The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-19
CAPT. tom MILLER HOSPITAL
MANHATTAN CLUB HAS MISSED
ITS AGED EPICURE.
CAPTAIN Tom Dinners Have Been Famous.
Especially II the Old Gentleman Would
Cook n Dish Himself--He Froze His
ringers, but He Is Getting Over II.


IooL a Dish Himself--He Ffoze His
ringers. but He Is Getting Over II.
Can't. Thomas J. Miller, sage Of the Man
haitian Club, epicure. gourmet and almost
,he last Of the boulevardiers Of old New
Work is III at st. vincent's Hospital. Capt.
Tom As his friends called him. has been
.bsent from his table in the domino room
Tor several weeks. but only q very few OF
The members knew what had become OF
him There were many inquiries for the
captain. after his absence from the club
had been noted. but the few who knew the
old man was i'll simply remarked that they
guessed he'd gone South for few weeks.
They knew that Capt. Tom was n bit touchy
on the general subject Of personal illness.
As matter OF fact Capt. Miller had
nrettv close call, when his age IL considered.
He was going home from the club one very
cold night about a month ago and, trying
TO keep his ears warm, he froze the fingers
~ one OF his hands. DR.. j. z. Kelly was
summoned and he found that the old gentle
mans di gifts had been 90 thoroughly chilled
that he thought some OF them might have
n be amputated. So he had the patient
removed 10 st. Vincent's Hospital. The
operation was not necessary. however, and
Il was said at the hospital last night that
the patient was getting on finely and would
probably be out In few days
This announcement will be good tidings
To every sitting member Of the Manhattan.
for Capt Tom Is one of the choicest spirits
and most popular members OF the club.
Capt Miller Is indigenous to the soil OF
Manhattan Island and for more than half
q century he has known intimately most
Of the men worth knowing. He always
has neat epigram or q good story on the
tip Of his tongue. and OF "reminiscences OF
this island and it's great men he Is a mine.
But above and beyond his fame as a
csps TOm fsq lnoWledss Of he ns art Of
good living. For forty years he has been
regarded as about the highest authority
In this country on what to eat and how 10
cook. what to drink and how to cool ".
pretentious breakfast, luncheon or dinner.
That's only question Of the fairness OF ones
purse. But to be dainty In the ensemble
and exact as to details, those. my dear sir,
are the fine art. And IN practising TINS
is all in the know-how, as one might say.
For example, you will serve wines with
your dinner courses. Everybody does.
But tell me. at what temperature will you
be cooled or not and what shall be the tenn
perature OF YOUR champagne? These are
only few Of the minor details, but even the
minor details must not be regarded as
unimportant.
Capt. Tom is an expert on all liquors and
wines, but it is said that he Is a specialist on
burglndies and sherries. Two members
OF another club were speaking one day OF
the Manhattan wine cellars. One OF the
two remarked that they didn't see why other
clubs couldn't have cellars as well stocked. :
sImpossible, old man; simply impossible,
remarked the other. NO other club in
New, York. has Truax and Tom Miller
TO advise as to purchases.
AS expert, however, as Capt. Tom Is in
the matter Of table liquors, he is past
master almost without an equal, his friends
say, in the edibles that shall 60 with the
drinkables. II as Capt. Tom says. any
can display the originality In courses that
he oan. The captain ns.er gave . dinner,
ono Of the members Of the club said last
the like Of which nobody at the table ever
the host would remark:
.Oh, that's just q new invention Of mine.
declare, now that you have reminded me
Of il, must give II q name
OF late years Capt. Tom hasn't given
many dinners, but he has always been In
demand - . guest. Indeed, It has be-
come rather . fad at the Manhattan for
members to issue invitations to Capt;
Tom dinner and then. by ooaxing and
pleading. to get the venerable epicure to
prepare the menu. These are always
occasions TO be remembered and never
is an invitation to q Capt. Tom dinner
regretted. Sometimes the old gentleman,
IL he feels just In the mood. will suggest
a surprise course. with no one privy to the
surprise but himself. When the time
comes TO serve the course, the waiter will
appear with q chatting dish and the other
necesssries, and Capt Tom will proceed
to prepare the surprise at the table. IL
has been said that any frst-class restau .
rateur would pay a small fortune a year
20 a chef who could cook like Capt. Tom.
The captain never talks about his age.
hui those who know something OF his his
tory say that he In somewhat over 90. His
youth Is shrouded. as ono Of the Manhattan
men put IL last night, in the mists Of an
tiquity' II IL known, however. that In
the early SOS he lived at the southwest
corner ~ Hudson and Hubert streets. on
the edge 81 81. Johns Park. That neigh
borhood in those days was about What
Havem.yers and other old families had
their town houses there. Al that time
Cap Tom was an auctioneer. He used
70 tell stories then Of his service In the United
ssI-rieno.s IN south American waters.
u was from this naval service that he
brought hack the title ~ Captain.
Later GA b. was q clsrk 70 the old Marine
Couft and old lawyers siill insist that the
oath Nas never administered 90 q witness
Siih more solemniiy than his. After a
A. -pme ~ his good fri.nds advised him
snd he made money Nh-n hs r.,if-'i
from the stfss-,, ~ far as anybody knows,
hs Co. lfsst from l5tlslIirsF Altlsasfl issf