Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-18
GOSSIP FROM GOTHAM
Reasons Why Richard Croker Flopped
to Bryan.
GAMBLERS HOLD ON TAMhAN1
Consul Sol BerIiner Sails for His
Post in the Canaries.
YOUNG VANDERBILT'S GENIUS

| Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
NEW YORK, August II. 1899.
| The social days spent in listening to the
| many troubles which beset the supremacy
| of Tammany Hall have changed Richard
| Croker remarkably. He has become tact
| turn and brusque again, extremely reserved
| and irritable, and his unusual jollity, which
| everybody commented upon when he ar
| rived from Europe, has given way to I'M
mistakable signs of worriment and anxiety.
! Something seems to have happened at Sar-
| atoga also which has displeased Croker.
When asked when he was going there he
answered, testify:
IT don't know as 1 shall go there at all
| Croker appears to have effectually settled
| the presidential conference at the Spa
Judge Van Wyck has fizzled out, might
| have been expected. He is practically I'M
| known outside of New York state. He has
never attended national convention, and
| he has had no political experience except
of the narrowest character Where he
stands on the money question no one seems
to know. He refuses to discuss the matter
himself. and all that is known of his posi-
| ton on the question is that he voted for
Bryan in 1896 because the latter was the
regular party nominee. He has talked
against trusts lately, but 1t was only in
no clear or fixed ideas on the subject. On
other issues he has been silent as he
was on national issues last fall, when, in
obedience to Mr.. Crocker's orders, he de-
clined to discuss any but state issues. In
a word, attempt has been made to put
forth Judge Van Wyck a stalking horse
for the anti-Bryan democrats, and the at
tempt has ended in failure Although Crok-
er now disowns him. democrats generally
have looked on him as the representative of
the Tammany boss Antf-Bryan democrats
hoped to find in him a Moses, and instead
they have found him to be Jonah.
why He Supports Bryan.
Crokers declaration for Bryan is gener-
ally regarded as attempt to steal
Sheehan's thunder and thereby prevent a
disruption of the wgwam. From Bryan
as presidential candidate, or even as Pres-
dent, he would have little to gain. Spells.
it is generally asserted. are all Croker
seeks in politics. and if by any chance
BRYAN were elected. appointments of
Croker men would not be likely to receive
much consideration from republican Sem
ate
But says political authority. 'in
matters nearer home pretended fidelity to
Bryan and his creeds may be of decided
use to the boss. Tammany can afford to
antagoniZe Bryan sentiment outside OF
New York state. but it cannot afford to
antagonize it within the state. Every
democratic vote will be needed to keep the
democratic party intact in the coming
state and local campaigns, to meet pos
sible union of all anti-Tammany forces
which the boss views with uneasiness. This
clearly is the meaning of Mr.. Croker's lat
est political somersault."
Another illustration of the tight hold the
gambling element has the Tammany
organizations is furnished in the faro and
roulette situation at Far Rockaway. AT
the opening of the season, which means so
much to the ocean front of Queen borough,
several prominent Tammany politicians
leased club house at Far Rockaway and
started in to do a gambling business. They
knew that this place would be the sum-
mer home of John F. Carroll. and natur-
ally concluded that it would be a favorite
resort for politicians. Their calculations
did not go astray, and from the time that
the doors of the club house were opened
a highly profitable business was done.
Democratic politicians in Brooklyn and
Queens, who mix faro with primaries,
watched the development of the Far Rock
away club house closely When convinced
that 1t was a success financially, they went
over to Arverne and at an expense OF
$1,000 fitted up one of the finest gambling
houses along the coast. The appointments
were better than those of the Far Rock
away Club and it did not take it long to
attract the cream of the trade. No signs
of discomfort came from the Far Rock
away gamblers. and, as far as appearances
went. 1t looked as if the season would drag
| on to a close without police visitation. Two
weeks ago. however, at the height of the
lice swooped down and carried off all the
gambling apparatus The carpets were
ripped up, the pictures confiscated and the
place wrecked. The New York sports now
have monopoly of the gambling.
| "SoI" BerIiner Sails.
| SOL Berlner has sailed. Every other
friend who babe him goodbye had a COM
mission for him to execute in the Canaries.
One wanted a monkey and another pair
| of Teneriffe terriers, but the majority
| wanted him to send back a real Canary
| bird. One of them obtained for him po-
| stion as the commercial agent in the is
| lands for the latest make of bird cages.
| Before going the consul talked about the
| future He said:
| you see; | don't know much about these
| Canary Islands. except what l have seen in
| the map and read in the geography. When
| it was decided that | was to have a foreign
| mission, / went to the senator and told him
I wanted place where man could make
| a record for himself of which the country
would be proud. He suggested that l go to
| Dahomey, but Perry Carson wanted the po-
sition, and l withdrew in favor of him.
| Then he said: The Canaries-nothing but
birds singing all the time; nothing to do but
represent the government and draw sala-
| ry' | said: Yes AT that time l had not
heard of the Canares. and did not know
they We're the real islands until the war
came on, and then l saw their Importance.
| In the meantime l have studied the Ian
guage of the inhabitants. l have been
constant visitor to Sd avenue bird store
Tor the last year. ana now speak the lana
ry tongue almost as well as native. ...
Young Vanderbilt n Genius.
Cornelius Vanderbilt. jr., has proved to be
genius and, although at odds with his
father over marrying Miss Grace Wilson,
he is the smartest member of the Wander
bilt family. He has always been of me-
chanical turn of mind and has designed a
sailboat and electric launch, both turning
out fast and with lines of beauty. For sew
eral years young Vanderbilt has been in the
drafting room of the New York Central
railroad, and has worked his way up, until
today he has charge of that department. 1t
will be news to the world to know that
this young millionaire is the inventor of a
locomotive every part of which was made
from designs furnished by him. The engine
has been built and tests are now to begin.
special feature of the Vanderbilt locomo
tive is in the freboX, and ii 1t turns out as
Mr.. Vanderbilt expects, will be a big saving
of labor and money. This particular fire