The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-06
travellers to Elmhurst, George G. Peck

travellers to Elmhurst George G. Peck S
summer hotel.
At EImhurst the cousins made known
their wants. Cant take YOU was the
sum of the information vouchsafed. "Ho-
tel amt open, and won't be for month.
Mo- not fixed here to give you any sup
per, and there amt spare bed up in the
place. Don't know; might try Will
French's."
| Away the hungry equestrians turned
| and hunted up Willard D. French. Board
ers are sometimes taken in the summer
| time at French's, but there was nothing
doing. No accommodations, and it made
: no difference when the strangers offered
| to pay literally. Possibly they might find
| something to eat and beds at Miss Hat
| tie Smiths, they were told. And so, with
| little hope, before setting their tired
horses upon the long six miles to Great
harrington, the travellers sought out the
residence of Miss Smith.
There is no quainter old mansion in the
whole Berkshire county than Hattie
Smiths, and no better cook or kind1ier
soul than its mistress. Very gently the
stranded i-millionaires knocked at
her door. and very humbly they begged
for shelter and food for themselves, their
man and their beasts
"They seemed real nice young men,"
said Miss Smith. afterward, land / didn't
have the heart to turn them away. You
could tell to look at them that they were
most starved, so let them come in. I do
take some boarders now and then, but
they most let me know ahead, or else
come at a civilized hour. and II those
young men hadn't been pretty polite I
wouldn't have taken them. But they were
just as nice as they could be-
ITO tell you the truth, though, I sort
of suspicioned that they were young
chaps on some kind of a lark, and it
wouldn't have surprised me much If they
had paid me in promises the next day So
when one of them, the Oldest one, offered
to get me scuttle of coal just let him
and l let him put 1t on the fire, too.
Then l wanted some fresh water for the
tea kettle, and the other one drew It,
They didn't make mite of fuss about
everything, but just ate what l gave them
as II 1t was the best supper they ever
tasted, and went off to bed like a couple
Of twelve ear-olds
Next morning, after breakfast they
wanted to know II there was any one
nearby that took photographs; said they
| wanted view of the house. ! sent for
Miss Carrie Smith and she took a couple
of negatives with her camera. Then the
oldest of the young men handed me his
card and asked to have the prints for
warded to him at New York. You could
have knocked me down with feather
when 1 saw the name. John d. Rockefel-
Ter, Jr. Then he introduced Percy.
"They paid my regular charges for the
suppers and lodgings and breakfast and
insisted on my taking ten-dollar bill be-
sides. No. 7 never told them I'd had a
notion they wouldn't be able to pay their
bills.
1--WE heard a good deal about those
Rockefellers being such dreadful folks
but 1 don't believe it, do you?'
John d. Rockefeller, Jr, and his cousin
Percy are the same age-twenty-nine. The
more strenuous life of John D.. Jr, caused
his health to give way, and he has aged
more rapidly than his cousin. This may
account for the Berkshire hostess taking
one OF her guests for the oldest"