The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-19

cial aspiration, to be anything more than
a man about town.
"Romanos, in the Strand, a restaurant
and bar kept by an Italian, Familiarity
known as 1.-The Roman" was then the
chosen and accepted resort of the London
Bohemians-and a motley crew they
were. The leaders Of the set were mem
beers of the staff of the Sporting Times,
otherwise known as THE Pink I'm"
Chief of these were John Corlett the edit
or, known then as THE Master" Shirley
Brooks, son of the famous man of the
same name, who belonged to Punch when
IL had lemon in it; a clever chap named
Goldberg known indifferenty as ''Nosey"
or the Shifter," Sir Augustus Harris.
then known as "Gussarris; and a score of
similar geniuses, great and small not for
getting Willy Wild, the erstwhile husband
of Mrs. Frank Leslie.
'Of this set Barnato was an acknowl-
edged leader. He was able to throw off
an care when In convivial society, and
he frequently entertained the company
with stories of his adventures travelling
as a slight-of-hand performer. Until
he went to South Africa according to his
own story, he had never known what 1t
was to have any considerable sum of
money.
His origin he never spoke of, but he
told with great charm of manner and
his experiences as a juggler and presti-
digitateur. He used to go out into the
English provinces and show i'm the small
er towns. and If, after a few weeks of
this provincial touring or "barnst orming''
he came back to London with $50, he never
went at il again until that munihcent sum
was exhausted. This life was the kind
that then suited him, and the stories he
told were suggestive always of "Slgnor
Brunom," In Crawford" for IL was to
such audiences that he catered.
while at the time of which / write he
had not yet filed the worlds eye as the
modern Monte Crlsto. he was already
marked man in London.
like Lord Baconsheld, he was a lover
of the raiment which is gorgeous and the
luxury which Is prodgal.
The famous white silk half hose of
which much has been written, were at
that time one OF his "fads" He used
laughingly to remark that they always
were a comfort to him, because the bows
who wore black silk stockings reminded
him so forcibly Of the kafhTs In South
Africa-you never could tell when they
were clean.
Another Of his amiable weaknesses was
good eating. But he was gourmet"
and not "gourmand." He ate sparingly
and drank little, but from his earliest
years the best that could be procured was
ed the expenditure. SO no one was sur
prised, when he had wrested fortune from
the hand OF fate, to find him arrayed like
solomon In all his glory, but never in bad
taste as to color, for he had strong ar
tlstic sense and was an excellent Judge
Of pictures.
In fact II Is a constant source OF sur
prise, when / think Of his own account
OF his early life, that he had 80 much
refinement and good taste added 10 his
native shrewdness and dashlng specula-
tive disposition.
at that Time before the Barings' fatu-
Gus speculation In Argentnes had bank
rupted Capel Court. Barnato used 20 dab
bic IN stocks, through his love for gamb-
ling. In a stock brokers' Office, not far
from Lombard street, where he kept an
account. there was almost daily a pro
gressive poker game after the clerks had
closed their books and safes and depart
cd. No one dined before T. and usually
az 8. ana for two hours the stlffest game
of poker / have ever seen was played
IN that Office.
1T was not poker as she IL played
In this country but starting with "a first
bet limit OF s. Ga sovereign. each player
was permitted to not only raise IL a SOW
erclgn, but 10 double the preceding bet
This was, OF course, n double case OF blur
and freeze out. but the men in the game
ike Barnato himself. were gambling daily
on the stock exchange In thousands ana
TO them it was only filling IN OF the
time before dinner, and yet 1 have soon
$1,000 change hands in that brief time.
"'rhc charity OF the Hebrew race Is pro-
verhial-and unlike most proverbs this one
is veracious-but with Bafnato n was not
only "a racial Instinct but q was gam
bIora superstition. No street bogenr ever
passed him without bis bestoBing iargesso