Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-02
HANNA IN GREAT DEMAND
The Junior Ohio Senator the Most Called On
Man in Washington,
HOW HE RECEIVES HIS MANY VISITORS
Daily Routine of II busy Mnn--IIis
Mode of Life In Public mud at
Home-LoVes Whist and
the ThcRtcr.

WASHINGTON, MaToG 3o-The most
overworlxed piece Of mechanism in all Wash
irgton is Senator Hanna's door bell.
Scarcely day passes that 1t is not set ring
ing at least $50 times, and often and again,
between breakfast and bedtime, it an
nounoes the arrival of the 200 caller No
man in Washington, except the president,
receives as many callers.
Senator Hanna's abiding place in Wash
ington is the Arlington hotel, and his rooms
are on the ground floor of an annex which
was once a private house. A colored man
in the livery of the hotel is appointed to
guard the street door, and of Tie ten score
callers whose cards he receives every day
not more than fifty or seventyfive succeed
in obtaining an audience. Many call, but
few are chosen. To give heed to the speech
Of even fifty persons in one day. however,
is no small thing. Only man trained as
Senator Hanna has been from boyhood In
business methods and endowed with a re-
markablc executive ability could accomplish
it. 1t is the penalty of being in the conf
dence of president, for Senator Hanna is
nearer President Mckinley than any other
man in the land.
Senator Hanna is a business man. first,
last and always. He is polite in business,
businesslike in politics. He eXacts business
methods from all with wuom he comes in
contact With none of his callers does he
waste either time or words. Nothing pleases
him more than a direct concise and to-
the point statement of a case, but his official,
political face is the face of a sphinx. Not
line nor muscle Of it ever betrays what
he Is thinking, nor an expression ever tells
whether he is pleased or dspleased. He
is an unerring judge of men, and when he
thinks a man worthy of confidence he is
unreservedly communicative, but with his
average caller he is as unresponsive as a
craven image.
Hanna Not MethodicaI.
Although he accomplishes a great deal In
day, Senator Hanna is not methodical
man. He has no fixed plan of daily life. He
is not an early riser. He breakfasts at 9
and breakfast is to him the chief meal of tn a.,
day, for he says that he does not feel that
the day is properly begun unless he has
breakfasted well. His morning meal is a
hearty one, and soft boiled eggs are an in
variable item on his bill of fare He has al
ways been blessed with fair appetite, and
although by no means an epcure he is fond
of coed living. He likes sweets. Coffee he
drinks sparingly, and in regard to alcoholic
liquors he is exceedingly abstemous. He is
very fond of good cigar, but smokes only
moderately.
Immediately after breakfast he returns to
his reception room, and callers are admitted
Some Of them are the characteristic office
seekers of the capital. Some of them come
to him on matters connected with the ma
tional republican committee, of which he
has been chairman since 1896. Some of them
call because they fancy that to have the ear
OF the Ohio senator is to have the ear Of
the man in the White house, a long stones
throw across the park. Some of them have
business with him which concerns some one
of the almost innumerable commercial
enterprises, shipbuilding, lake carrying
banking, railroading mining and what not,
In which he Is interested and some of them
come to him for reasons whichfew who know
Mr.. Hanna only as a skilful and determined
politician ever guess. His friends say that
he is one of the most open handed ana
charitable OF men, and that he never turns a
deaf ear to any honest story OF SUFFERING.
He has been an active member OF number
of charitable organizations, and his private
charlties are carried on without regard to
society or creed
AT 1880 he drives to the caDitol He
enjoys thoroughly the part of the day he
eS.
Almost the only public address of his on
record is the one he made in Chicago, dur
ing the last presidential campaign 1t was
brief, forceful ana unadorned. Senator
Hanna's work in the senate is done IN the
committee rooms. and not on the floor of
the senate chamber. He makes other men
do his talking for him. He prefers to be
the power behind the throne. In comparison
with senator orators, with Senator Wolcott,
for example, Senator Hanna is as the en-
gineer, deep in the bowels of a man of war.
to the goldlaced captain on the bridge. He
does not seek for applause, and he cares
not rap for criticism. He knows exactly
what he wants, and as he never changes his
mind, never loses his nerve and never gives
up, he always gains his point in the end.
Fond Os Operas.
He reaches home after his day in the
senate only in time to dine After dinner
he has usually some social engagement, for
he is undisgusedly fond of society He is
fond of the theater, and enjoys the lighter
operas. In Cleveland he is owner of the
opera house, which is a pet hobby of his.
He gives it a great deal of attention, and
all its bookings are subject to his approval.
When he is in Cleveland, he never fails
to appear at the theater with Mrs. Hanna,
every Monday evening.
For books he has no great liking In
the daVS whom hp was hue