Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-13
Character Sketch of Man
Whose Touch is Golden.

nerisms drop over him like a cloak and
the Mr.. Morgan his friends know under
the awning OF the long. black. beautiful
ship when the sun is dropping behind the
Jersey hills Is gone. I'm the afternoon he
is never fond In his office after 5 o'clock
and walking to the ferryboat he picks out
a comfortable seat. always trying to avoid
the crowd He reads a novel coming and
going and in the morning glances over
the papers.
Takes Interest I'm Art.
In art Mr.. Morgan has devoted several
fortunes toward furnishing his home in
New York, in London and his various
country homes with the most rare and ia
nous paintings. The old masters find par
ticular favor spurred ON by genuine in
terest until he has become a critic equal
10 the best Last summer while abroad
he collected costly set of gems and or
naments. all antiques Among them was
almost every kind of precious and semi
precious stones, many Of them individ-
ually famous the world over and with a
wealth OF legend attached to them. One
case contained thirty Babylonian orna-
ments, the oldest OF which. according to
experts in antiquities, was 1900 years be-
fore the Christian era. In sapphires there
is one OF lj9 carats. larger than the great
stone that glistens in the crown of Eng
land, which Richard Coeur de Lion stole
from Syrian mosque on one OF his cru
sades. \ topaz of 300 carats, the largest
known, has a history OF near'y 500 years
and has graced the crown Of the rajahs of
Linapore. tourmaine. "A garnet a slab
of turquoise. blue beryl and a bali of
amethyst, any of which is worth a kings
ransom. are among the collection. The en-
tire collection was presented by Mr. Nor
gan TO the American Museum of Natural
History after his return to this country
and may be seen there any day.
His family IL much to Mr.. Morgan, but
his best friends say that the brusqueness
or his manner is never fully shaken of
and his two score years of domlneering
over the financial heads Of the country
have bred In him d second nature OF ex-
pecting obedience wherever he is whether
II Is In planning the summer his wife and
daughters shall spend or I'm telling man
who Is to receive his benefactions what
time he must come To see him and what
inconvenience he will put him TO-
A story indicative OF his character is told
of him when, during the year 1897 he was
in England with his wife and daughters
during the preparations preceding the
quecnis jubilee He had planned the sum-
mer and, as usUsl, expected his family
To follow II out. They had the greatest
desire TO see the celebration OF the Jubilee
but he had planned a trip on the continent
and all their fearful pleadings colld not
shake him from his original resolve. II
was his nature TO be obeyed In his slightest
wish and he was obeyed.
Deals of Last Two Years.
During the last two years Mr.. Morgan
has brought about the purchase OF the
West Shore by the New York Contra. the
Jersey Central railroad by the Reading
resulting In the monopoly OF the anthracite
coal business; the consolidation OF the
Southern Pacific with the Union Pacific
giving the latter control of Pacific coast
traffic; the purchase of the Mobile & Ohio
by the Southern railway, lease OF the St
Paul b. the Great Northern and Northern
Pacific, and the inauguration of the. com
munity OF interest" plan among the great
railroads OF the country. creating wha,
Is practically a railroad trust. These are
a few of the things he had done within
a few months In the business line. Dur
ing these same months he has purchased
a $4,000 dog and many less valuable ones
donated s25,e0 to London church with
details OF its distribution, planned the
yacht that is to defeat Shamrock III in
the fall. planted some elm trees in a chill.
dren's school yard and studied the details
of some hundred charities and donated
some 10000 for their support.
So many things has this man done. His
greatness is In his variety and thorough.
ness OF its details.