Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-25

three unusually healthy men of finance.
who, healthy or not. are nevertheless the
despair of their medical men.
A Light Eater.
And yet there would appear to be some
method in their scheme. The late William
G. Whitney was never a heavy eater, and
he scarcely drank at all. although he had
the most magnificent wine cellar in this
hemisphere. For twenty years in WASH
ington as well in New York-wherever
he happened to be. in fact-his luncheon
consisted only of single chicken sandwich
and small bottle of apolinaris He was
a light eater from choice. and not from
necessity, for he never had any stomach
trouble Yet he died very suddenly of ap-
pendicitis, disease that is looked upon by
some as the result of what is called high
living" which is taken to mean overeating
or the partaking of too rich foods
John Rockefeller has been an abstemious
man and phenomenally light eater all his
life and yet for fifteen years he has been
In mortal misery most of the time from
acute dyspepsia. He never did anything
in his youth at any later time to wear
out his stomach the medical men ex-
press it, and yet he is the sickIiest of all
of the men of high finance MIR. Rockefel-
Ter once attended, in Philadelphia very
important directors meeting John W
Gates. j. Pierpont Morgan and August Bel
mont were also present at the meeting
which was of important and secret a
character that no recess for luncheon was
had. Food was sent into the directors
room at their respective orders. 1t made
Mr.. Rockefeller positively i'll TO even look
at the character and quantity of the food
that Messrs. Gates, Belmont and Morgan
ate. He had little tepid milk for HIS
whats that you've got there. John?'
Mr.. Gates is said to have inquired of Mr.
Rockefeller. who was hudded over his
small bowl of tepid milk
Milk" replied Mr.. Rockefeller
"Huh yought to try one of these boys,
old man., pointing to the enormous tender
DIN which he was engaged in hiding away.
'and I'll bet million your hair I'D grow
again"
Mr. Rockefeller, extraordinarily sensitive
as to the one-time fine suit of hair which
he is said to have lost through his recur-
rent attacks of dyspepsia, is stated to have
taken such serious offense over the remark
of Gates-who is looked upon as the bad
boy of the high finance crowd-that he has
scarcely noticed him since.
Spartan Diet.
Mr.. Rockefeller doesn't often get down to
his offices in the Standard Oh building
these days, but when he did work there
every day his luncheon consisted of half
a pint of warm milk into which he broke
two graham waters. There was a period.
several years ago. when Mr. Rockefeller
was afflicted with what Is known as the
dyspeptc's hunger. 1t made him almost
wild with desire to even smell. much less
see, food that had appetizng look. AT
that time several of the high officials of
the Standard OIL Company used to have
their hearty luncheons sent into their Of
fees from nearby restaurateurs. Sew
eral times, while they We're eating. Mr..
Rockefeller surrendered to the overwhelm-
ing temptation to take just a bite of
their dishes, and his yielding to these
temptations almost killed him. After that
fall
request the officials with offices near his
own to go out for their luncheons. He didn't
feel equal to withstanding the temptation
to partake of their food OF late years.
however, so advanced is Mr. Rockefeller
in hopeless dyspepsia, that the sight Of
appetizng not only does not tempt him.
but almost gives him nervous prostration.
It~is usual to regard Russell Sage as a
man OF extraordinary healthfulness. be-
cause he is so very old and has endured
several severe attacks of Illness in his old
age. The fact is, however, that Russell
Sage has suffered from dyspepsia nee his
youngest manhood. and this without ever
having been the victim of a habit sup
posed to be superinducive to dyspepsia.
1t is and has for fifty years been the plant
of Mrs. Russell Sage that her husband
doesn't eat enough ''to keep canary bird
alive" For his daily luncheon, all the
world knows. he takes couple OF small
apples. They cost him, rule, when APP
pies are plentiful, cent apiece. When
the old apple woman, and becomes quite
exercised over the way he IL being
"gouged." Yet he has more ready money
than any other financer on this continent
A dish of ham and eggs is not considered
anything so enormously difficult for per-
son of even fair, much less normal health
to negotiate. And yet, when Russell Sage
was a member of Congress- more than half
a century ago. dish of ham and eggs that
he partook of at the Capitol nearly cost
him his life and he has had a deadly
aversion to that homely combination ever
since.
Lives Simply, Too.
George Gould, who is even more abstemi-
Gus than his father, Jay Gould. has never
been man of robust health. despite all
sorts of out-of-door exercises and amuse-
ments. He is muscular and strong and
quite a proficient athlete, and yet he is
not man in first-rate health, nor has he
ever been. He drinks absolutely no wine
any other sort of intoxicating beverage
despite the fact that his wine cellar at
Georgian Court is one of the most splendid
and comprehensive in America-and he
doesn't know the taste of tobacco. Before
leaving his office every day a o'clock to
go to his home, he has, at the Western
Union building. a chicken sandwich and a
cup of tea.
James J. Hill, the railroad magnate of
the northwest, is often at his New York
offices. He is a very old and a somewhat
age-bent man. Yet his luncheon nearly al
ways consists of sweet stuff exclusively
The half of a pumpkin pie. or half a dozen
cream puffs. or something of that general
character, with cup of strong black cof-
fee ION the side
And thus it goes. If there is any lesson
to be derived from recapitula ton of the
eating habits of men who are big in the
public eye, it is probably simply this, that
what is one mans meat Is another mans
poison All the same. all of the longevity.
and robustness. and heartiness, not to
mention the sheer enjoyment of life, would
appear to be on the side of the fiuanciers
of New York who eat what they want and
when they want 1t, and as much of 1t as
they want. c. L. c.