Middletown transcript., 1869-10-16
SATURDAY MORNING. OCTOBER

traces upon our politics even to this day
Its original members were Martin Van
Buren, Roger Skinner, United States
Judge; Samuel A. Talcott, Attorney
General Azariah G. Flagg, Secretary of
State, and then Comptroller; Benjamin
+. Butler-no relation of Spoons Butler
law partner of Van Buren, and subse-
quently Jackson's Attorney General; and
Edwin Croswell, editor of the albany
Argus. The death of Skinner, and the
retirement of Talcott, made room for two
politicians and statesmen, whose names
became to the Democracy Of the whole
Uuion familiar as household words-Wil-
liam l.. Marcy and Silas Wright, who
more than filed the places of Skinner and
Talcott. But these sagacious men, with
their leader, have passed away, with the
celebrated Regency which, fell in 1874.
The political autocrat was an early RI
ser, and directed his farm affairs for the
day at sunrise, and was ready for horse
back ride after an early breakfast, to call
upon the neighboring Dutch farmers-for
most all in that town are of Holland ex-
traction-whom he delighted to converse
with on agricultural matters, or any other
topic, with the exception of politics. lie
was long a widower, as his first, and only
wife, died February 9Th, 1919, in the
thirty-sixth year of her age. She was the
daughter of Judge Vanderpool of Albany,
with whom Martin was law partner, af-
ter his removal to Albany in early life
During the last decade, the Ex- President
might be seen daily, at the hour of II A.
NJ. entering town on his favorte pony, to
get his mail matter which he always came
after even through rain and sleet
He was short, compact, little man,
with keen eye, high, broad forhead, sur
mounted with thin white hair, firm mouth,
grey side whiskers, tacturn with some,
jovial and frank with others To stran-
ger, his whole phiz would indicate that he
was no ordinary man, but a long headed
and cute observer of everything
His brother Major Van Buten, was long
the postmaster of Kinderhook, and held
that Office until his death, which occurred
two years since He held at various times
other minor offices in town, but he was
nothing like Martin in ability.
On the 9th day of July, 1862, this dis
tinguished man passed away, at the ripe
age of eighty years, and was inferred in
the village cemetery, on the Albany turn
pike, one mile out of town, among his an-
cestors. The funeral was not a very large
one, on account of the excitement pertain
ing to our late civil war, and he being a
Democrat, very few strangers were pres
ent; but as general thing the towns peo-
| ala of 1el,o of eeho
respect on that occasion, A plain granite
shaft, twenty feet in height, With pedcs-
tai of the same material five feet in alti-
tude, has been raised to his memory in
the northern section of the cemetery, with
these inscriptions: Martin Van Buren, Sth
Prest. U. S. Died July "a, 1862. Han
nah Van Buren, wife, died + February 9th, ,
1919, in the Both year of her age
To the left of the monument two we'll
worn marble slabs mark the graves of his
father and mother, as follows Abraham
Van Buren,, died April Sth, 1928, aged
81 years. Mary Van Buren, died Febru-
ary, 10th, 1918, aged II.
One who knows, states that the Ex-
President did not touch cent of his sala-
E ry while President, but drew the cool one
hundred thousand dollars from the U. s.
Treasury, on one check, at the expiration Of
his term of office. tits supposed that he left
! about two hundred thousand dollars, to be
divided among three sons. Prince John
was the executor, and sold tho Lindenwald
f estate to the celebrated Leonard w. Je.
rome, of Jerome Park fame, at casua
meeting at the Manhatten Club House, OIL
Fifth Avenue, in 1866, for thirty six thou
sand dollars, who only lived there one sea,
son, and then being tired of it, disposed
the whole to Mr.. Wilder, of Boston, Mass
the present occupant, for twenty-six thou
f sand dollars, The land is all under higf
state of cultivation and is worth two hun
dred dollars an acre at least.
The first Washington state carriage o
the Ex-Prcsident may be seen in the barr
of Bradley's Hotel, Kinderhook, which
by the addition of coat of paint, new lin
ing and hammer-cloth, would be mad,
nearly as good as new, and much more
grand than the fashionable vehicle now il
I use.
With this brief andincomplete 9escrip
tion of the mansion and home Of the dis
tinguishcd manager of our political affairs
of former period, we leave the scene il
/ the hands of your readers, and hope tina
an ADLER pen will in the future, give to thu
s world more interesting matter concerning
: the Sage of Lindenwald
New YORK, October, 1863