The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-22

bank and that. till the result was that
last year he was q director in nearly
GO different companies and a stockhOld-
er in as many more. At the same time
his wealth continued incidentally to in
crease till he became a very rich man.
No one knows how rich he is. but he is
certainly considerably more than mil
lionaire. And yet he is as approach
able and unostentatious as he was when
he was studying law in Socrates Tut
ties law Office on Ellison street.
Mr.. Hobart served for several years
as member of the New Jersey Repub-
lican state committee and In 1880 was
elected its chairman. In 1884 he was
elected as a member OF the national
Republican committee and in 1892 was
elected the vice president of the Organi-
cation. In the same year an effort was
made to induce him to take the chair
manship Of the committee, but he de-
clined the honor, preferring less prom
inent place on the committee. He has,
however. remained dcontinuously a MEM
Der of the committee from the time OF
his first appointment.
PERSONAL CHARMS.
At the present time Mr.. Hobart IL
the president of the Paterson Railway
company, which controls the valuable
elctric lines of Paterson. For many
years the Paterson street railroads
were run at loss, but under Mr.. Ho-
bart's management they have been
paying, despite the enormous sums ex-
pended for up-to-date' improvements
and the latest things in rolling stock.
He Is president Of the Passaic Water
company, which supplies Passiac and
Paterson with water, and Is domin-
ant spirit of the East Jersey Water
company, which supplies Newark. Jer-
sey City and other places. He Is the
governor of the Paterson society for
Establishing Uuseful Manufactures,
the oldest and one of the most import
ant organizations OF the kind in the
country. He is a director of the First
National bank of Paterson and of the
Paterson Savings institution, director
and treasurer Of the Cedar Lawn Gene
terry company and interested In numer-
Gus manufacturing industries in Pat
erson and vicinity.
Mr.. Hobart's greatest personal charm
is his affability and sociability. He Is
never too busy to receive any one. and
it makes no difference whether 1t be a
millionaire or a laboring man, a presi-
dent or a messenger. His business Is
immense, his office covering almost an
entire floor of the Paterson Savings
institution building He answers every
letter he receives, no matter how trivial
it's character. and his stenographer
Miss Anna Childs, one of the fastest
typewriters in the country, keeps her
machince rapping away at railroad
speed all the time he Is In his office A
large portion of the letters Mr.. Hobart
receives are appeals for charity. Sell
dom are these ignored. 81 am some
times ashamed Of my weakness said
he to the writer one day recently. put
| cannot resist these appeals. l must
stop before l am ruined myself. This
settles it," He threw down SIX begging
letters before him with u gesture Of
fatigue but IL moment later he pulled
out a checkbook and wrote out con-
tribution for each one of the impecun-
ious applicants. No one knows how
much Mr. Hobart gives away every
year for benevolence and charity, but
it must be a fortune.
MIR. Hobart lives in a handsome and
yet unostentatious residence on the COR
ner of Carroll and Ellison streets in the
city of Paterson, n. j. Carroll street IL
filed with shade trees and is one Of the
handsomest and most attractive guar
ters of the city. Mr.. Hobart has made
many additions to what was originally
rather a plain house. The broad piaz-
zas and cosy interior give 1t homelike
appearance Carroll hall is Liberty
hall for all who come, whether rich oI
poor. All are welcome. Scarcely a
Sunday passes but that II is the TEN
porary haven Of some distinguished
man.
Mr. Hobart has one child, son, Gar
| ret A. Hobart, jr, whom everybody calls
Junior. He Is a fine, manly little fel-
low, whose life has been spared through
the most careful attention. for he was
naturally DELEGATE. But he has appar-
emily outgrown his boyish weakness
and promises to become strong, hear
ty man, inheriting his fathers intelli-
gence in many respects. He Is the APP
pie of his fathers and mothers eye, for
he is the only child.
ONE SAD AFFLICTION.
For indeed a sad affiiction recently
came to this happy family and hardly
for "a III oment in months have the moth
er's eyes been free from the unbidden
tears that would rise at the memory
of a 1Ovable daughter. On the lst of
May. 1895, Mr.. and Mrs. Hobart and
their two children, Junior and Miss
Fanny. the latter u young lady, started
with some friends on pleasure trip
through Europe. Those who wished
them godspeed as the big liner New
York backed out OF her pier on that
bright May morning little imagined
that Miss Fanny, waving her last adieu
amid the mountain of flowers that sur
rounded her, would be corpse when
she returned home. The young lady
was taken down with diphtheria at
Lake Como and died in a few hours.
Her remains were inferred at midnight
in the little English cliurchyard. but
subsequently were brought to Paterson
and given q last resting place in Cedar
Lawn cemetery. The pleasure trip was
broken up, and the sorrowing parents
returned to a lonesome home. for Miss
Fanny was the life of the house. the
center of attraction for the bevy Of
young people who used to make 1t so
lively and attractive. This was q ter
rible blow to the parents. Mrs. Hobart
has not recovered from II to this day.
Mr.. Hobart is man VINO would grace
any position to which he might be elect