The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-27
ABOUT CALVIN nRIcE.
Verdery Corrccts Some Wrong Inn
pressions Concerning Him.


prcssions Concerning Him.
From the New York Press.
Outside of his banking hours Marion J.
! Verlery finds pleasure in writing nice
things about dead men whose lives have
been misunderstood by the general public.
He penued eloquent pages about Henry
w. Grady. John II. Inman and others,
and now is engaged in correcting wrong
Impressions of the late ex-senator Calvin
S Brice when he knew long and init
mately In Gen. Sam Thomas office they
tell an excellent story on Verdery which
illustrates character. At cue time it look
ed as if the Brice-Inman- Thomas-SuHy
partnership would be dissolved in a quar-
rel over Richmond Terminal The situa-
ton became so strained that members of
the syndicate scarcely spoke to each
other one day Verdery, who knew the
inside, called at the Office and had talk
with Mr.. Inman and others on general
subjects. One after another left The room,
until only Brice and Verdery remained
The senator strobe to the door and dra-
matcally turned the key in the lock, then.
man, it's about time for you to say what
you think of it," What do you mean,
senator" asked Verdery: THE fight be-
tween you and Mr., Inman?' Yes; what
your opinion?' Well sir, as between you
and Mr. Inman I'm dead against you"
"Humph. That's d pretty frank way TO
put 1t. l thought you were my friend"
VI am. sir, but I've known John II. In
man twenty years longer than I've known
,4 o,,I H. 81 7
couldn't swear by him. If the situation
was reversed I'd be just as loyal to you
"That'H do, young man; you may go"
The incident related above drew BriCe
very close to Nerdery and a thousand lit
lie things characteristic of the cool Ohioan
which the public never dream of stood
plainly revealed TO the heartful Georgian.
Brice, when deeply interested in a CONVEX
sation or in contemplation of some great
business problem, had a habit of sitting on
the small of his back and elevating his
heels on the highest desk or table in his
office, ard with his light walking cane he
would play a rat-a-tat-tat on the toes OF
his shoes. He has been known to keep
this up for hours. In the Senate chamber
[ his amusement was swinging his eye
| glasses at the end of string round and
/ round until wound up on the finger, then
reversing the motion and winding The
other way Every once in a while he
would catch himself in the act and hastily
! put the glasses in his Pocket, but present
ly out they would come again.
Brice could get at the bottom of a sub
! ject quicker and straighter than any man
| i'm Wall street, which is saying great
deal. Some promoters went to him with
a plan to form a trust of all the cotton
| congresses in the South Millions were
! to be involved. 1T looks as if there might
! be some money in that" said he. Il am
willing to take it up. You gentlemen &c
| ahead and work up the details and bring
| the PROSPECTUS to me. Have everything
! plain and clear" They worked for sew
| eral months and spent a few thousand
| dollars. Their combined brain power en-
! ablod them to get up what appeared tc
! he an absolutely impresnable document
alive with the most attractive statistics
| that ever scheme possessed and a COM
mittee Of one was appointed to present it
I to the senator Sitting as usual on the
| small of his back and rapping his feei
! with his cane, Mr.. Brice listened to the
report, and when it was finished asked
/ is that all?" "What more could you ex-
! pect, sir?' said the committee. I'VE have
! covered every possible detail" Let me
| ask one question" replied the financier
| and when he had asked it the committee
| nearly collapsed. why. sir, l never
! thought Of that; l cannot answer it."
/ Brice asked a second question, and a third
/ with like results, and then said: The
! three questions l have asked, and which
! you are unable to answer. concern the
very vitais Of your scheme. You and your
/ friends bad better go back and learn
] something about the business"
| A stranger from the West came with
! letters of introduction to Mr.. Brice and
/ asked what he could invest in. He want
! ed something big At that time Brice he'd
| several railroads in The crucibe and on
| his advice the stranger took $50 coo of the
/ stock Of one that the senator expected tc
! move rapidly. "Ill see that you don't lose
! anything" was the parting stipulation.
The stock fell away to nothing, the strang-
| or was wiped out. Years passed and he
became poor, so poor that even pride melt
ed sufficiently to LEI him go to Mr.. Brice
| for a loan They talked on general topics
for while, then the stranger led up to
/ the personal money question: Incidental
/ ly he remarked, by the way, senator dc
! you remember the time I put that $50. OOC