Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-12-06
"Reminiscences of Mr. Peabody.

physician at the White Sulphur SPRINGS Va,
who was the medical attendant of Mr. Pea
boiy during his sQjourn at the Springs last
summer hal many interesting conversations
with him, embracing subjects Of public inter
est, & memorandum of one Of which Dr. Moor.
man gives aS follows
Duriug my professional attendance on NIr.
Peabody .or the last four weeks, have had
various short but Interesting conversations
with him on general subjects, aud TO day u
more lcugthy one note down some OF his
remarks for future reference:
Ga my Observing to him that no had great
cause OF gratitude 10 God for having been
made the instrument for doing so much for his
coUmcn, Mr.. Peabody replied, and with
much more than usual animation, Il never
iai to take thar view of it, and always in my
praycIs thank God that he has enabled me
to do what have done" lie said that the
atteuton he received from the world seemed
strange to him, that lie feels himself TO be
a very humble individual, and is enabled only
Ly The attentions aud opinions of the world 10
reference TO his acts, TO regard himself as differ
log from others.
Ga my expressing the opinion that not the
least Of the great benefits that would result from
the hberabe distribution Of his large wealth
during his lifetime for charitable objects would
be the representative character OF such course,
inducing other men of wealth to do likewise, he
said he assented to the sentiment, and then re
marked, Such may rot be the case during my
lie, as men do not generally like to seem TO be
influenced by their contemporaries, but ad
dei. Il hope and.exptc. such an ultimate re-
suit.
Iobscrvcl to him that the fact Of his not
having t0rgOt;ea his relations in the distribu-
ton OF his large estate gave, in my opinion, q
beautiful symmetry to his beuevolence. lie
said, YES. | should have thought was doing
very wrong it had done so, aud then re-
marked: Il have made all my near relations
rich. have given them all enOugh perhaps
more than cuough.' He then stated the
amount h. had given to each. To Mr.. George
Peabody Russell, $500, 900; 10 4 sister, $500,
600. to another nephew, $500, 600; to another,
5000, ,00O and 10 none less than 100000.
Nh Peabody described the character and
what would be the operations of his great gilt
for the pocr of London, ,conrasted 1t with other
great schemes that had been insugurated tor
tue benefit OF that class that contained import
unt Reservations for the hencht OF the families
of the donorS, while in his case he had entirely
livcsted hia.scif and his hers of any ulterior
ItLSul tNdt uitStll Iut, dul Sitl (tit III luc
donation alluded To was ''udiciouSly managed
for two centuries its accumulations would
amount to = -um sufficient to buy the city o!
London
lie o5srrvcl that bis main motive in making
his las, (preScnt) trip from Europe to this
country was to perfect arrangements tor the
successful prosecution OF his scheme Tor afford
il,cducAlipnll facilities to the Southern States,
which h. remarked, "heS very near to my
hcatt.
Ca my abiding to q paragraph that | had
lust scon Ia the papers 10 the effect that he
had given 100000 to Gen. Lees college, he
said: II am sorry that such statement has
been published, as il is not entirely correct,
hut then remarked, that $4,000 were owing
to hm ty the State OF Virginia Tor that
amOUu, ct State bonds lost in the Arctic that
he hll tod Nlr Wm. &. RjvcS some years ago
that h' never intended to remove that money
from Virginia; that be thought the Legisla-
ature would order ITS payment this winter, aud
that when paid he Intended it tor General
lees college lie remarked, have never
intended TO give anything to any institution IN
Virginia until she pays that ueOt, WINCH NC
seeme1 IN think had been very improperly de-
layed. oL
lie told me that he had made pretty much
M his estate IN twenty years, from 1874 tc
I>f4 and remarked that every thlug touen'
"a within that time seemed TO turn to gold
lie said he had bought largely OF United Stste'
securities When they were very low, auu tha'
they had advanced immensely 10 ms hands
aiding that his gifts to the city OF Baltimore
aud tor promoting education IN the o9uthern
States had each increased one hundred thous
aud dollars in value by the rise OF stocks since
they were made.
uspcakins otthe appreciation OF his country
men flr tic course he has pursued, he ooSer
we'd Il think acted prudently IN declining
the barou,tcy tcudarcd to NE in England, as
il had not doue 80, | should have been ob!lg
ed to accept If an acknowledged citizenship
that country, and, consequently, abandon NJ
citizenship in the United States, which | cou.
not think OF doing" and added, iii had don
so nv couatrymen would probably not no.
think aS well Of me rs they do. -
Mr.. Peabody was evidently much, and yer
pronerly. gratl6ed at the great attention pai
10 him both in England and in this countr
and especially with the London statue, and i
unyeiiug under circumstances so imposing an
so honorable to him, and with the Queen
autograph letter to him, which he showed N