Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-11-26
Anecdotes OF George Peabody.

4 IN personal appearance Mr.. Peabody
resembled u professional, rather than a
business man
Mr.. Peabody's great interest in educa
uoh doubtless partially arose from the
aCs tnat ne was taken from school at the
deprived OF what in that day was known
rs grammar school instruction.
The first money Mr.. Peabody earned
outside OF the small pittanCe nc received
as clerk. was for writing ballots for the
Federal party in Aewburyport. This was
| before the day of printed votes
When Mr. Riggs invited Mr.. Peabody
to be a partner, the latter said there was
one instperable objection, as ne was only
10 years of age, This was no objection in
the mind of the shrewd merchant who
wanted young and active assistant,
| TWO gentleman are living who wese
friends OF Mr. Peabody in boyhood, and
who willingly paid his share of the cost
OF sailing and fishing parties, ten pins
| etc, during the war of 1St2-ld--his ex.
cellent company being considered more
than an offset 10 his lack of funds.
| Mr., Peabody did not bestow many gifts
to relieve individual poverty or distress,
| lie thought that much of the money thus
contributed only tended to increase the
| evil It sought to alleviate. .IfH t.sA
MIR, Peabody was a beautiful penman.
Ills letters were usually brief and very
much to the point.
Mr., Peabody was strongly opposed TO
fraud in little matters The conductor on
an English railway once oyercharpod him
shilling for fare. He made complaint to
the directors and had tho man discharged.
Mot" said he, "that could not afford to
pay the shilling, but the man was cheat.
ing many travellers to whom the swindle
would be oppressive"
When Mr.. Peabody first landed in Lon
don he lived very frugally, taking break
| house. Ills personal expenses for ten years
did not average 5000 per annum.
MIR. Peabody had a very retentive mem.
ory, particularly in regard to names and
places. He would give the most minute
particulars of events that occurred be.
tween fifty and sixty years ago.
MIR Peabody first appeared in print as
the champion of American credit in Eng.
land, at the time our State securities were
depressed on account of the non payment
of interest by Pennsylvania.
Essex county, where Mr.. Peabody was
born, hns five public buildings erected by
his liberalityy They are consecrated to
the uses of education, science and re-
ligion. fit ...... I.... ..-. '.
q Mr.. Peabody leaves sister, Mrs
Daniels, formerly Mrs Russell, of George.
town. He had several nephews and
nieces, to all OF whom he has been very
generous.
Mr.. Peabody was very fond of singing,
Scottish songs being his favorite
The toast Mr.. Peabody sent to the Dan
vers celebration in 1859 was:.
Educational debt due from present
to future generations"
Mr., Peabody was good talker; at the
table few men were his equal. His idea
of a pleasant dinner party was where
there was a great deal of talk, and he
could take the lead in conversation.
The myorite games of Mr.. Peabody
were backgammon after dinner, and whist
In the evening
ASaS nEy HSESFsE s IF GcSSRRtS%Ty lag ago MI
| fered her his hand and fortune, which
were accepted Learning short time
afterward that she was already engaged, a
fact of which she had kept him in igno-
rance, he rebuked her lack of sincerity and
| broke off the engagement.
Mr. Peabody visited incogRito the
houses erected by his munificence for the
poor of London, to see if those in charge
of the charity properly attended to their
duties. lie asked the wife of the superin-
tendent the name of her child, and was
answered, George Peabody" This
prompted present to the infant, which
the mother quickly interpreted, and an.
nounced TO her neighbors the presence of
their distinguished benetactor, who gladly
took refuge in cab TO be rid of their
benedictions ...a..L
Letters by the hundreds were daily re-
ceiyed by Mr. Peabody of late years
They were first looked over by secretary
and only few ever reached the eyes of
the great banker. He received one of
thirty-six foolscap pages from decayed
English gentleman who solicited loan of
few thousand pounds to establish the
claims of his family to an estate. Mr..
Peabody wrote in reply substantially this
"That you should have written such
letter, would surprise your friends; that
should have read 1t, would indeed surprise
mine"
Chief Justice Shaw paid Mr.. Peabody
the compliment of remarking that bust
ness document, written by him, was one
of the clearest and most comprehensive
papers that had ever been presented to
our Supreme Court.
BY temperament religious training,
early education, political bias and business
connections Mr.. Peabody was conserva-
tive. b. st-r4. t...,l ... l.....-t.. Is. f,
Several years ago Mr., Peabody selected
his grave in the beautiful cemetery near
his native place, called" Harmony Grove"
where the remains Of many Of his kindred
are buried.
Mr.. Peabody always cherished the mem
ory of his mother, TO whose comfort he
ministered in early life. One who knew
all the circumstances alluded to them in
the following words
might we invade the sanctuary Of his
early home, and the circle of his immedi-
ate connections, we could light around the
youthful possessor of a few hundred dol
lars--the aYails of the most severe and un-
firing eforts--a brighter halo than his
elegant Inequalities, his muni6eent dona-
tons, or his liberal public acts now shed
over the london banker. ."-BostOR Tda-
| script. '''' t'' ..n r's't