The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-19
The GOSSIP OF GOTHAM.
THE ASTORS HERE WILL NOT PUB-
LISH A ISINSMAN's DENIALs.
Mr.. Norton Feels cutie sure-Even
George Gould Has the Political
Fever and ShowsIt.

'"Es HoFAoh reels quite surc=tsVeu
George Gould Has the Political
Fever and shows It.
Copyright. 1896
New York. Jan. 1S.-AIr. Morton no Ion
ser feels any doubt Of his nomination at
81. Louis next June. He would never
have permitted the use OF his name had
he entertained any such doubt. He has
now gone to the length Of arranging his
affairs for the campaign next summer.
There has been some attempt TO make
Plat the dish that ran away with the
spoon in this business. but Mr.. Morton is
determined TO be no spoon. on the con-
trary, he has Mr. Plat exactly where he
wants him and it is absurd 20 suppose that
Mr.. Platt would try TO sell his venerable
friend out. Indeed, Mr.. Morton has no
more ardent supporter in the country than
Mr. Platt The notion that the latter
proposes to make Mr.. Reed cats paw
Is not creditable to the speakers intelli-
gence. 1t will be found when the con-
vention assemblies. that Mr.. Platt will be
In charge of the Morton forces and au-
thorized to make deals in the governor S
name. The general belief In New York
that Mr.. Morton will get the nomination
Is so strong that the governor is already
beginning TO be embarrassed with appeals
for patronage and support in all sorts OF
ways Mr.. Morton's friends aver that he
would carry New York I'm any event, and
he himself is known 10 share the belief
Mr.. W. X. Vanderbilt has made himself
so unpopular in England, owing 10 his
stand on the Venezuelan business, that
even his daughter the Duchess of MARI
borough, has become somewhat frigid to-
ward him. The duke is alleged to have
forbidden the duchess to have anything
TO do with Mr.. Vanderbilt. The Saturday
review has pitched into the latter as "a
praying 1901, with more money than
bralns Mr.. Vanderbilt has lately been
involved in a series of troubles with the
British exchequer on the subject OF oc-
cupancy taxes. These occupancy taxes
are levied upon those who rent country
seats ana similar triies, and Mr.. Wander
bilt has been fighting them right and left
This has earned him much odium. Alto
gether his position in England has become
Tar from pleasant. He has been
dropped from several invitation lists and
carlcatured as the sparrow, the flights OF
that bird being presumed to be symbolical
OF the present war In the Vanderbilt
household. On the other hand, Mr. Van
derbnt continues to enjoy high favor IN
New York. II he IS a sparrow he Is a
hghtlng one, as Mr.. Labouchere remarked
ana the nghting sparrow Is a British bird
But the duchess is very angry.
Many New York merchants are wild
with jealousy because John Wanamakel
receives very fattering social attentions
every time he comes to the metropolis
AS a rule, Gothams millionaire retailers
are not prominent I'm society, but Mr.
Manamaker has been well received on
Fifth avenue. The jealousy that ensues
prompts numerous silly and untrue stories
about the Philadelphia. Among them Is
one 10 the effect that he wanted all beer
drinkers burned in an uncomfortable re.
gion, and another is that he Is not on good
terms with his eldest son. Both Of these
yarns are very absurd, and most of the
stories told in New York about him are
intended to inJure Mr.. Wanamaker with
society here. II has been stated in GER
tain New York publications that Wanna
maker intends to make his residence I'm
the metropolis. This is another silly story
Wanamaker never had any such inten-
ton, and he would be n fool IL he had
for his promising prospects in Pennsyl.
Vania politics would be utterly ruined by
such a step. He may be a senator yet
The Venezuelan commissions work
seems to be done largely in New York. All
least a huge mass OF documentary eVi.
dence is being accumulated here and the
clerical activity involved I'm the inquiry
seems to center about the metropolis Mr.
Coudert, the Tammany lawyer has be-
come a very important character, So
cially and politically. His views are un-
derstood to be very much aVerse to any
recognition of the Schomburgk line, but
he resolutely refuses to discuss the matter
In any way. Andrew d. White, the other
New York member of the commission, Is
known to possess much and very definite
information regarding Russla's feeling for
the United States in the event of war.
When at the court of st. Petersburg as our
minister, he sounded the government and
got very satisfactory results. Mr.. White
also knows all about the sea serpent tor
pedo of the Russian navy, secret inven-
ton which floats and sinks and looks like
a huge snake on the surface of the water
We are likely to see many of these mon
sters on our side in the event of war and
Mr. White 10 of the few America n q
who has ever been aboard of one.
William Waldorf Aston has sent over
to his kinsmen here a request to deny in
the most positive manner certain stories
to the effect that he intends to marry an
English lady of rank The story Mr.. AS
tor not only brands as false, but he de-
clares them indecent and churlish, worse
than the snappings Of ours who bay the
moon, and so forth. In fact, Mr.. Aston
uses very strong language indeed. But
the end is not yet. It appears that the
American branch of the family will not
give publicity to Mr.. Astor's statements
because 1t hates him and wants him to
become as unpopular as possible over here
The real reason for Mr.. Astors foreign
cate his children abroad. He loves his
country and proposes to prove It, Indeed,
this country big as It is, does not seem
large enough to hold both branches of
the Astor family. w. w. Astor is very
much hurt at the misrepresentation TO
which he is subjected and he may retail
late.
New Jersey may become responsible for
a totally new aspect of the Gould family
1t has already been intimated in certain
quarters that George Gould had become
politically ambitious but now there is
practically no doubt that he wants to en-
ter the United States senate. To this end
he has established a residence in New
Jersey and even helped form a political
club, although he modestly dlsclaims any
interested motive. How this will end is
an insolvable problem. Mr. Gould has re-
ceived many ocular intimations from po-
litical magnates on the folly of his course
He has been warned that the skull and
crossbones is the political emblem of poll
tics in New Jersey, and that the leglsla-
ture thereof feed on skulls. Mr.. Freling-
huysen employed this figure of speech on
memorable occasion, and there seems
no doubt of its applicability still. How
ever, Mr.. Gould is not to be daunted; he
goes in for politics very enthusiastically
and he is so clever that he may come out
ahead. David Wechsler.
NIGER BENs GOLD MINE.