The herald., 1898-03-07
Things Are Not
What They Seem"
--Longfellow.
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How seldom, friend. good man inherits
Honor and wealth, with all his worth
and pains!
1t seems a story from the world Of spirits
When any man obtains that which he
merits,
Or any merits that which he obtains
entered the Bank Of England with feel
ings akin to awe, bearing letter of intro
duction from an American capitalist to the
president. William Lidderdale. He had
just achieved the greatest financial sue
cess of modern times. tiding over the Bar
ing Bros failure without q worldwide
crash. If 1 mistook the beadle of the
bank, gorgeously appareled as he was. and
dignifedly posing just within the inclosure,
for the executive head Of the greatest fis-
cal concern in the universe. 1 may plead,
in extenuation, that was fresh from 1.-The
States" where militia lieutenants dress
like nabobs and brevet colonels break into
the senate. The beadle gets twenty pounds
a month. President Lidderdale was found
in his private office, few PAGES further
away, attired in a suit of clothes that
cost not to exceed five pounds. He wasn't
nearly SO big man as the beadle!
O o O
Driving down the winding white roadway
leading from Argues le Battaille to Dieppe,
a week later, was somewhat annoyed by
the presence in front of a seedy looking
old granger, driving to town In dilapi-
dated cart drawn by an animal that would
scarcely command six-pound note at Tat
tersall's. The roadway was narrow, and
there were few turnouts. had nothing
to do, but was in a great hurry-chiefiy be-
cause 1 was an American. Hayseed had
a good deal on his mind. but was In no
haste, principally because he was an Eng
lishman. Had succeeded in driving by
and throwing dust In his eyes, would have
been the first man who ever did it. 1t was
Lord Salisbury, Britain's prime minister
About thirty years ago, as I walked
along the streets Of Covington, KY, on my
way to work In the big city at the other
end of the suspension bridge, dinner pail
in hand, stepped up to stranger leaning
upon a gate, in obvious enjoyment of his
cigar. and asked for a light for my own.
He inquired about my occupation and
about labor conditions generally In Gin
cinnati, and although he was an entire
stranger to me, 1 rather enjoyed the i'm
promptu chat, for he seemed to take
peculiar and quite unaccountable interest
in me. This was explained later by the
development of the fact that he felt grate-
him Tor president of the United States! 1t
was Ulysses s. Grant, whose arrival in the
town, upon a quiet visit to his aged par
ents, was heralded in the morning papers
that 1 had not seen! Years afterward 1
met the same quiet, unassuming, unosten-
tatious, unassertive man, on his return
from trip around the world, and reminded
him of the incident, which he well remem-
bered. had copy of my paper of the cur
rent issue printed on white satin and pre-
sented it to him that day. 1t is preserved
among the other souvenirs of his journey
in a showcase of the Smithsonian institute
at Washington.
Invited, ten years ago, to step into the
private car of Jay Gould, to meet the
wizard of the financial world, and his fam
lily, accepted with some reluctance, since
had no opportunity to arrange toilet be-
fitting such occasion. Anna and Helen
were very agreeable in their common
sense print dresses. costing scarcely so
much as five cents yard. and without
single jeweled ornament!
o O o
The appearance on Spring street today
of ]. Waldere Kirk, King of Dudes, would
doubtless create a greater sensation than
did President Dole of Hawaii or General
Booth of the Salvation Army, upon the oc-
casion of their recent visit.
quiet little man will step from a Santa
Fe train today, and move quite unobserved
among the throngs crowding our thorough
fares, easily passing for a bookkeeper in
a hardware store or clerk in a cloak house.
When he shall have finished the business
that brings him here he will depart as un-
tremendously as he entered, and the city
will scarcely realize that it has been enter
tanning unawares one of the greatest ex-
ecutive factors this country has ever pro-
duced-a man who disbursed seventeen
million dollars in railway construction in
Old Mexico; the builder of the Mexican
Central and the Sonora railways; one of
the chief spirits in the construction of the
Atlantic and Pacific, and of the Colorado
Midland railways, both of which he for
long time managed; the man who, as first
vice-presidept in charge of operation, built
up the traffic of the Santa Fe system SO
enormously as to render reorganization
possible; president of the San Antonio and
Aransas Pass railway system in Texas, and
now president of the st. Louis and San
Francisco railway. Although his road does
not reach Kansas City, he recently sent
his private check for five thousand dollars
in aid of the building of an auditorium in
that city, single stray incident ilustrat-
ing his generosity and public spirit, and
affording hint of what Fiesta might ex-
pect of the Santa Fe. were he still its ex-
ecutive head. Modest man that he is, D.
B. Robinson will scarcely thank me for
thus dragging him into the unwelcome
glare of publicity. MADURO.