The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-07-01

| tine DeautlIul Wow OF Long lsidnu sOuIl
from his piazza. Then he kicked hard,
and the two millionaires had perfectly
lovely row. This resulted i'm modifica-
| ton of the schoolhouse plans, by which
| the upper part, or perhaps the whole of
| the top story, in which the gymnasium
was originally TO have been placed, was
| left off and the before mentioned promise
of Benedict TO build a separate gymnasium
was made.
The present row was started by mem
| Der of the Greenwich common council
who once Kept saloon which he was
obliged TO shut up because Benedict didn't
approve of its location.
A Splendid Connecticut Palace.
Mr.. Benedicts present residence is not
the one from which the schoolhouse built
with Sugar trust profits shuts off the
view. 1t was large, not overpretentious
frame house, which stood a good fraction
of mile from the railroad station and
still farther from the shore. 1t was quite
comfortable, not to say luxurious, in its
furnishings, but by no means splendid.
His present home is "A real palace, standing
near the waters edge not far from Green
witch, on the site once occupied by William
M. Tweed's notorious Americas club, and
later by the Indian Head hotel
1t is said that Mr.. Benedict's decision to
buy the site and erect a dwelling thereon
was prompted almost wholly by the cir
cumstance that, though he had preserved
the view from his former residence when
the Havemeyer schoolhouse threatened, it
could not be preserved against later build
ers. All sorts of persons, attracted to
Greenwich by its natural beauties and the
residence there of some scores OF very rich
men,, bought property between the Green
witch house and the shore and, curiously
enough, persisted in building to suit their
own convenience and not that of ''the
residents friend They were willing
enough to admit that he owned the air
clear to the zenith directly above his own
real estate holdings, but they refused
point blank to concede his right to say
what they should do with the space above
their own. He might have settled every
thing to his own satisfaction by buying
some hundreds of acres of land and level
ing all the buildings star ling thereon, but
that plan failed TO appeal to his magma
ton.
Besides it would have been costly even
for his purse though doubtless less expen-
sive than his palace at Indian Head. just
how much money Mr.. Benedict laid out
known to the hoi polloi, but it was
whole lot sure enough. Persons who
have seen most of the swell country seats
in the United States say it lays over them
all, with the possible exception of BRIDE
groom George Vanderbilt's chateau in the
hills of North Carolina.
Mr.. Benedict's house is an exceedingly
large one on the ground, extending over
so great space as to make its height seem
much less than the 65 feet its three stories
really aggregate. 1t Is built of white
stone but the roofs are of red tile, which
lend brilliance to its appearance, and tho
whole forms one of the most beautiful
pictures on the Connecticut shore of the
sound. In addition to the money spent
on the house, Mr.. Benedict has poured out
dollars with lavish hand in Identifying
the harbor, besides deepening the waters
so that his beloved yacht can ride lazily at
anchor not far from his own front door.
One who should come to New York aft
er viewing Mr. Benedict's palatial sum-
mer home would naturally expect to find
his office housed in one of the modern
multiple floored, onyx trimmed, steel franz
ed palaces of business.
A Shabby Office In New York.
But the Benedict Office, where the money
to build the house at Indian Head was
| made, is quite the reverse of what would
| be expected. Not to put too fine point
| upon it, the Benedict Office is positively
shabby. 1t stands away down town, cor
| nering on u narrow alleylike thoroughfare
and Broad street, where the Dutch of New
Amsterdam digged u canal when America
was really new. The building, Of which
the Office occupies the ground floor, is old,
squat and dingy. So much for it's outside
aspect. Within all is quite in keeping.
| The desks have seen long service. The
chairs are well worn. There is little SEM
blance of business, none at all of hurry.
| Mr.. Benedict himself Is anything in
personal appearance but money king
| who can so manipulate the market in GER
tain stocks as to make afortune for an ac-
quaintance most any day If he so desires.
His figure is of medium height, his face
has evidently seen much exposure and his
voice Is as musical as crosscut saw that
needs to be set and fled But he is not q
hard man to reach or difficult one to
talk to- The visitor to his Office is stopped
on the way to the inner sanctum by no
boy in buttons, nor is it necessary to send
in card "stating business" There is an
attendant at hand to receive callers, of
course, but this attendant has no red tape
in hand and offers no obstruction.
eyes; he's here" is his reply to the
stereotyped' inquiry, II justified by the
fact walk right In and talk to him."
sometimes adding, to assist Identification,
"The man In the sack coat
OF course 1t isn't so easy as that to see
Mr. Benedict when he's engaged, but, like
! some other men who have achieved finan-
cial greatness, he rarely seems to be par
ticularly busy when at his Office. But you
must have something prtinent to say or
an interesting question to ask after you
: get to him In order to hold his attention a
single moment. Either of these assured,
you will find 1t quite as easy to approach
him personally as 1t II to pass the door of
his office. DEXTER MARSHALL.