El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-06

Rockefeller, John d. Rockefeller and
John Claflin are samples Of this
membership. More than half OF the
Jekyl islanders are New Workers. More
than half of them are stock market
people. Much more than half of them
have flown into the face of maxim that
it is impossible for an honest man to
earn more than 100000 in his life
time The Jekyl island club is the con-
certed American aristocracy of wealth.
Just a plain millionaire has no busl-
ness to associate with its owners. They
look upon him as only one degree re-
moved from pauperism. He IS not III
their class. There are 100 of these
people. The waiting list is as long as
three mems arms. This fact is some
proof of the many enormous fortunes
which have been amassed in this coun-
try since the war between the states.
1t is an island bought with modern
wealth from a member of the impov-
erished aristocracy of Georgia, and the
impoverished aristocracy of Georgia
looks down upon the club as collec-
ton of gold-hued, side-whiskered, fat
paunched, bad-mannered parvenus.
This does not worry the club any.
Probably it is the most self-sufticient
organization on earth.
Was a Family Possession.
JekyI island for more than a century
had been owned by the Du Bignons. A
member of this fine old family is now
in the United States senate. Another
member was appointed a second lieu
tenant in the regular army of the Unit
mons have all of the pride that is in
separable from their blue French
blood They have enough money for
their wants, but they are not rich.
They have made no use of the island
beyond hunting upon it and digging
oysters from its shores. When the
chance came to dispose Of its 1900
acres for S125,O09 they jumped at it.
They did not know that it was to be-
come the home of the chief representa-
tives of Americas Goldfish aristocracy,
and they would not have cared if they
had known. There was nothing in
the deed of sale compelling them to
ask any of the Goldfish aristocrats to
dinner
The island was a beautiful wilder
ness when they let it go. 1t is beaut1-
full still, but not wilderness. More
than $500. 900 has been spent in land
scape gardening alone. Its walks and
drives are wonderful. 1t has laby-
rinths, circles, sinuous paths, broad
straight avenues, everything known to
the cunning of the landscape-maker.
On the eastern shore is a beach eleven
miles long and from 200 to 300 feet
wide, according to the height of the
tide, which there has a rise and fall
of seven feet. This beach is as shin
ing as diamond, as smooth as a floor
and as straight as a rule. On it the
foot OF man or the tire of wheel
makes only a slight Impression. 1t is
ideal for vehicles of all kinds. There
is but one finer drive in the world
That is the beach OF Galveston, which
is as broad as the Jekyl beach and as
hard and straight and smooth, and is
moreover, more than three times as
long. The Jekyl islanders do not
know this. If they did they would go
to Texas and buy it.
Is HeIthfuI Place.
Nature designed 5ekyl island for a
sanitarium. Its air is I've wine. There
may be a suspicion of frost on winter
mornings, but in a little while the
friendly sun has dissipated the hint of
GOODNESS. The breeze is balmy and
true. The waves about it are gentle