Evening journal., 1905-02-23
GLIMPSES OF JAY COOKE
Civil War Financier's Participa-
ton In a Mock Trial.
HIs ANNUAL PARTY FOR GIRLS.

AZ One of Them. Given to the Pupils
OF n school Mt ogontz, Pa, He
Dropped Bouauets and Boxes OF
Candy Into Their Aprons-His 90.
p. j." Account-Ho,v He Secured HIS
First Position.
The late Jay Cooke Of Ogontz. Pa.
who was known as the fnancier Of the
American civil war, had a story which
he used to love to relate Of a dinner
given in Sterling, n. Y, by Peter
Townsend to himself, Secretary Chase.
Horace Greeley, Thomas A. Scott and a
few other men Of note, who were
about to form a company to develop
some LOCAL iron mines, says a Washing
ton correspondent Of the New York
Post.
The feast was spread at a country
hotel, and Mr.. Greeley left the table
in the midst Of it for some purpose.
His absence was attributed to his well
known eccentriclty. and no one thought
anything of it till the discovery was ac-
cidentally made that in quitting the
building the editor had helped himself
to. white oyercoat belonging. to his
host, which he mistook in his absent
minded way for the old garment that
had become historic on his own back.
Now, Mr.. Townsend was as convivial
in his habits as Mr.. Greeley was alb
stemious, and in the pocket of his
overcoat he had that evening hidden a
bottle Of very choice whisky, so a
messenger was sent to scour the viii
lage for Greeley and presently brought
him back, overcoat, bottle and all--in-
deed, the neck of the bottle was stick
ing out Of side pocket. much to the
good mans chagrin when his attention
was called to it.
At once the party resolved itself into
court and put Greeley on trial. Chase
presided as judge, Townsend conducted
the prosecution, Scott, Cooke and the
rest Of the big moneyed men present
served as jury, and Greeley was con
victed Of three offenses-grand larceny
in the theft of an overcoat, maintaining
an unlicensed bar In his side pocket
and hypocrisy in pretending to be a
total abstainer, but carrying Off spiritu-
GUS liquors to be drunk by him at night
and in a secret place. His sentence
was to set up a champagne dinner for
the same party at the next time and
place they could all be brought to-
gether.
For the twenty-frst consecutive year
jay Cooke gave his annual reception to
the girls Of the Ogontz (Pa) school last
year, says the Philadelphia North
American. This reception was looked
forward to in Ogontz with as much
eagerness as is the assembly, although
the reception was vastly more exclu-
sive. The veteran fnancier got up out
Of a sickbed to act as host to "his
girls" as he called the students.
He was assisted in receiving by the
twenty-five members of the senior class,
who also superintended the serving Of
dinner. The younger girls sat down on
the floor around the. big, old fashioned
fireplace, where a wood fire cracked
and rOared into the chimney. The
guests were served at a special table
in an adjoining room, where Mr.. Cooke
dined with the senior class after he
had seen the feast in the big room well
under way.
The seniors sang their class song and
toasted the man who formerly had his
home on the beautiful estate now oc-
cupied by their school. Mr.. Cooke re-
piled very briefly. His face was fairly
beaming with delight This man who
once swayed the destinies Of the nation
counted his financial conquests as moth
ing in comparison with the January
frolics with "his girls" He never for
got one Of them, and he always made
1t a point to get acquainted with the
new ones.
The potatoes that were served at the
dinner were cooked in the ashes on
the open fireplace, and the ham was
heated there on the crane.
After dinner Mr.. Cooke stood at one
end Of the. hall and instructed the girls
to fall in line and march past him,
holding out their aprons. Into each
apron he dropped box Of candy,
oranges, bananas and a bouquet done
up in the Victorian style with tin foil
and paper tunnels. Mr.. Cooke always
had the bouquets prepared in this fash
ion, because, he said, that was the
style when he was married.
When Jay Cooke was in business
there always stood upon his ledger an
account called the 80. 2. J. Account"
says the Philadelphia Record. At each
semiannual closing of the books Of Jay
Cooke & Co. a tenth Of the firms profits
were passed to this account and thence
distributed in charity and in the ad-
vancement Of religious teaching. A
great deal Of money-a tenth, in fact of
all that the firm earned during fits long
life-'vas thus devoted to benevolence.
The account was called 20. 7. J." be-
cause those letters stand for "Old Pa
triarch Jacob" and Jacob, as all Chris
tians know, was the inspired originator
of the system Of giving tithes to God. }
When the firm Of jay Cooke & Co.
failed-Mr. Cooke later recovered his
fortunes nobly--its head said: "How
wise we were to give a tenth Of our
profits always to %. p. j. Otherwise
oil fhof .,,,,o.. ..-o..ra a-.-, 49,. Ic~t