The sun., 1908-12-20
CROKER SURPRISED. .GaRA
MUSICAL AND FARMING ,EEeAzR.
ON HIS IRISH ESTATE s,s (,
He Demonstrated His Proficiency on tlle
Piano to Gene Woods or Albany
Proved 10 Justice WafIey piafket
You Can Grow Bananas "a ireland,

sRtedH
"They don't have any more fun In poll.
tics," said Richard Croker tho otiief dA{,
"no fun at all. 'Piu'st w
"When I was young man We had Ill.
sorts Of fun. The newspapers hRd lilt
number Of funny stories OF the prdnss
Of the politicians. Even up to a'fey yeaia
ago there was many funny story IN Demot
cratic and Republican politics in New Ybtlt
city. 49, ,....,
-Now everybody seems 70 be 60 1dearlY
In earnest. Either they take .tltffI
selves very seriously or they take tils yQfl
very seriously don't know how 70 1t q
plain 1t. But there is no more fun tn h1l
tics. and you seldom read funny htofy.
concerning the practical Jokes Of 'P9lit I.
ians on one anotherF :. ~ ,.,3,,,e ! ~.
Mr. Croker. with group OF ffiehd4'
about him, told with great relish how hal
entertained Eugene D..iWoods- aioe,'
on one occasion and Supreme CouEt
Justice Marley Platzek Of NewsXork ~
another at his house near Dublin.Y Com
Woods and MIR. Croker have not ALWAYS
agreed, and at one time there wa4 eevq1e
break between them; but a vofhle u
years ago Woods was In Lopdq4a NIL
telegrapled to Croker that tshe Was
to run over to Ireland to. see binSb
cairn. s'1' = atksF ~
The day came for Woods . Ars5sal sll
Croker heartily greeted him. II Aftsf
the house and Croker and ,Wb0Iie 30
in the smoking room. Quietly aud vi 14s
out apparent reason Croker lefkSANbQ4a
and walked into reception fa6fp ~ djoit
ing and in a moment the sweetesg straits
Of music came from the piano. ~
There were no women inytlss sbo1se ~
Woods knew, and he couldn't. Make or.
where the music came from 49,
who's that playing the .f1iSse2 III
qiIired Woods of the butler.sf = s Z 7.
The MASTER was the soft sp6
sponse. " " e,s4& &
"Mr Croker play the 'piane?s Tepiied
Woods, with the keenest. surprise; I'm
going in there to hear him 4s{
NO. please sir, = said the bufieA hjuhtl
peek in through the curtains and listen
to him. He doesn't like people to enter
the room while he is playing
Gene Woods peered through the cur-
tains, and there was Mr. Croker evidently
playing like Handel or Mozart or 4
Paderewski. Deity and de.icatssy
Crokers big right hand touched the
treble keys and the big left was in
rhythmic unison on the bass.
Suddenly to Woods's surprise Croker
crossed hands and threw in few vafia-
tions with the ease of professor Of music
at the Paris Conservatory. Woods's eyes
were bulging, and turning to the butler.
who was in rapt attention. Woods @fi'I9
pered: - ~ EcA
"Pll have devil Of a story togtella1
New York, and where In the devil did f,o.
become a professor OF music hike tefss
How did he learn?' qf.NT atFt
From nocturne to rhapsodis CroisAEctna
tinued. and he turned to the Ave- AtaEia16
and then to Mendelssohn's "Songs W5,i,s
out Words Gene Woods was besltisa
himself with wonderment, and he bifdclfieas
as he thought of the great story hs N0tlills
have to tell OF Croker's masteffur piano
playing acquired during his absehcs front
New York city. - 2s<iS ef..5a
Suddenly Croker stopped and reJoiheds
Woods in the smoking room. ar les ao
where the devil did you learn to ,pIHt2
the piano?" demanded Woods. M Q, s91i}
'Oh. I've had little leisure time : ~
piled Croker, %and Of course there &l1
great professors of music in London ifIItI
Dublin, and it comes easy -
why. you're over go years old = s6fied'
Woods. -and know it didn't come eaay
with you. But you're a dandy plaJ u
just the same and I'll tell all the d,
about it when l get back"
Croker never cracked n SMILE He
the same grim vissge that is 50 ifainilis
hereabout as he told Woods that II 81
time for dinner. ',f-s
Woods stopped over night and bef6,f.
closing his eyes that night he became
little suspicious. He knew Croker n II
celebrated for his practical jokes ihl {ttl1
old days. He climbed out or bed eaflS
the next morning and tiptoed down iute
the reception room and touched the.keaa
of the piano. No sound came. M N4H.
He was amazed. He hustled all around
the piano and looked into II. and fused
and fretted. all 10 no purpose" H4 itis8.
the keys over and oyer again without the
breath Of sound coming from them,
At breakfast lie so taxed Crpkerswuh
what he had seen and heard the niahb DO.
DeIOTe anu Wudb hc llttI tcS5I &kiAU sE1Iilt5I +
to hear before breakfast, thai sGreker
finally broke down and bubbling over With
laughter he told Woods that the spixfio was
electrical, with continuous rolls Of ttndsa6
classical and otherwise, and ash ~
sat down to it all that he had TODD Aas IL
touch hidden button and the rpSsAe
would pour forth the sweetest or the inosi
resounding strains. ~ Sr,feesea
"Well, I'm damned!' was all tnat yo5di
could reply. fp's,' aas (
When Justice Platzek called on Mrs
Croker, Croker had framed up a. joke 6r
Platzek. Croker's estate covers 600 aSres :
and he grows all sorts OF vegetables and
grains. A week before Platzek's sffivss
Croker had received from New X1fs.ttilss fs.ttilss
bunch OF green bananas. On The day ot
Platzeks arrival these bananas @eFf
yellow and ripe. ssat n4s.
Croker and Platzek got into q c6ffvef.
sation as to the agricultural aepa6tse6 81
Croker's farm. and Platzek asked whai
Croker raised on the farm. NS'oS s1s..
aOh. almost anything, Judge, replied
Croker. Beet sugar. pumpkins. stota.
toes, bananas-almost anything "
sBananasl" exclaimed Piatzek. y sl' ess1
1Why. yes said Croker m his Toit
voice, and it can be very soft at tines
why not bananasY' 20 HsssSr,
=