The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 28, 1898, Page 21

From a photograph taken at ..e time RS. LANGTRY is going to sell her big ranch in Lake County, now that she has secured her divorce. The gossips say that the Prince of Wales is again recog- nizing her. There little likelihood of the Lily ever returning to California to make her abode. Freddy Gebhard has soldethe adjoining ranch which he b ten Mrs. Langtry purchased hers. What was once a much-talked-of farm of thoroughbred horses is now ary grain and stock ranch. 000 sunk in the land, $8000 00 swallowed up in thorough- bred stock and an indefinite amount THE MEMORABLE AND ' DI = LILY LANGTRY. she bought the Lake County Farmh. establishment was Inaugurated it has shown certain superior qualifications 1n at respect. Neither Mrs. Langtry nor eddy Gebhard saw the property be- fore they made their purchase; nor did efther of them see it very often after they had bought it. With boundless faith in onts and mangers, this London-New York couple made their investment by proxy and managed it goes that Mrs. Langtry and the Gebhard, on the occasion of a visit to California, were made the guests of Lucky Baldwin at that gen- tleman’s famous stock farm. At that time Baldwin was making fortunes and attracting national attention in turf winnings. He had horses the sight of ECK OF THE TRAIN THAT WAS BRINGING A STRING OF THOROUGHBREDS TO THE LANGTRY-GEBHARD STOCK FARM. » Thirteen thoroughbreds were kille the East at the time. Jured. represented in big figures lost in in- .efficlent management. Experts say $100,000 would not cover what has been sunk in the place; so the divorce easily cost Lily that sum. Lily Langtry was in her bloom when the investment was made, and sq was Fred Gebhard. In the nine years that - have since ensuéd Mrs. Langtry has largely withdrawn from her spectacular international career, she and the Geb- hard have quarreled, and California, save for the 4000 acres in Lake County, is to all intents and purposes forgotten by her. Doubtless the original outlook of the horse-farming business was an alluring one, but the course of time has changed things and there is little re- maining of the Langtry-Gebhard ranch to show that wealthy owners ever possessed it or that it ever was intended to make two horse-fanciers noted on the turf. Gone are the thor- oughbreds, jockeys, high livers and gay eople who spent money, lavishly to ring it fame and fortune. All that is left on the Gebhard prop- erty is the uncared-for relic of a mile racetrack, together with a stud-barh and brood-mare barn, whose closed doors and empty lofts stand in contrast to the activities of earlier days. Over on the Langtry farm is a poor, . lone coaching stallion, a handsome 1600-pound Cleveland bay, with nothing to do but to eat, no one to love him, and history rapidly slipping beyond his grasp. He is an after-thought of the Yrief period when Mrs. Langtry ap- peared to be making one final effort to maintain the equine aspect of the property. * Outside of these two features there is nothing characteristic or indicative of the owner's first purposes. No one seems to know Jjust why Mrs. Langtry ught a ranch in Lake County._“There are other sections of California where the railroad facilities and the social ehvirons would seem far better adapted to the preferences and idiosyncrasies of the most noted beauty of her day. Lake County had had no reputation as a breeder of fine horses, although since the Langtry-Gebhard The moment sh ment and hastened to the spot where the distress and nurse hack to health tb From a photograph. his disaster. Mrs. Langtry was in’ rd of it she dropped her engage- he did all in her power to alleviate employes of Gebhard who were in- which was sufficient to allure any one who happened to have the least leaning toward stock breeding. Besides, he had a horse overseer nd trainer, “Doc” Abbey, who was “onto his job. The Langtry and the Gebhard fell under the overseer’s guidance. He understood his patients. And, so the story goes, there w nothing that was right and glorious-and fascinating on the Bald- win farm that was not ~raciously and touchingly exhibited to the distin- guished visitors. They were easily smitten. A proposition for a stock farm of their own was quickly formed, and “Doc” Abbey was commissioned to see that it should be made one of the great- est places of its kind on earth. Aside from the consideration of iso- lation the commissioner certainly could not have made a more ideal purchase. Eight miles from Middletown, in the heart of the beautiful, well inclosed Guenoc Valley he found a number of properties svhich could be united into a grand farm of a little more than 7000 acres. A third of the property was rich bottom land, another third of it was hill and mountain grazing land, and still another third was excellent fruit land, fit for grapes and wine especially. The ploneering had all been done; houses—not bad ones either—were in place; fences were up; a winery was in operation; practically everything need- ed except barns and a race course was ready for the proposed nmew occupants. ‘Whether or not Mrs. Langtry planned at that time to use the ranch as a basis for a divorce suit is not known. The actual suit was not filed until some years after the purchase. The horse- raising business was inaugurated as if it were the sole purpose of the property owners. For a few years the combination ran excellently. The Langtry-Gebhard farm acquired some noted studs and brood mares. It was brilliantly man- aged by the viceroy, “Doc” Abbey, who could spend quite as much money as his erratic employers. Turfing became a fad among the astonished farmers in the vicinity and the joint stock farm was dotted all over with little jockeys fiying about on thoroughbreds., A mile THE HORSEMEN, GOAT, IN THE HALCYON GOOD TIMES” “dead game sports.” disagreed. feet, landed with his chin on a wire THE JOCKEYS, THE DOGS @ND = “HIS DAYS WHEN THERE WAS ON THE LANGTRY FARM. Most of the employes had a weakness for carrying “guns” it in that locality nobody ever knew, unless it was to The custom produced gun ‘“scraps” usual accompaniments of prosperity. A portion of the Gebhart endeavor to perforate the body of “Indian Joe,” an employe wi A negro employed on the Langtry homestead fell off a live up to the d house clothesline and cut his black Harry Alsop Borrowe, the now noted dynamite gun operator by a little revolver after a little altercation with one of tl ing as Gebhard’s guest at the time. racetrack was constructed and popping champagne entertained the visitors, for Abbey saw to it that any and all v tors who were acquainted with M Lang try and Gebhard were royally en- tertained. The first important improvements were D e studs and brood mares. much as Mrs. Langtry had expended the most momey Freddy appears to have elected to make the largest expenditures for stock. He bought the now noted stall- jon St. Zavier, who has made a record for himself in some of the Eastern stables since his transfer from the Geb- hardt barn; the not-so-noted but splendidly bred stallion Imported Greenback, and the son, Owas, of the celebrated stallion Iroquois. Mrs. Lang- try contributed the well-known stallion Friar Tuck. Between twenty and thirty brood mares were secured, most of them from the best farms in Ken- tucky. With this four-footed start there was opportunity for some good breeding and eventually for some fine, appear- ances on the country’s race tracks. By mutual consent the barns and the race course and the other essentials to busi- ness were concentrated on the Geb- hard lands. Stable men, some of whom in their pistol-covered glory can be seen in the accompanying illustra- tion, were engaged, small boys, capped with the Gebhard colors, were em- ployed as training jockeys, and the champagne was accumulated in the cellars. Many of those who were boys then and are youths now got their first nick- names from ‘“Doc” Abbey while they were jockeying for him. Many a small man’s small change was dropped into another man’s palm over the training contests on the mile race course. Fred- dy Gebhard sent his clubroom friends from the East to “see my horses” out in Lake County, and the entertainment of none of these was neglected by the assiduous viceroy. Freddy's friends were frequently Mrs. Langtry’s friends, and the entertainment was, of course, a joint responsibility. There were gun ‘“scraps” now and then, and mishaps, and the other usual accompaniments of prosperity. A por- tion of the Gebhard House was bored full of holes in a vain endeavor to per- forate the body of “Indian Joe,” an em- ploye with whom some of the white men had disagreed. A negro employed on the Langtry homestead fell off a porch at an ele- vation of about four feet, landed with his chin on a wire clothesline and cut his black head nearly off. Harry Alsop Borrowe, the now noted dynamite gun operator of the Rough Riders, was bested by a. littl: revolver after a little altercation with.one of the horsemen of the ranch. He was visit- ing as Gebhard’s guest at tha.time. There was some “horse luck,””too. Abbey went East to purchase horses. He says he bought thirteen. He also, says he loaded them on a train of thir- teen cars. The engine was No. 13, and the train started on the 13th day of the month. What happened is shown in the illustration. Thirteen cars went over the banks of the Potomac, River, and thirteen thoroughbred horses never reached their destination in Lake Coun- ty. Thereafter Abbey is said never to have eaten on the 13th day of any’ month. 5 Yet, notwithstanding the “grand times” and the jockeys and the home race course, months. went by and months lengthened out into years with- out putting any of the stock of the Langtry-Gebhard farm on the great race tracks. With four splendid stal- lions and more than a score of the fin- est thoroughbred mares,” th nothing afforded to give eit hard or Mrs, Langtry the envied fame of a horse raiser. Nothing tangible seemed ever to reach either of the own- ers save bills. Year by year the bills enlarged. Even the liberal Gebhard at last became discouraged, and he tight- ened his purse strings. Then Abbey became dissatisfled. He went East to confer with Freddy. The manner in which he and Freddy came back is a familiar story. It was a race to see which could first reach the ac- count hooks. ‘As the story was told at the time, Gabhard claimed that Abbey was in- debted to the ranch in the sum of about $12,000. Abbey did. not see things that way. He presented a bill of from $6000 to $3000 against Fred- dy. The outcome of the contest is some- what smothered in the subsequent mix- up, but Abbey no longer continued as superintendent . of the Gebhard stock farm./ * Meanwhile Mrs. Langtry also be- came discouraged. She refused point- blank to lay out more money upon the profitless stock farm. Abbey’s only re- course was to refuse to work the farm and this he did. ¥ For a little while the broad, sun- shiny, rich-soiled acres lay in the sun and the rain and soaked and baked. They might have been there indefinite- ly without tilling but for the foresight of a Lake County rancher who knew his business. Frank Smythe, now Supervisor and one of the few suc- cessful Democratic politicians in the county, sized up the land and offered to put in a crop. Abbey disclaimed au- thority and told Smythe to do as he pleased. Smythe did so. A few months later Mrs. Langtry had a new agent on the property, a young and fulsome Britisher, whom many people of San Francisco prob- ably remember, A. G. P. McNalty. McNalty asked Smythe* for his au- thority for placing the crop. Smythe confessed that he had none. McNalty inquired as to who would get the crop. Smythe laconically remarked that probably the man who cut it would get it. McNalty decided to adjust things that way. Smythe gave up a portion of the crop as rental. And thus, for the first time in five years, Mrs. Lang- try’s investment of over $100,000 yielded her a revenue. ‘With the termination of the Abbey regime had come the termination of the horse and stock breeding. Geb- hard had already begun to sell off his best animals. Langtry’s coursers went by the board also. The big property changed from a horse farm to a grain farm. The romantic notions of 1889 were metamorphosed into the busi- ness conditions and necessities of 1894, McNalty remained as Mrs. Langtry’s representative for a couple of seasons. H,i wanted the farm run on British principles, but British principles are| fundamentally financial, whereas the principles of the Langtry were | HIGHNESS,” THE MASCOT “NOTHING BUT MONEY @ND From a photograph. and knives, though why they did reputation of the place for being now and then, and mishaps, and the other was bored full of holes in a vain th whom some of the white men had porch at an elevation of about four head nearly off. of the Rough Riders, was bested he hérsemen of the ranch. He was visit- now required to be economical. Re- luctantly he allowed Mr. Smythe to cultivate the property on shares, and quite as gladly he absorbed all the money that the industrious Mr. Smythe could harvest. Mrs. Langtry got lit- tle benefit of the change. It was he who purchased the useless big Cleve- land bay stallion, which is now on the property. The situation was disheartening. Any woman who was not seeking a divorce would undoubtedly have relinquished 21 . “THE HOMESTEAD,” HEADQUARTERS ON THE LANGTRY FARM. From a photograph. the burden at whatever cost. But to Mrs. Langtry at this particular season a divorce probably appeared to have no small value. She made one more ef- fort to do something with her lands. She placed her divorce affairs and her land affairs in the same bands, namely with Attorney McPike. ithin another year she not only had r divorce but was making some money out of her one- time stock farm. The successful Smythe leased the en- tire ranch at a cash rental, bought all that remained of the Langtry working stock except the ridiculous piece of horse investment made by McNalty, the Cleveland bay stallion Redington Prior. In the meanwhile Gebhard lost all interest ip his 3000 acres and by a lucky turn rid himself of it to A. B. McCreary of San Francisco. How much he lost no ane knows but himself. Local resi- dents estimate that deterloration in value of the property alone at $20,000. The line that formerly was only an imaginary one between his property and that of Mrs. Langtry took shape in a stout fence. That was in 1897. In 1898 came tha Langtry divorce and everything was changed. GRAYDON'S DESTROYER HE boast of Tesla that he could devise an engine of war capable of blowing an enemy’s ship out of the water at the first attempt may be true and would not be at all singular. For, even if true, Tesla would have to yleld precedence to one who has not only invented but had pat- ented such a powerful device. This wonderfully destructive agency was born in the fertile brain of ex- Lieutenant/, Graydon of the United States navy, and was given a most thorough and satisfactory test in the summer of 1886 before a number of press representatives of this city and a few capitalists who were desir@us to control its manufacture. Graydon, who had resigned from the United States navy to enter the Chinese service during the Franco-Tonquin war, had at that time but re- cently returmed to this coun- t:y laden with honors and wealth, and though his money soon melted like fog before the rising sun, he still re- tained his great prestige as a military genius. Then, as now, the only method in use for the discharge of dynamite-laden shells was the use of compressed air in “pneumatic guns’—a mode which lim- its the throwing capacity to a few miles and reduces to the lowest mini- mum the possibility of hitting the ob- ject aimed at, providing one canbesaid 1o “aim” at anything by pointing a gun in the air at an angle of 45 degrees. For the scene of the experiments a quarry at Lake Temescal, in Alameda County, was choren, and thither went Graydon and his guests one bright summer morning. On arriving at the scene there were found a number of targets, each com- posed of a series of layers of two-inch oak planks—the alternate layers of planls being crossed to prevent split- ting. The “eun” was an improvised one and of the simplest pattern, being noth- ing more complicated than a bar of Sweaish steel with an inch and a half bore. The dynamite was then prepared by Graydon in the presence of the assem- blage—which included an expert on ex- plosives—sec-ecy bein ‘- maintained only .as to the character of the last ingredi- ent added. The gun was ch: muzzle with a pount ed through the and a half of | black powder and on top o that was | placed one of the dynamite cartridges, | the lieutenant ramming it home with a careless vigor that caused a hurried | remonstrance from the now nervous | onlookers. Thestarget set up at a distance of a couple of hundred feet and the gun pointed the lieutenant politely offered clined. In turn all tl.e invi >«d members of the party declined such prominence in the cere. ny. The matter was finally compro .ised by the visitors taking shelter behind a convenient cliff in the rear of the gun, while the lieu- tenant himsel? pulled the forty-yards- long lanyarl There was a loud report as the gun was discharged, followed instantly by a terrible crash as the cartridge struck the target. A quick rush to inspect the target disclosed the fact that it had completely disappeared, a disappearance which was only accounted for by the subse- quent discovery that for a few hundred yards around the ground was strewn with splinters hardly large enough for toothntcks, The gu was not injured in the slightest. Another target was -~set up, the charge of powder increased to two pounds, a larger cartridge again rammed home, and the lanyard again pulled by the lieutenant. The second target met the fate of the first. Target after target was demolished until the supply was exhausted. Then the lieutenant used his surplus of cart- ridges by firing them into a bank of earth, éach discharge bringing down tons of rock and clay. The test finished, the delighted cap- italists hurried back to this city to per- fect a close corporation to take control of the patent and perfect plans for sell- ing it to the Government at a price way up in the millions. ‘ The lieutenant, however, did not re- turn to the city with the capitalists. Instead, he insisted on the reporters accompanying him to’a Temescal cafe, where he had previously arranged for refreshments. Perhaps it was a warm day; anyhow, the lieutenant seemed to drink a good deal. This trait in the lieutenant’s make. up became soon apparent to the mem- bers of the newly formed corporation. Meeting after meeting was called by the directors, only to adjourn without result. Remonstrances were in vain. At last the crash came, At a meeting to the leading capi..list the proud | privilege of firing the first shot. The offer was graciously but firmly de- And Its Effect on Certain Local Capitalists. of the directors the lieutenant was in- | formed that his associates had become | tired of his actions, and as they be- |lieved they had the secret they pro- | posed to get along without him. Then the lion in his breast awoke, and raising himself to his full height | of about 5 feet 4 inches, the lieutenant | shook his fist defiantly at his asso- ciates and cried out: “You think you can do without me, do you? Well, d— .you, I've got my discovery patented, and yoy can all go to hades!” The board realized that it was with- out standing, and a motion to disincor- porate was sadly but unanimously car- ried. Of this board Charles Webb Howard of the Spring Valley Water Company was the president,. General W. H. L. Barnes was legal adviser, while Mr. Roller, the well known ex- pert on explosives, was to be superin- tendent, under the direction, of course, of Graydon. . A few days ago I called Mr. Howard’s thoughts back to the time when he and his associates were enjoying great ex- pectations, and though Mr. Howard smiled at the recollection, it was a sad smile, as he remarked: *I lost some money in it; I lost some money in it.” When Graydon was leaving for the East he declared that either our Gov- ernment would purchase his patent or it would lie barren, would he place such an awful weapon in the possession of a foreign power. He evidently meant what he said at that time, but it is said that recently he has been giving some experiments in the same line before the Russian military officials. Perhaps it would be as well for some of our officials at the ‘War Office in Washington to step over to the Patent Office and ascertain if the invention is filed there. If such should prove to be the case it would be the part of wisdom for our officers to util- ize the patent -nd then p. Graydon a reward commensurate with the value of his discovery. —_— It is estimated that the total number of telephone subscribers of theswhole world amounts to about 1.500,000. - The United States stands at the top with 900.000. Then follows Germany. with 160,000 subscribers; England, with 75,000; Switzerland, with 50,000; France, with 35,000; Austria-Hun~ gary, with 30,000: the vast Russian e ire, with only 18,000; Scandinavia, 16,000 enmark, 15,000: Italy. 14.000; Holland and Spain, each 12,000; Beigium, 11,000; Japan, ; Portugal, Luxembourg and Austra- Roumania, 400; Bulgari; is* el lia, each 2000; It will be seen that there plenty of room for extension. Tanere are many countries where the telephone is still "quite unknown. for in no event .