he has accumulated a large fortune by
his own personal efforts. has been vice
president of the Philadelphia Chamber Of
Commerce, has been the chairman of the
committees appointed TO receive the Pres
ident and ex-Presidents of the United
States. and even as long back as twelve
years ago, when he was in his thirties. was
considered one of the coolest and longest
headed grain operators there was in the
city. He began business ana was con-
spicuous figure In business circles when
most boys are droning over their school
boy studies. and was self-made capital
list at an age when most young business
men think they are doing well IL they are
earning a fair living income. he was, IN
deed, but twenty-eight years old when ne
was elected to the vice presidency OF the
Chamber Of Commerce.
How much his present eccentricities are
due to the vital energy consumed at the
tremendous pace at which he worked in his
boyhood and youth and how much they
are due to other causes which produce an
erratic condition or nerves Is matter Tor
speculation. However that may be. the
fact now remains that he has gone in for a
line of conduct far more peculiar than that
which in many instances has caused men
to be subjected 10 inquiry as 10 the
soundness of their minds.
The only person in Atlantic City, appar-
emily, who seems TO see M thing extraor-
binary in Dronin's antics is his wife,
very pretty woman OF the blonde order,
and gifted with winning manners. At all
of her husbands extravagances she seems
to look with serene contentment. which is
as amazing 10 people as are the doings OF
Dronin himself. A Miss Thompson she was,
the daughter of Samuel Thompson. OF
Peoria, Ill, and IL Is said that she, too, is
very wealthy in her own right. She and
Dronin were married some fifteen years
ago and have children, at least none
have been in evidence since their advent in
devoted to each other, Mrs. Dronin joining
her husband apparently in whatever OF his
strange pranks he chooses 10 invite her.
Only a short time ago, for instance, a
policeman his beat saw DronIn stalk
ing down the street at a. m. with
double-barreled shotgun on his arm. The
he recently bought. Arrived there, Dronin
ordered a man TO get out his carriage and
Changed cbhn ID his mind and IL" said he would Ro
himself. Before starting he left behind him
the shotgun and a revolver. both loaded.
long Mexican knife. When he returned 10
the stable Mrs Dronin was wit him. She
seemed to regard coming down 10 a livery
fnh ut n m he lEoF "a
in the world. AS soon as the couple got
there Dronin PROPOSED that his Vile ,s walk
as though the whole episode were q con-
ventional, everyday affair.
ODD COSTUMES.
Mrs Dronin's strange toilets when she
appears the street attract almost as
much attention as do Mr.. Dronins antics.
One sharp. singing cold day not long ago
she appeared with a bright pink summer
jacket and with a wreath Of natural roses
wound around her hat. The costumes worn
by Dronin himself are OF the oldest. Yes
terday, with a keen wind from of tbs
ocean that made ulsters comfortable, he
had on a light, loose summer coat. negli-
gee shirt and a purple jockey cap. such as
is worn by rural bicycle clubs. AS he
walks or stands talking he swings his arms
or cracking the whip which he loves 10
carry In his hand. His long. thin face Is
haggard and flushed about the eyes, and
his countenance is piifully expressive OF
the terrible nervous strain ne is under.
He had handsome black mustache when
he first came TO Atlantic City but this, in
one his eccentric fits, he had cut of, the
effect being TO make him look even younger
than he is.
torn by the claws OF the raft OF dogs he
constantly keeps about his livery stable.
The livery stable, by the way, he keeps
simply as a playground. He never lets any
teams although he keeps a superintendent
and a number Of employees Last week he
discharged several employees for speaking
10 him. He never allows his employees 10
speak TO him during working hours. At
the stable he amuseS himself by lying on
the ground and playing with the dogs, al
lowing them TO jump all over him, which
accounts for the cuts and scratches on his
face.
his mania seems to be a fondness for no.
toriety WhCn asked about what the papers
were saying he said he did not care. that
IL only made him more talked about. His
boasting and grotesQue pomposity have their
origin apparently in the same fantastic van
fty. He boasts of his wealth, OF his skin
with weapons OF his horsemanship, Of his
personal strength and prowess. A favorite
method OF exhibiting his strength Is TO
throw $40 or S bin on the ground. put his
foot on il and promise Ii TO the boy who
will shove him away The veriest child has
no difficulty whatever In pushing him aside.
10 his great apparent amazement. In this
way the street arabs have amassed small
fortunes. and the cigarette and candy trade
Of Atlantic City have doomed proportion
ately.
AS for the district messengers. II the
thing keeps up, there is no reason why the
majority OF them should not retire and live
house. and IL is constantly whirring when he
is at hOms. He summons messengers for