The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1900-08-04
BY FREDERIC 2EDpAL.l-.
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',.i',"r".l ,.y train men in waiting 81.
lutnd with hands to caps.
i good story is told concerning Two
poor lriahmcn who ol,c upon a time
were debating what sort of M occupa,
ton each would choose If kind proyi,
dchce should 2yvr give them the OPP
ton. After ranva ing the advantages
OF the various vacations in life one Of
them closed the discussion ~ sAyin&:
Path, Mike. for 4 nice. dane. aisy
job let me he Il bishop"
Thij probably summed up to Mikes
imaginative mind all the sunny side of
life-Wealth. position. authority and
not ovcrmuch work
But | have often thought that for
pure and unauthorized bliss the posi-
ton of president of great railroad
left little to be desired. 1t certainly
seemed so TO the onlooker this bright
May morning.
Here was John Draper, president of
the Pacific and Atlantic railway, self
made man, multimillionaire, old
enough to have eschewcd the follies of
life and Yet young enough to enjoy the
benefits the gods send to sane mortals,
blessed with health, strength, good
conscience and Il better digestion, at
the moment of which | write literally
monarch of all he surveyed and about
to take trip of three or four thousand
miles in his personal and private car,
surrounded by charming and CON
genial company of his own choosing.
who would baSk in the sunshine of his
bounty and give him grateful thanks,
homage and credit for all the pleasure
bestowed!
So who would not be Il railroad pres.
ident, even if the head that carries the
bondholders' woes is sometimes un.
easy.
With John Draper came two ladies',
an elder and a much younger one, and,
faithful TO the old prccept which gives
place to age before beauty, the former
shall be described first. This was Mrs.
Bradley Hurst, a married sister Of our
host Fair and 40 she certainly was,
but not even her bitterest enemy could
have called her fat. \ laughing eye, a
well rounded and mature form, Of me-
dunn height, with a carriage and man.
ner thar denote the thorough mistress
of society and its forms-this was Mrs.
Bradley Hurst, the chaperon of the
party.
BY her side and between the two eld-
err people walked a girl half her age,
the exact opposite of what Mrs. Hurst
must have been in her youth-not too
tall, graceful, dark of hair, eyes and
complexion, a NaSsar alumna and now
two years society graduate; accom-
plishcd, handsome and wholcsome-and
there YOU have sketched Miss Florence
Granniss. the ward of John Draper and
hciress to Il cool million.
Down the platform they strolled,
laughing and chatting gayly, yet in the
tender solicitudc with which the rail
road magnatc handed the girl into the
car might have been discovered more
than the ordinary regard supposed TO
subSiSt between guardian and ward.
Close at the heels of this trio came
wv ollltIH' l'blll ' obIl-' lIolll VI 'iNlpNlS,
both bubblng over with good humor
and good spirits, which we've plainly
their natural heritage and partly born
of the prospect Of this novel outing.
The lady was Miss Madge Hurst,
daughter of Mrs. Bradley Hurst, Il
piquant maiden of some 90 winters.
blond. petite, blue eyed and altogether
bcWitching-at least 50 thought Mr..
Chester Ives. who walked at her side,
looking down from his five feet ten of
maSculinity ut the five feet two of fem
ininity under the broad brimmCd
GainShoruuEh hat then in vogue.
Chester Ives was member Of the
fourth estate, whose privilege it is to
Wiyld the weapon which is said to be
mighticr than the sword-though it is
often mere blue pcncil-anh who, hT
dint Of patience, perseverance, and per-
sistcncc, had risen from the foot Of the
Journalistic ladder to be ''Wali street
man on one of New Yorll'g great DAT
lies. Not vet 70, he was already book
cd ly his iutiuHtcs for higher things
lie had known John Draper when the
latter was hiding his time in com
pGraliTc oDscurity as Il small merchant