The Washington times., 1901-11-03
CROKER'S M0AFED GRANGE
The Real British Home of the Tam
many Boss Described.
As 1t Il in Fancy and in Fact
ignorance of the Owners Real
station in Life shown in Vantage.
"The Gentleman From American

! lhe 6enttemnn From America y
1t happened to be part of my duty in
England one day to so down-every trip
out of London is described as down
and see Richard Croker. who was then at
his house at Vantage. which has acquired
such wide celebrity throughout the Uni
ted States
had read all about Moat House, or
The Moated Grange" in the American
papers. and in imagination 1 saw myself
uiiVlhS through a lodge gate opened by
oDsequious servitors. along graveled
road with ancient oaks and herds of deer
on either hand, up to an old feudal cas-
tie. Indeed, L fancied there might be a
drawbridge to cross. for what Is the use
OF having an ancient moat unless you
have drawbridge? / imagined that Moat
House or The Moated Grange" was some
ola teudal mansion, perhaps with bat
tlemented towers, surrounded by a wide
park, with numerous stables, greenhouses,
ana laborers' cottages in the rear. and
that. II i did not see Mr. Croker | might
at least get a look at the old armor In
the oaken hall, gaze upon stained as
windows adorned with armorial bearings.
and witness the magnificence in which I
mad been informed by the American pa
pers Mr.. Croker was living. This mag
nihcence l pictured to myself as that of
a great policeman, known far and wide
throughout the countryside. of whom the
people would speak with bated breath.
1 had read how Mr. Croker was "Iord
OF the manor" that he was popular
with his tenantry.' and that If he was
hot hand-in-glove with the great noble
men and county families" OF Berkshire
he at least had a bowling acquaintance
and was treated with considerable respect
by them. These were some of the
thoughts that fitted through my mind as
rode out from Paddington.
assumed, of course. that Mr. Crol,er
was the great man of Vantage. the one
personality who overshadowed all others
from the local viewpoint. the patron and
Denefactor of the town, regarded and
treated almost as if he were the landlord
Oh every one Of its people. l had no idea
"hat Vantage was like, and had good
deal OF curiosity to see the most widely
known place in England from an Ameri-
can standpoint
Judge, therefore, of nv sr,rprisa ,yba,,
IN conversation with an Englishman in
the train. he informed me that he had
never heard OF Wantagei He knew about
Reading and Newbury, and other places
IN berkshire. but Vantage was an un-
known quantity to him. He found that
there was such place, however, when he
looked 1t up In his "a. 3. c. Guide" and
discovered 1t to be little more than one
of those obscure hamlets of which there
seems to be an endless number in Eng
land. All the more reason, thought ] to
myself. why 'the Lord of Vantage as
had seen him described, should be the
great Mogul of the district, and thought
perhaps that the tenantry' might be so
loyal to Mr.. Croker that they might not
let me anywhere near the house and
would receive with holy horror the sug,
gestion Of driving up to the front door
unannounced and ringing the bell. In
this emergency l pictured to myself the
necessity of opening communication with
MIR. Croker from the lodge gate, If not
from the village tavern or from the rail-
way station.
Undoubtedly. thought to myself. even
in this obscure and out-of- the-way place.
ofice-seekers. reporters, and curiosity
mongers penetrate to poster the head of
Tammany Hall, and the army of servants
with which he is surrounded. the ten
antry on the estate and the people in the
village who live in terror of him, keep
them all away l knew that | would be
spotted at once the moment l alighted
at Vantage as another American come TO
bore the great man, and would be at once
confronted with difficulties put in the way
to Illustrate my efforts / therefore deter
mined that as soon as l had arrived at
Vantage l would at once hire a cab. and
before the news had tine to fly through
the town that another attack was going
10 be made upon Mr.. Croker by an Amer
lean, order the driver to whip I'D his
horses for The Moated Grange" and try
to get there before preparations for de-
fence could be made. l did not know how
Tar 1t might be to THE Moated Grange"
but surrounded as it was by an estate"
as l had seen 1t described, with the im- |
piled suggestion of numerous adjoining
arms upon which the loyal tenantry lived.
believed it to be well out in the country. |
L magnificent country place visible for
niles around, whose glories the people of |
he town would never weary of relating |
and inhabited by one OF the most cele- |
1rated men alive. When l reached Wan
age, therefore, I hailed a cab.
Drive me TO the Moated Grange" |
aid l.
Beg pawdon. sir" said the cabbv. |
ouching his hat; but where did you
ay?"
ITO the Moated Grange" I replied, very
Would it be an inn. sir?"
Inn? NOT 1 replied THE Moated
range. big country house, large estate,
acing stables. Surely you must know
there it is. DO you know Vantage. and |
i've here?" 1 asked. suddenly thinking
hat either l was in the wrong town or
hat the caDby belonged somewhere else
nd was ignorant of the neighborhood.
why, sir" said the rubicund driver
I've lived here man and boy. for forty
ear, and l never heerd tell OF a moated
range. Would you mean Grange Hall,
ord Coventry's place?'
NO; 1 don't mean Grange Hall" l re-
lied. impatiently. 4 mean the Moated
range, where all those bulldogs and
Jrses are. Surely you must know THAR
Again the cab driver professed his ig-
orance. At one time l thought perhaps
he whole thing was a blun and that he
vas one Of Mr.. Crokcrs English heel
rs" kept at the station for this very
urposc. But convinced of the mans hon
sty as well as of his ignorance l con-
entcd to write it down" while he went
yer to the village tavern to consult some
id'i'' iiS 'aili' D'tSh Win lnt luIoF- |
lation that at a gathering of the oldest
lhabitants of Vantage not one of them
new where the Moated Grange" might |
P, but that one man had heard his
speak of such place, but
had burned down in the last century.
We'll then. drive me out to Mr. Gro
ers house." said /.
Mr.. Whose house, sir2'
Mr.. Crokers.''
Would you mean Mr.. Bowler. the mil
r. sir?'
No; | don't mean Bowler. the miller.