The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-12-12
GOSSIP OR GREATER GOTHAM
Anthony Hope has No Sour Sarcasm 10
Fling at the Yankees.
The TEST OF A TRUE GENTLEMAN.
How Gas Bluffed ugar--DiscipitninG
Father Duccy--Prince krapotkin.
Benedict In Trouble
Again.

| Again.
NEW YORK, Dec. 9.-If you have ever
had the privilege. or perhaps l had better
say. IL you have ever been doomed 10
meet a specimen of the average BRUSH
literary gent on his travels In Amer
lea, you were probably Obliged TO listen
to lot of ii-humored, querulous. ana.
perhaps, babyish criticism OF the land in
which he was a guest and where ne was
beyond question being well trcated-and
the mere average" the ''lerary gent,
the more unceasing his complaints. or
course, the blasted American railway
system" always comes in for a good share
of such objurgation and so does Amerf-
can cooking. the American hotel. and
IL the complainant be an entertainer of
any sort. the American audiences whose
members give up their good dollars to
his profit suffer most Of all at his hands.
ANTHONY HOPE. GENTLEMAN.
Word comes via Major Pond that Mr.
Anthony Hope Hawkins. now touring
the United States under the gallant Ma
jor's direction. is by no means an average
| specimen in this regard. On the contrary
he Is one of the most uniformly patient
and courteous persons the Major has ever
had aught to do with. Hope never for
| gets his smile. He never kicks when rail-
road trains are late he eats the most in
digestible meals at country hotels. and
perjures himself like "A gentleman in de-
claring them to be good And he is almost
enthusiastic over the intelligence he de-
clares he sees in his audiences.
More yet he doesn't kick when the aud
fence is small At Syracuse the other
night. there being more shows in town
than usual. the hall in which Hope read
| was much less than half filled: but the
young author was as conscientious and
| enthusiastic In his readings as he could
| have been before a crowded house an
he has invariably done as wei before
| cold-heartcd audiences as those most en-
phatic in the expression Of their APP
prevail.
| It is needless to say that the Major
| thinks Hone "a dandy"
BENEDICT IN TROUBLE AGAIN.
There is news from Greenwich. Conn.
that a man named Benedict-E. c. Ben
edict. the friend OF Grover Cleveland
| is in snarl with one OF his neighhors.
AS Mr.. Benedict. by reason OF his ~um-
| miness with the ex-president and the
fact that he is an important stock OPP
orator here. Is the sort Of man that folk
| usually talk about this news is important
even though his present quarrel is only
over the proposed location Of a saloon
near Mr.. Benedict's Greenwich prop
| erty.
There is one good thing about Mr..
Benedict" said a man TO-DAY who has
known him n long time. "and that is that
| he'd as lief have a row with a fellow mil
| lionaire as a poor devil OF beer ierkor.
| every bit DO you recall his historic fuss
with Havemeyer? No? Wen, it was one
| OF the hottest set-to's on record. and fun
ny beyond description. Benedict lives in
| Greenwich in the summer time and his
| house is located on high ground from
which he and his friends can enjoy fine
view of the little inlet at the head OF
which Greenwich stands. and good
part OF the sound.
'Dne OF the sugar llavemeyers lives
out in Greenwich. too. in the summer
time. and being fond of the town he pro-
posed few years ago TO present it with
| a handsome school-house. or course
everybody was deiighted-nobody more so
than Benedict. But Benedicts joy Was
short lived. for when the workmen got
TO the roof Of the new building it became
apparent that 1t would shut out the Bene-
dict view
| Bring me my spyglass murmured
| Benedict as soon as he knew the truth.
| when the instrument was placed in
his hands he carefully scanned the group
of men he saw standing around the build
| ing TO learn IL Havemeyer were among
! them He was. and Benedict forthwith
set out 10 see him with all the speed Of
one shod with seven-leagued boots.
GAS BLUFFS SUGAR.
"As every one but Havemeyer ran away
| in fear when Benedict was seen approach
ing. no one knows Just what words were
| used i'm the talk that followed. Observed
| from a distance both participants seemed
| highly animated and there was much
| frantic waving OF arms and bobbing Of
heads. The confab last an hour or more.
| at the expiration OF which time they
walked away from the school-house in
| onposte Directors. II was some time
| after that before they were seen to speak
| together. but the plans for the school
| house were changed. and the Benedict
| view is still unobstructed. the roof being
| eight feet lower than had at first been
| intended
Benedict. however is good sort
even II he does keepa Yacht and de-
| lights In blufing saloonkeepers and sug-
| ar reiners. His Office in Broad street Is
on the ground floor and easy OF access TO
| any one. So is It's boss. You won't have
| TO waste YOU time with a buttoned
| guard II YOU ever make business call
on Benedict. but N your business seems
| unimportant when it's explained 10 him
voun maybe wish you'd stayed away.
| for he'll tell YOU in a voice like a gang
saw, that he'd like you go without de-
| lay.
on the other hand he'll treat you like
| a Prince of the Blood or a successful
| operator in Chicago gas II YOU chance
| to please him. In any event you will see
| one OF the wonders in nature when you
see him. for his whole face Is Of habit
| ually richer. deeper. and more intense
; hue than the nose of j. Pierpont Morgan.
| And that nose once almost scared George
| Alfred Townsend out OF years growth.
| FATHER DUCEY.
They are talking of dscipin;ng Father
| Ducey. are they, as they did Father Nc
| Gynn, because he thinks IL right on oc-
| casion TO speak his mind?" queried
| big. broad-bodied man of affairs to-day.
| well. it's not for me to critcse him,
| for don't know all that Ducey has been
| saving. But this much | do know-there
| is no more whole-souled man in all the
| land than this same Father Ducey. I'm
| willing TO venture. too. that he is no more
at variance now with the powers than he
| has been at any time for many years.
| "Its not for me to call In question
| Father Ducey's wisdom when he was
4 ,,ovno IN aptarino the nriesthnOd anV