New-York tribune., 1920-12-26
FREDERIC VILLIERS, che famous avar correspondent
as he appeared IN 1894
Knew the Great and Near Great
Frederic Viliers, War Correspondent, Had
Marvellous Acquaintance

ey, the explorer, at Delm monico's, Mr.
illiers was seated between Chauncey
Depew and General W. T. Sherman
IF General Sherman ne says:
He was tall and slight, and though
accredited with a character of con-
siderable sternness, there was moth
ng in his face to show It. 1t was
sreathed in smiles all through dinner
till the band struck up Marching
through Georgia. Then the smile
eft his face. and when the guests
stood up and cheered he frowned. l
iuppose he was thinking Of the ragged
band of heroes who reached the sea
fter that weary march and how swees
sounded the music of the oceans roar.
| W hen he rose to respond to the toast
for The army he laughingly referred
10 the newspaper reporters with his
troops in Georgia, for the room was
full OF the fraternity taking notes.
Sherman and Correspondents
"Thcy were great trouble to me on
the march, and | had much difficulty
IN keeping my plans from appearing
rrcmaturely in the papers. | am afraid
must have seemed bit bearish to
The intrepid correspondents, and re-
member that | threatened to have at
least one Of those Jealous gentlemen
shot. But" continued the general.
still with a sweet smile on his face,
If | were campaigning with war cor
respondents Of the present day, I would
have them hanged"
Thomas Edison, who at the time was
Ierfecting the electric light bulb, was,
according to Villiers, puffy and un-
kempt, like man who had been watch
ing beside sick bed. He sat in deep
thought, his strong, heavy face sunk
on to his shoulders. Now and again
he would give sigh of annoyance
when globe suddenly lost its glow and
! changed color. l understood that it
was question os the carbon flament
CT the uncertainty of the vacuum with
in the bulb that puzzled the inventor.
still possess a horseshoe shaped fila
ment used in the first globes, with
which Edison presented me on that
memorable evening"
Edwin Booth was s'the stately type
Of actor who was never off stage To
sec him descend the stairs Cat the
Players Club) to the dining-room tool:
one back 10 the theater at once. There
was the grand air of Richelieu or the
mien of Wolsey in his measured
steps"
Friend Of Cecil Rhodes
Cecil Rhodes waa another friend oil
Villiers. The author visited the great
empire builder in South Africa at the
time when Rhodes was at the height
of his power. Always & practical man,
Rhodes carried this doctrine into the
details Of his ever day life VlIiers
reports that Gin the hall and each room
OF his house was a hat, either on a
chair or table-old hats Of soft fele
and OF exactly the same pattern and
color. This, 1 found out later, was
Cecil Rhodcs's ono popularity: when
ever he left the house, there was al
ways a hat to hand and there was no
necessity for him to go to the hall for
his heacgear or to ring for a servant
to fetch t''
Again, after an evening at his house,
Villiers says:
Rhodes had very weak, piping
voice, which at first appeared ridicu-
lously homogeneous to his burly frame
and ruddy face. His full blue eyes al
most danced with indignation at the
Idea Of the iaxity Of the British gov
crnment In taking so little interest IN
this remarkable continent that was
absolutely waiting to be annexed. He
was certainly the ambitious empire
builder that night and hts remarks
struck me at times as being peculiarly
| significant and almost prophetic"
Pen Pictures Of the Famous
Lord Kitchener first appears in these
memories as young captain in tho
Egyptian service and later as a gen
eral. Then "his face suggested a power
| that was never there in the earlier
dnys. 1t seemed ns IL a now spirit