The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-26
Obituary.
oL-, iAFfELD, ESQ.,, OF SENECA COUNTY, rsY


| JoL-. IAtlELD, ESQ, OF SENECA CoUNTg nEY
| YORK.
Died, at - residence in Seneca county in this stats
on Saturday 22d inst of disease OF the heart John Dss
feld ESQ., formerly of this city aged sixty seven yeara
This gentleman who at the time of his death was Press-
dent OF the Board OF Trustees of the Agricultural Coes
recently incorporated was for great portion of his life
distinguished in the financial commercial and literary
circles of this city
The Delaheld family enigrated from England TO the
city OF New York. short time previous to the war Of t
hevoluon The father OF the subject this notice wSs
also named John Delafeli commercial gentleman vhe
soon after the peace Of 1885, engaged in the auction A.
brokerage business being particularly concerned In ~
purchase ana sale OF government securities in which
large fortunes were made after the adopton of ths
Iunaing system recommended by Alexander HamlIto.
'ohh eahed the elder who died about the year 1872 A
inc advanced age OF S3 years, left five sons and fosr
u"ushers me sons were John. the subject of shis
SAetchi Richard major in the U army and supsri.
tendent of the Military Academy West Point from Ises
iosoi Eaward one Of our most eminent physicia.s.
Joseph and Rufus X. De,aaed officers in Wan STRAIT i'm
stutions.
John Dca6eid was native of this city born in lYsS
and graduated at Columbia College Having recs;v.a
mercantile education, he visited England in connectos
WIN commercial enterprise of Importance a.A
remained IN Great Britain during the war Of 1872 ana
ioT some years after the peace of 1915 was -
hci transactions in that country. After his retvr,
70 'ne omted states he appointed Of the tes~
10 'he Bank OF New York, and subsequently, threurh
'ne influence OF the late Nathaniel Prime of the firm A.
Prime, Ward h King, he received the aonointns,, :,
cashier OF the Phenix Bank This institution was orr
naly chartered in June, 1872 under the title of Tb~
Ne~ YORK Manufacturing Company" with capital a
seven hundred thousand dollars The ostensbe obeot n
TINS company was the manufacturing Of wirs which was
es'aosneo on large scale by the company at Gresa-
wich village, in the Ninth ward of this ctv II va
dihcult to procure the incorporation of banking COM
pany IN these times by the legislature this State and
was therefore deemed good policy for applicants 10 oe
meet such institutions with manufacturing oner.t;o-.
during the war of 1872 when the cture Of articles
OF prime necessity encouraged by acts of the lees
ture The bank subsequently sold its wire manufactorv
10 Iimothy Whittemore ESQ., and employed its capih.a
exclusively IN financial operations its being ansed
by the legislature to that of ssthe Phenix Bank r..
lore TINS change an unfortunate defacaon took place IN
the funds of the institution by the conduct of the cash
Mr. David Greene who had stood high in the couaden>
OF the company and of the public until the astoundiu
Development of his embezzlem of the funds ana
his disappearance from the city was made pub
lcly known. Mr.. Delaed appointed the successer
of Mr. Greene cashier of the bank and an act of ts
Legislature obtained by which the capital was n.
duced to five hundred thousand dollars reduction frd
the original capital of two hundred thousand dollars n
consequence Of the defalcaton of Mr. Greene and ohsx
losses This about the year 1922 and from that tine
the bank, under the auspices of Mr.. DeaAsld Jaues
Boggs, the President and Others on generally n
prosperity, for many years. 1t may be well msntsa
here that the institution during the of 1872 ssa
for several years afterwards avorite bank with
ydual and companies connected with the business og
manufacturing and the sale of American manu-
factuIes. The late 7. B. Waterman the founder Q,
the American Institute and who was early engaged ?
promoting domestic manufactures this State was one q
the orginators Of the bank called the Phenix Bank
and of the first drectt of the company Afts
Mr.. Deafeld and his friends became ected with
the institution, AMI the wire manufacto-y was dis
posed o. the name OF the company also being changes
to that of the PheDx Bank the transactions OF the bank
became confined principally to accommodations of
chants, brokers' and specuators About 1884 the capita
OF the Fbeniy Bank increased to million Ave
hundred thousand dollars and few years afterwards
Mr. peaed was appointed president OF the institution
he had then become OF the most prominent hnancers
of Wall street and took active part in the Of
General ackson adr ipstration which led the de post
of the funds of the United States in the Sats
banks, the Phenx Bank being of the favored nsttu
tons. Mr.. Delafeld also an active agent for the
State of Illinois, negotiating the loans for that state
and transacted immense business negotiator and
agent for States and moneyed institutions at the
| West and South but in the midst of all this paper
prosperity, the grand financial crash Of 1887 came,
and the phenix Bank and Mr.. Delafeld came in
| the direction, about the time Mr.. Delafed became
President of the Bank of the knowing amoag
merchant and director being of the number) sold out
ther stock and the value of the bank shares rapidly de-
cined To add to their troubles, the bank charged
in memorial TO the Legislature with usurous and othsr
Illegal transactions. The Assembly sent committee to
this city to investigate the of the bank and Mr.
Deladed and the other directors of the bank
mined before the tce during their tedious
at the City Hotel This in 1888 or 1885, The bank
was finally eNculpated with censure but the cir
cumsance induced Mr. Delaed 70 resign his Office in the
bnnk He then established, and became the head Of the
New York Banking Company an institution formed under
Onl al
duration few years after this, Mr.. Deaaed retired
20 beautiful farm in Seneca county, the banks Of
the Seneca Lake whore he turned his attention the Sol
ence of agriculture and has since distinguished hnssR
for his zeal and exertons in promoting the agr
cultural knowledge The statistics of the industrial
paciies and pursuits of Seneca county, taken under his
auspices will compare avorably in minueness and pras-
teal value with those collected and published under
similar circumstances by Sir John Sinclair in Scotland
state Agricultural Society and had recently estabished
model farm in Seneca county for which, an agrcultu-
raj college he obtained charter from the legislature
Mr. Deafelo while resident in his native city of New
York. was jealous promoter Of the Of scieucs
and terature He endeavored to introduce the
ttecian style Of architecture into Wall street,
IN the building he caused to be erected for the
honx Bank but taste for this classic style OF archi-
lecture was found to interfere with the interests of the
devoees ei nsrnmon, in this utilaran age Mr.. Della
hed Grecan temple has therefore disappeared to make
room for more profit able edfce in the way OF convene
and rents He Of the officers Of the Tyceum
of Natural History and treasurer of the New York His
very prosperous while Mr. nclaed held the Keys the
tToasurys aud the late noctor Hosack president The
receipts into the treasury insufficient pay the
nual expensef and for time the library closed The
Rev Doctor Hawkes is entitled the credit Of reyvin
tke society funds by nusiIg energy among the
bers. introducing and aiding the funds by his
lectures particularly by his popular Pecahontas
In il H. and afterwards Nj. nsafeld was among the
forward OF citizens in the formation of the
u niyersty Of the city Of New York; which was char
Ftc. IN 1881 opened in les. for the reception of stu
dents ne took prominent partn calling the celebrated
Literary Convention which met in this city about that
tne and over which body John Quincy Adams presided
The extensive financial transactions In which Mr. Della
field engaged for large portion Of his career brought
him into circumstances Of peculiar diff guilty. and made
MIN many enemies in Wan street. time but we are
disposed think averably Of his attempts to prove him
e useful ty society BY his Efforts in the cause of aQr-
culture, hteretuye and science while many men OF
financial edueeoa md pursuits lived only for them,
|. selves, and have gone down 70 the grave,
'Cnverf, unhonored and unsung
Nr. Dela6eld married daughter of Col Tamadge, oe
ihehteie, Cornectcst and sister Of Frederick A. TALL