Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-05-31

paJnlZeu WIN MIN Ill JUlS senJllnenJ' IHese
| gentlemen, the elite of the French aristoc-
racy, were surprised and delighted to tlnd
| in Stephens. the chief of q popular move
ment gentleman of good breeding and OF
even distinguished manners. The Marquis
said that his friends expected to see a man
of the same stripe as that ''ruflan Garibal-
| d." Garibaldi's ruflianly prOpensities con-
sisting in being opposed to these gentlemen
in politics, evidently. 5.
Peabody, The American Banker,
at HOme-The IIilIiOnaire's Ear
ly Struggles with POverty-IAis
PrinceIy LiberaIiIy. ,..,, ..... ...
[South Danvers (Mass.0 Cor. New York Herald
| On Washington street, in the suburbs of
this city, standing in small grassy lot,
with no ornament of flowers or trees save
two young saplings, is the house where
George Peabody, the American millionaire,
the London banker, the princely donor OF
| several fortunes to the cause of charity,
and science, and education, first saw the
light. 1t is simple white frame building,
two stories high in the rear and two and a
half stories in tue front portion. Attached
to the original house is small wing on the
| left; and, judging from appearances, !
should say that an addition has been made
to the front since old Peabody, the market
man, dwet there some GO years ago. IL
| fronts on the road, with only a small patch
of grass, inclosed within white paling.-
The house is almost alone. there being but
one dwelling in the immediate neighbor-
hood. -...... ....
South Danvers possesses few features to
distinguish it from any ordinary country
town in New England. titles on the Salem
branch of the Boston and Maine railroad,
| II miles from Boston. 1t has population
of between 5000 and 1000 people, one
hotel, about a dozen churches, twice as
many various tanneres, and one news
paper, which, in name at least, preserves
the memories of the old witch prosecuting
times for which the locality was remarka-
| BILE in 1892, for it is called the lYizzdrd.
| lake away the associations connected with
! George Peabody Institute, and there Is
nothing left of South Danvers to hang a
| tale upon. The town is in the 9lst year of
its age, as we learn from the record of its
birth on the monument erected by the citi-
zens, on the corner of Main and Washing
! ton streets, to commemorate the Goth ami
versary, in 1885. ...-- ...
The monument which Mr.. Peabody was
munifcent enough to endow as a token
that in his great prosperity he did not for
get the village where he was born and COM
menced the first tussle with adversely in
small grocer'S store. is a asubstantial square
building of red brick, faced and coped with
brown stone. 1t stands on pleasant
green, well intcrSpersed with trees, on
| Washington street. 1t consists of a
miscellaneous and well-selected library
of about 1900 volumes, of which Mr..
Peabody himself donated 2 800. a small
collection of minerals has only been
so far got together. In the second
story there is fine lecture hall,
with seats for 500 persons. Over the
platform is a full length portrait in
oil of Mr.. Peabody, supported on the
right by portrait of Edward Everett. In
! the library is fine bust in marble of Mr..
Peabody, by j. L. Jones, the Irish sculptor,
executed in London, in 1856, The library
also contains bound volumes of the London
Times from 1914, presented by Mr.. Peabody.
The South Danvers people are very proud
OF this institution, and naturally venerdte
the donor. They put it to practical use,
too, for there are no less than 25000 vol
umes read every year-not a bad proper
tiOn to a small population. The building
was put up in 1852 at a cost of $4,000.
So much tor Danvers. Now word
about the man that made it famous. AL
| though George Peabody was only eleven
| years old when he left his native place,
there are many still here who remember
him in his school days, sixty years ago, and
can recall how he dealt out groceries and
beer to the villagers in DR.. Proctor's little
store on Main street-then but lad of
eleven years, the embryo merchant who
was destined to win the esteem OF two
hemispheres, to receive royal favors from
"the first lady in England" and to become
the recipient of blessings from thousands
S,f 81, ,hsY, h.,l un1
He is sIememhered as a fine, frank boy, with
always something commanding in his man
ner; quick to learn and active to work.
He was full of pluck, too, and would brook
no insult from his playmates. One of his
school companions, still living, a Mr. Os-
born, had fisticuf match with young
D., George, the grocerls boy, half acentury ago,
and when Mr.. Peabody, the London bank
er, returned from Europe, the ancient enc
- mics met as friends, and had an old-time
o. gossip about their school days. Young
, Peabody was not much of student. He
had little time tor study, and was but a
brief period at the district school, where he
I received all the education he got. His pa
d rents were poor, and labor became neces-
sity to the boy. His first venture beyond
his native town, was in Thetford, VT, and
afterwards at Newburyport, where be be-
B; came clerk in the grocery store of his
/. brother. He was then only fifteen years
old, and began to demonstrate that business
tact which has since marked his character
While yet under age his uncle placed him
at the head of his establishment in George
4 town, d. G.; but the establishment not be-
1 ing successful, he was set up in the whole
sale dry goods business by Mr.. Elisha
| Riggs. Prosperity then began to smile on
him. Next year he was junior partner in
| the house of Riggs, Peabody & Co.. and re-
moved to Baltimore. Branch houses were
soon established in Philadelphia and New
I York. In 1897 he went to England to pur-
| chase goods, and here his first relations
4 with that country commenced. He has
amply repaid her for the fortune he ac-
| quired there by the honor he did her and
| the boundless charities he has bestow-
ed upon her citizens. By the death
! of Mr.. Riggs in 1929 Mr.. Peabody be-
! came senior partner. Eight years, la
i ter he took up his residence perIna--
nentlyl in England, where. he estab-
1 lished himself as banker in 1913. The
foundation of his fortune was now laid, and
i vigorously he built up the structure. On
the occasion of an anniversary of South
DanveTs he sent from London toast In a
/ sealed envelope, as follows: .Eduoation /: a
1 debt from the present to future genera.
tionst'It A sum of $40 900 accompanied tht
toast for the, endowment of an Institute and
library In his native town. Subseuuentit
he increased Tito $50, 600 ana dona SlN.
poo for branch institute irb NaEthaD Danvert
he was equally liberal to other enterprises
katk tk..Ns Ns...~ l. A. n