The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1871-09-16
Gossip About jag Cooke.

The death of Mrs. Jay Cooke, who was re-
l!gions, liberal lady, equal to wealth as to mod
crate competence, has given somewhat lone
" granduer to her husbands great country
mansion, near Philadelphia. Jay Cooke, as
all know, is the son of north Ohio Congress
men, who married lady of good professional
family, and began business life in Philadelphia.
lie was fairly known banker in responible
partnership when Secretary Chase, who has a
fondness for discovering, and, as the saying is
making" men, appointed him financial agent
OF the Treasury. This task, on account of the
duration and cost of the war, proved to be a
great and profitable piece of business, although
the agents percentage upon the sale of bonds
were not above those usually in like necessities
of other countries. He sold in the neighbor
hood of 81, 800, 900, ,OOO which at halfper cent,
would have been 81, 800, 900. The banker, how
ever, had to pay his immense advertising and
clerical bills and allow sub commissions.
knew Mr.. Cooke when he began to sell the
first bonds, and he impressed everybody as q
man at work upon o useful rather than COM
pensotory Job His whole staff of clerks fire.
quently sat up forty hours at a stretch, and for
many months they worked sixteen hour per
diem. To look upon he IS rather well made
man of about A year of age with straight brown
hair and sandy complexion. There are half a
dozen partners in his house, among them Mr..
Dodge of New York, and his brother in-law
Myrehead Hugh McCulloch has joined him
in European partnership. The Philadelphia,
or central banking house, is plain brownstone
building, and overhead is the North Pacific
Railways ADVERTISING and editorial office, sup
erintended by Gen. Nettleton, of Sandusky.-
Mr.. Cooke gave $4,000, the largest subscrip-
ton toward the election fund Of General Grant
in 1868 and he was also prominent contribu-
tor to the Edwin M. Stanton fund.
fJay Cookies only piece of extravagance-if
that can be an extravaganza which creates an
Object of beauty harmonious with its landscape
for purposes of -hould comfort and hos
pitality-is his country mansion. This IS the
largest of substantial manor houses in the
United States. 1t is built of pointed stone laid
in black mortar, in the style of French cha
teau, and is probably one hundred in height
bvmore than one hundred and fifty feet square.
It was finished in 1866, and presents the ap-
pcarance of French chateau, with great OBJ
long pavilion at one angle and pavilion tow
cr in the opposite front. 1t is rooted with slate
surrounded by park and bordered by deep,
natural woods, at the foot of which, on one of
tie aff1uents of Tacony creek is a noble maus-
oleum, finished scarcely two years ago, where,
with pious emembrance, the bones OF his faith
er and mother are assem- bled. To keep the
spot involate, the adjacent acres have been
decided to the Chelton Hills Episcopal parish for
sepulture. Here was inferred Mrs. Cooke, her
resignation of the great house on the hill for the
narrow one in the valley has made the place
both more melancholy and more precious to its
surviving occupants.-Erchange.