I posted this a few days ago, and it was accidentally removed. I will resubmit it, but the mod suggested that I also try posting in this thread. Hope it is not too long:

Who would have been considered one of the most prominent and influential New Yorkers in 1881?

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I am working on a non-fiction book and I am trying to identify someone who gave an anonymous interview in November 1881. He was described as one of the most prominent and influential citizens of New York (probably New York City). In this particular era in New York, I don't have a real good sense of the players, political and otherwise. While the description may be somewhat exaggerated, I'm not sure who is on the scene in such a way that this description would even be plausible.

Any ideas?

Who I've excluded:

• Cyrus Field
• President Arthur
• James Gordon Bennett, Jr.,
• former President/General Grant.
• I think Sherman and Jefferson Davis were living in New York at the time, but I highly doubt it is them, and it doesn't sound like them. A former Union general might make sense--I don't think Dan Sickles was in town, and it doesn't sound like him either. A lot of the people who spring to mind had died relatively recently.
• I think Thurlow Weed was still alive, but it is not him.
• Anyone in Arthur's cabinet or high ranking staff
• Recent Deaths:
  • Marshall O. Roberts
  • For people who know the general time period but not 1881 specifically: All the major New York editors who were never equaled in influence had died already, as had politician Ira Harris of Albany, and William H. Seward.

What we know:

• He gave an interview to a major New York paper in November 1881, giving background information for a minor personal/political controversy that did not directly relate to him. The subject matter, as far as I've learned, is irrelevant for this purpose, so I am keeping it out to prevent distraction. It seems like he kind of stumbled into the interview with little understanding of the issues at hand.
  • I can reveal it later, if people are curious. But I think it will derail the thought process.
• He is not described as a merchant, banker, politician, or business tycoon, though he could be any of these things. And he wants to remain anonymous in a rather minor controversy that does not directly implicate him. Perhaps someone with relations to the press, current or past?
• He seems to have at least some money; maybe he inherited it and became a some sort of socialite type person. Someone's well-connected son who is a person of prominence, but not really due to particular career success. An Astor, perhaps?
• He is well-connected--he knows President Arthur well, and Senator Platt. He knows the general political figures and their movements. He indicates he can influence Arthur. (Now that I say it, he may have been part of the political machine that Arthur was so famous as being part of, before changing his ways as president).
• He seems to lack tact and be rather thoughtless, indiscreet, not in a malicious way, but he doesn't speak like a polished politician or someone worried about what they say. He is conversational, chatty, and also seems a bit credulous. Perhaps a low ranking politician. He doesn't speak like an idiot or anything, but he lacks the eloquence that even journalists probably had at that time. A businessman could probably be expected to be less eloquent than the other professions, as a generalization.
• He seems kind-hearted, and perhaps was one of the philanthropists that were so common. Who were usually very rich, whether in railroad contracts or Wall Street speculation. Perhaps he got lucky in one of those.
• He was probably a Republican
• Two things that come to mind but are really wild guesses:
  • Possibly he was connected to the acting/theater world, but that may be way off
  • Age unclear, probably not too young, but he may have been a child or perhaps a teen during the Civil War, which would make him perhaps around 30/35. I could be way off on this.

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So essentially, we have someone who could at least plausibly be called a big shot in New York, one with influence, not just prominence, who knows President Arthur well and is politically connected. Probably Republican and generally a nice guy, if not a brilliant one. Probably had lived in New York a while, and spent at least some time in New York City, possibly lived there.

Any ideas? I know I can read books/newspapers about the time, and I have, but it is hard to get a sense of proportion as to who was really prominent overall, especially if they are not a politician or journalist.

How accurate historically is Mr Dan Carlin in his Hardcore History Podcast?

Edit: Thanks u/Kochevnik81 for your input. I had a read through the FAQ and it was quite informative about Mr Dan Carlin. Will definitely check out Mr Dan Carlin for the sources and to get interested in the obscure parts of history.

Also, the info on free courses from the various universities will come in handy as well :). So a win win for all as they say.

mods: how many comments have you removed? (just a funny question, honestly I love how the moderation is done here, not fit for all subs obviously but it's one part of making this place great)

In the Disney film Bed-knobs and Broomsticks, one of the children asks “no fried foods, how do you keep your health?” in response to the plant based menu for dinner. This was set during the London Blitz, was it reflective of an actual health belief at the time that fried food was healthful, was it more typical of an attitude from the 1960s when the movie was made, or was this just a throw away line that isn’t rooted in an verifiable historic nutritional belief?