Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-01-11
FIFTY YEARS OF LIFE.
neminIseenees Of lhe Past.
ON the New Orleans Picayune.l

FIFTY EEAhA OF LIFE
"Reminiscences Of the Past.
Prem the New Orleans Picayunel
As a remarkable instance of frugality
and acting upon The principle that " will.
ful waste makes woful want il Is said
that the celebrated Col. Aaron Burr
never was known, at any meal, TO leave
anything upon his plate. HowsOeveT
much he may have been traGuced and
villitiedy no man ever felt more keenly
for the misfOrtunes of others, and espe-
ciaiiy for the poor, than Aaron Burr.
There Is no question but that he pos
sesse1 the most noble impulses aud q
most generous heart.
Upon one occasion, when Col. Burr
was treading his way hOmewards, of a
very cold night, and in the midst of a
heavy snow storm, which WAS almost
binding, he discovered, by the dim light
in the basement story Of a miserable
tenement, poor woman budding her
two little children together over the dy-
ing embers of q wood fire. PeeIing
through the window-pane, the scene Of
affect poverty which presented itself
was sufficient 10 touch his heart. He
went TO the nearest grocery, and had
the woman sent some split wood and
some bread; and the next day he left
sufficient sum with the grocer TO pro-
vide for the poor woman for a week At
this very time, Aaron Burr was princi-
pally supported by the miserable pit
tancc Of 8 pension allowed him by the
government.
q" How do you know this to be fact ~
asked my quiet friend
Because, long afterward, in speaking
of ha doom rfseF 4..fI rrff
he inadvertently mentioned the circum-
stance in my presence.
You knew Aaron Burr" then re-
marked my friend.
Yes, did, we'll 1t was Aaron Burr
who first showed me how to fold a note.
! had acted As his amanUensis on a spe-
cial occasion. in writing a note at his di-
rection. l was but a young boy at the
time, and he then showed me h0w to
fold a note properly. I saw him for the
last time the same winter 1 came home
from Rio. He was then living in New
York, in a house on the left-hand side of
Broadway, fronting the battery, and near
Bowling Green. 1t was the last house
Burr lived iH, in the city of New York.
/ visited him on that occasion, and
knowing that he had been fond Of a good
cigar, ] brought him a bunch of Ha-
vanas. He thanked me very kindly,
but declined them. saying that be had
quit smoking and taken to snufiing.
IyeuJured to remark, that / thought
that suufiing was the greater evil of the
two, and that he had better abandon it,
and return to smoking.
The colonel Immediately replied, in
his peculiar emphasis Of tone, " did
not ask you for your advice, sir. Never
give your opinion, sir, especially TO
those older than yourself, unless you are
asked I have never forgotten the
lesson.
The next summer, about June, 1886,
Col. Burr removed to Port Richmond,
staten Island, at which place he died, on
the 18th September following.
Twenty years after this event, while I
was in Washington city, an Episcopal
clergyman, in delivering a series Of lee
lures TO the young men, took occasion,
in illustration OF the evils Of ambition, to
denOunce Aaron Burr as an atheist, who
had died cursing God. Knowing that
this was not the ease, and that the ven
cradle Rev. DR.. Van Pelt, Of New York,
had administered the sacrament TO Col.
Burr, and who died in the fun faith OF a
christian, ] wrote to the doctor and
asked him TO furnish me with the full
particulars Of Col. Burr's death, which
he did. This letter was afterwards pub
lished, by consent, with tAe attending
circumstances, in the National I8telti-
qGiccr, and il also appears in Partou's
lso-called) Life OF Aaron Burr, but with
out mentioning the occasion which drew
it forth.
The following exact copy of a letter
from Dr. Van Pelt, which has never been
published, is in answer to my request 10
permit me TO publish the very interesting
statement he made concerning Col.
Burr's death. Il will be regarded as a
literary curiosity, and viii be admired,
not only for its peculiar style OF the old
school, but also for its incidents Of the
deepest interest.
NEW YORK, December l9 1850.
Samuel c. Reid, Jr.:
M Dear Sir: Yours, acknowledging
the receipt OF my statement lat your de-
sire Of the last sickness, with attending
circumstances, Of Col. a. Burr, came
safe 10 hand. ] am pleased that il gave
You, as you say, great qualification.
Justice to the dead is as well a Christian
duty As Il mark Of pOii.eness and becom-
ing respect.
You propose with my permission, 30
publish my letter. for the benefit of pos
terity, TO which / say, granted. 10 re-
gard 20 your inquiry respecting my age,
/ was born, as the record says, in the
township oi Bushwick, now incOrpO-
rated in the city Of Brooklyn, Kings
county, i. l., on the 9th May, l7Is,
and have therefore attained to between
Il and IS years, for which a tribute is
due to Almighty Coo for his kind care
and sure protection.
Had the honor and pleasure to see and
be i'm company with Gen. Washington
testify TO his Inauguration as our first
president; which was mentioned 10
Gen. Taylor to address the people of
Kings county, at their request, by an
Grafton on his death, 22d February, 1900,
the anniversary Of his birthday APP
pointed by congress; and subsequently,
by request Of Gov. Tompkins, addressed
and welcomed Gen. Lafayette, as our
nations guest, when he arrived at the
house Of the said governor August "A,
1924, by whom l was introduced to your
brave, patriotic, hOuOred father.
With the hasty recitals OF these few
incidents and "reminiscences, etc, / close
by saying / shall be happy TO see you
and if you publish, as you propose, please
let me have the paper, or a copy.
With assurances Of regard and esteem,
TecipT0eatiug best wishes, ] am,
Respectfully, yours,