Scenes at the Polls at Omaha's Municipal Election
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IX THH THIRD WAItDPhoto by Louis It. Postwfck.
IN' HOlllCMIAN TOWN - Photo by Louis U ltostwlck
;AJf UPTOWN WAHD-Photo by Louis It... llostwlck.
AT TWKNTY-KIOHTII AND FA11NA.M -Photo by Louis It. Ilostwlek.
Henry T. Oxnard
WASHINGTON, i.March lfi. (Special.)
Honry T. Oxnnrd, president of this Ameri
can Ileot Sugar association and president of
tho American Iieet Sugar company, is one
of tho mildest mannered of men. He bears
tho look of tho keen man of business, and
Hiich ho Is. There Is nothing of the eyrie
or uncanny about him, and yet tho nows
paper press of tho east lias In tho past six
weeks held him up to tho public gaze as
littlo less than tho faithful disciple of "old
nick," with cloven hoors, a trldant-polntod
tall and a leer. Ho has been charged with
all tho crimes of tho calendar, more par
ticularly as the real nuthor of th-J Porto
Hlcan tariff measure as originally reported
from tho ways and means committee. All
this, because ho has forsooth stood up for
tho sugar Interests of tho United States,
for tho homo product of sugar against for
eign output which has sought to be admitted
free of duty from tho island of Portp Klco.
It Is not my purpose to discuss the rights
or wrongs of this proposition. I leave that
question to tho statesmen whoso duty it is
to provldo laws for tho now island which
has becotno part of tho territory of tho
United States by tho treaty or Paris.
Nebraska, Wisconsin, Indiana, Utah. Iowa
and California aro vitnlly interested In tho
homo sugar question. Thousands are em
ployed In tho raising of sugar beets and
their manufacture. And because Henry T.
Oxnard, tho representative of tho great In
terests In which he Is a central figure; has
endeavored to protect tho homo product and
to malntnln a stablo market for the output
of tho American beet su'jar factories, the
Washington nowspapeiB. without regard to
politics, havo classed him among tho most
vicious lobbyists of modem times. It Is
not my purpose to defend .Mr. Oxnard, for
ho needs no defense, but, in view of his
work ns an American producer, to tell some
thing that will bo Interesting to tho public
about this young business mnn who occupies
such n commanding position In the public
eyo todny.
In tho rose- garden ol Honry T. Oxnard's
recollections us a boy there still lives i
dream to bo great In the world or business,
and ho seems to be In a fair way to reach
the goal of his ambition. Now and then
ho has dabbled in politics, but ns mere pas
time, always with an eye single to tho ad
vancement of his business In tho upbuilding
of tho United States and tho industry which
lias been almost phenomenal In Its growth.
Henry T. Oxnard comes of a family of
sugar refiners. Today all his brothers aro
engaged in tho beet or cane sugar industry.
One Is a chemist, another in charge of tho
western Interests of the company and still
another looking after tho details and hand
ling the output of tho several Oxnard fac
tories, whllo Henry T. Oxnard Is tho gen
eralissimo, being supervisor not only of tho
American lleet Sugar company, but, as 1
havo said before, the president of tho Ameri
can Hcet Sugar association. Tho Oxnard
family are American to tho core, although
Henry T. Oxnard was born In Marseilles,
France, Juno 22, 1SC0, while his parents woro
traveling in Europe. With the iKception of
Henry nil tho other children wero born In
tho United States. Oxnnrd attended tho pub.
lie schools, where no prepared tor couegu
and graduated from Harvard In the class of
1882.
After leaving eollego ho went Into busi
ness with his father and brothors, sugar ro
Hnors, their factory being located In Ilrook.
lyn, N. V. In 188S, realizing tho pohslbllltl'S
of tho sugar Industries, no went to Liiropo
nnd spent two years Investigating tho growth
of the beot nnd its manufacture. As tho
result of that Investigation In 18!t0 ho lo
cated the first Oxnard beet sugar factory at
(irand Islnnd, Nob. Later camo tho Norfolk
factory, a great Improvement ovor tho Grand
Islnnd plant, and still later ho located tho
factory In California. So rapidly did tho In.
dustry extend that within a space of llvo
years other factories were orectod, until
todny tho output of beet sugar factories runs
Into thousnnds of tons of refined sugar an.
11 ii nl 1 v.
Fate has been kind to Henry T. Oxnard'.
In her woof of life's thread sho bus woven
him n fabric made up of wealth, health, so
cial position and given lilm a mind that has
been able to grasp tho over-changing needs
of tho business to which ho has devoted his
life. In his soclnl llfo Oxnard is nlmost a
dilletantc. Ho loves the beautiful nnd en
joys tho society of brilliant people. Ho is
one of tho leading club men or isow ioni
and when In Washington can always bo
found at tho swell Metropolitan club, ot
which he Is n member and which Is tho club
homo of tho exclusive diplomatic corps and
tho leaders of tho nrmy and navy. And yet,
l do not know, with nil Ills prestige, his
wealth and social position, of a more modest
man than Henry T. Oxnnrd.
Ah an Instance of his modesty Is recalled
an exceedingly funny clrcumstnnco In con
nection with one of tho annual dinners of
the Gridiron club, when Frank H. Hostord,
ono of the brilliant corps of newspaper men
of tho national capital, was Its president;
William 15. Annln, formerly of Tho Omaha
Ilee, now at Phoenix, Ariz., was tho retiring
president. On this occasion President Dolo
of Hawaii was the guest ot honor.
During tho evening Mr. Annln Indicated to
Mr. Oxnnrd Hint he would bo expected to
follow Mr. Dolo In a short speech taking
the sugar end of the discussion, ns Mr.
Dolo wns expected to speak not only of tho
nmtli.M of Hnwall. but also of Its
tugarcano Industry. Oxnard received this
announcement with consternation. Ho said
that ho was not n speaker nnd thnt It wn3
out of tho question for him to bo consid
ered In that connection. Mr. Annln was ob
durate. Ho would not take "No" for an
answer, nnd told Oxnard to get ready, as tho
president, Mr. Hosford, was u czar when It
camo to preside over a Gridiron dinner. Ox
mrd wonted to negotiate for time, but Annln
,vould not hear of It. Ho sold that ho would
be expected to follow Mr. Dole, and Oxnnrd
grow as white ns tho damask that covered
the banquet board. Annln hovered nround
him llko a bird of prey, every now nnd then
Jabbing him with tho Information that ho
...nU ncminat It and It was olther speech
or a disgraceful lluko on tho part ot tho
president of the American Poet Sugar asso
ciation. ,
Oxnard was visibly nervous, ns ho had
been assured that ho would not bo expected
to mako a speech when ho nccopted tho ln-
Until n of tho "Grldironers" to their din
ner, nnd now ho saw visions of dlro falluro
staring him in tho face. He said to Annln
that If ho would arrange that President Hos
ford pass him by he would buy terrapin
nnd champagne at Chamberlain's until morn
ing. Annln said that It could not bu ar
ranged nnd left Oxnard in fear nnd trem
bling, waiting for Hosford's nxo to fall.
Hut ho wub never called upon nnd with
tho lightest possible heart ho gathered a
number of his good friends and repaired to
Chamberlain's, after tho dinner, where tho
terrapin was bought with that which Is Us
natural accompaniment until the gray of
morning. Hosford was entirely unconscious
ot tho game of bunco which Annln had set
up (ii his friend, and us Hosford camo Into
Chamberlain's Mr. Annln. In n loud voice,
Informed tho president that Mr. Oxnard was
paying tho debt of gratitude which he owed
the president for not calling upon him to
reply to Mr. Dole's speech.
Hosford, who had never been told of what
was going on, in n moment of candor said
that Oxnard had never been considered for n
nl. nt nil. nor would he havo been per
mitted to talk had ho bought sovonty eases
of chnnipagno. That night's entertainment,
cost Oxnard $tr.O. 13. C. SNYDICK.
About Two Women
and a Mouse
An usher rushed n w:non down a side
nlslo ot one of the theaters early tho other
afternoon and pointed to the seat next but
cue to tho box, reports tho New York Sun.
Tho woman took her t-eat nnd, after tho fash
ion of women at matinees nowndays, removed
first her veil, then her gloves, then her coat
and finally, to the satisfaction of the three
men sitting In tho tow Just behind, she took
oft her hot. Then she gave a littlo shriek
nnd gathering all her properties Into her
arms went orr up tho side nlslo at n scorching
pace. She returned In n minute with an
usher. "Oh, I saw It plain as daylight," sho
was saying. "It ran right out of that holu
In tho corner tlieio by tho box oh, I simply
can't sit here If I thought" "There there,
madam," said tho usher soothingly, "It won't
como back. I'm sure anyhow, you would
be In Just as great danger In nny other seat,
you know. Certainly, we'll get n trap nt
once; It shan't happen again. I didn't know
there was a matinee mouse In tho house.
Wo have a few evening mice, I must admit.
It doesn't emitter so much then. Our mlco
nro well disciplined and I didn't know there
wos one of tho lot who would risk frisking
a (nil nt a matinee."
The undue and somewhat mirthful Inter
est of tho three men In the row behind had
Its erfect, nnd tho woman finally reseated
herself her skirts well lucked up, however,
and her feet propped up out of harm's way.
Pretty soon ulong camo another woinnn.
She wns booked for the end seat next tho
box. Neither know tho other, but n common
calamity breaks down all convention. "A
mouse! Not really?" sho erled upon hearing
the state of things. "Gracious goodness! I
shan't enjoy the ploy one bit." depressions
of undue and mirthful Interest from tho
throe men behind). "When tho house fills
up I don't believe It will dare come out,"
said tho first woman. "You know they're
afraid of people." "Yes, but they llko quiet
and I've heard that there are lots of quiet
ploees In this play," said the second woman,
still standing, skirls adjusted to a rainy
day altitude, and cu.-tlng apprehenslvo
glances around her. "Just suppose that
dioiiso should take n notion to come out when
the house Is perfectly still I know I should
scream Indeed I should I always do why,
It might create a panic, that mouse might."
(More expressions of undue and mirthful
Interest from the three men). "If we Just
had something to stuff in that hole." said
the first woman. "I know, I havo on extra
program. Tnko that." "I'd hnve taken tho
only program I've got," panted the second
dnwn on her kneob. and busily
smiling the program Ihto tho hole In tho
o rner. "There, no mouse could possibly
gnaw through that until the inntlneo's all
over and we're- safe at homo." Then tho two
settled back to onjoy tho piny. Tho three
men found tho play pretty tamo after this
Impromptu prologue-.