The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-04
HUNTINGTON'S FOLLY.

New York Special.

New York Special.
When Coils p. Huntington gave out. a
short time ago. that the big granite pal
ace he had built for himself was for sale
he did not the statement with
any reason. Now, everybody knew hat
there must be some very good reason to
make him give up this palace, which had
cost him nearly $2.oOO,OOO. not to speak of
the thought and time he had put into it's
elaborate plans.
Mr.. Huntington is, as everybody knows,
a speculator-acute, far-sighted, above all,
daring. He began life as a farm hoy in
Connecticut, and he rose TO be worth $780,
600. 900 at one time by daring, pure and
simple. No man ever pinned his faith
more absolutely to that old rule, that there
are three requisites to success--audacity,
audacity, audacity.
The first supposition was that Mr.. Hun
tington had again staked his fortune on a
single throw and had lost such a part of
it that his big house, with its accompany
ing establishment, was, for the time, too
much for him. There were rumors Of sew
eral large unsuccessful enterprises in
which he was said to be the moving spirit.
But when Mr.. Huntington was seen he
laughed and said he is all right and that
his financial condition has nothing to do
A. lhC CoiC VI ibS pdl0St. pul Ills Cilid
did not go for much, because a man doesn't
usually own up when he is in a tight place
for money.
Several months passed and no purchaser
was found for the house. The rumorS of
financial embarrassment passed, and the
house was still for sale. Some new eXplana-
ton was necessary.
When the plans for. the house were made
the Huntingtons were just buying the Ger
man Prince HatZfeidt for their daughter,
and il was said that the house was for the
purpose of making a grand entry into New
York society. which had hitherto refused
the HuntingtonS, despite their millions. So
the new explanations revived this story and
supplemented Ii with the statement that the
Huntingtons had failed 10 get recognition,
and, seeing that the new house would only
bring humiliation, they had decided TO give
up their attempts upOn society, as ruled by
the Astors and planned by McAllister.
ciety people told it about and laughed over
the way the Huntingtons had been rebuked.
The new house, with its massive granite
walls, so much like a penal institution,
seemed a monument To social failure, and
nobody wondered that Huntington was anx-
iouS 10 get it off his hands.
But this social failure explanation was as
far from the truth as was the story of
financial embarrassment. The real reason
why huntington never moved into MS mouse
is so small that to most people 1t Will seem
ridiculous. 1t is likely that Huntington him
self would publicly deny it, just as We all
deny those little Weaknesses which are. new
| ertheless. so powerful in all our lives. The
great millionaire, the strong man. the fear
less speculator, refused TO move into his
new house because he feared that II he
moved he would die. 1t was the old super
| stition that old men who grow rich build
fine houses for their own funerals. And al
most any architect will tell you that he has
again and again lost valuable contracts
through this very superstition.
When Mr.. Huntington started his plans.
back in 1889, he no doubt thought of this
superstition, but allowed IL TO have little
weight with him. He planned slowly and
deliberately, and when the contractors at
| last got to work they built slowly and were
again and again delayed. He expected to
move in three years ago, but ii was only
last year that the house began to get near
| completion. =.
In the meantime his health had become
less and less vigorous: His age and his
years of hard work and worry began TO tell
upon him. The superstition came back with
renewed force. and he began to think a
great deal about it. AT last he became alb
sOlutely convinced that, should he move in,
the first function TO which his friends would
be wanted would be his funeral. Then he
decided that he would not even keep the
house in the family; that he would sell 1t
having TO occupy it. And he will stick to
his idea. He Will never live in that house;
he will never furnish it, and if he lives
twenty years and the house remains unsold,
he will still be of the same mind.
1t is always interesting but no longer
strange TO find these small superstitions
coming out in men wno are opposed to be
absolutely matter-of-fact
1t is said that Mr.. Huntington has an
other superstition-that he will not ride in
the elevator with a colored person. because
he thinks il would mean bad luck i'm some
way. either that the elevator would fall or
some of his many enterprises go wrong.
1t is undoubtedly true that many a rich
man has died Immediately after building
the house that was to be the monument Of
his good fortune. And Mr.. Huntington pre-
fers not to be another example. and will
content himself with the huge palace in San
Francisco and the country place al
Throgg's Neck, Westchester county.