Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-15
LITTLE TRAITS OF BIG MEN
Peouliarities of Prominent People When
They Forsake the Office,
FADs AND FANClES AS A DIVERSION
Leaders I'm various Activities Show
Commonplace characteristics
and Possess the Means
to HumOr Them.

A. ]. Cassatt, president OF the Fenn-
sylvania. who is forcing a hole under the
Hudson into New York for the use OF his
railroad, likes a horse better than any
thing else in the world, but his tastes are
so catholic and his information so varied
that he is able to make himself interesting
on almost any topic.
He is one OF the charter members OF a
certain swell dining club in Philadelphia
that town is famous for such organizations
whose methods, though vastly more in
teresting. remind one Of a progressive
euchre party. Every member must attend
every dinner or be fined and each must in
vite one guest-no more or less. There
are twenty-one members. and thus a fully
attended dinner is always served to forty
two. Often the number is less, but the
clubs round table is so cunningly devised
that It can be made just large enough for
whatever number draws round It.
When all are seated, each guest is placed
between two members and each member
between two guests. At a certain stage oil
the dinner, on signal. the members, who
are charged not only to entertain the
guests, but also to bring out whatever is
In them, all change places, so that nobody
has a chance to bore anybody else. This
maneuver is repeated several times during
the evening.
There is no formal speaking, but the din
ners are so interesting, quite apart from
the menu, that It is we'll worth scheming
a long time ahead to win an invitation To
attend one. At one of them the members
and guests present included the most IA
nous nerve specialist in the United States
a general in the army, the governor OF a
state, an explorer fresh from strange
lands, a great ship builder, a titled for
eigner, a world-famous %fnancier, etc. but
Cassatt's was the most Interesting per-
| sonality about the table. He talked like an
expert about hackneys, runners, trotters
Assyrian antiques, German operas, irriga-
ton, nervous diseases, Thibetain goats, au-
tomobiles, pictures, statuary, ecclesias-
teal architecture and in fact every topic
he was approached upon excepting rail
reading. Concerning this he did not seen
anxious to exploit his knowledge. And his
demeanor was as u~nassuming as his infor-
nation was encyclopedia.
When he leaves his office in New York, OF
his committee room in Washington. he
sticks a handful of the latest cuttings he
has received into the lefthand side pocket
of his sack coat, and, as soon as he gets
into a cab or car, he begins pulling then
out, reading them one by one, and trans
ferring them carefully to his righthant
side pocket as fast as they are read. II
keeps a goodly supply of his clippings con
stantly by him. so that he can consult then
whenever he has a spare moment.
Depew Devoted TO CLIPPINGS.
The most curious thing about Senate
Chauncey Mitchell Deptew is his devotion
to, the newspaper clipping. Nearly ever!
man in public life today subscribes to on
or other of the many clipping bureaus. fol
that is much the easiest way to learn wha
the newspapers say about him, but Depev
thus utilizing his spare time for the perusa
of his clippings he keeps much closer tai
on the comments made on himself and hi
acts thar almost any other man now in tn,
public eye.
! 1t might be added that he generally laugh
long and heartily at the frequent gibes duI
to his story telling and jokes, but a serious
criticism by a paper of his own faith some
times causes him considerable discomfort.
Can't Ride on His Trolley Cars.
P. A.. b. widener, who owns and operates
thousands of miles Of street railways in
score of American cities, never rides in
trolley car when he can avoid 1t. For som,
peculiar reason the motion of an electrical
car nauseates him. and, II persisted in
produces the same disastrous effect as
voyage on average transatlantic travellers
Mr.. widener once made a brave attemp'
to conquer this feeling.
In company with his partner, William L
Elkins, he got on a suburban car at hi
country home. in Elkins, determined t.
stick it out until he had reached his ofhc,
in Philadelphia. 1t happens that, by troll
ley, Mr.. Widener's Office is Just twelve mile
distant from his residence. The car, &C