Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-01-09
NJ rs O Ell AZ .EsOsUss
A CALIFORNIA SANTA CLAUS IN NEyy,

: <4ORK:-Ihe New York Sun Darrates ssfhe
following: g so
On Christmas Eve VIM. NJ. Lent, a San
francisco capitalist, now visiting this city,
started out for sti oil to see New York by
gaslight, and drifting into Grand street, his
attention became attracted by the wistful
glances OF group of ragged urchins who
were covetousy contemplating the tempting
array of toys spread out in the bright glare
of one of the show windows near the corner
of Allen street. His heart was touched. and
drawing near unobserved, he stopped and
listened. The boys were deacanting with
5earnestness on the merits of the different ar.
tices on exhibition, and singing out with en-,
thusiasm such toys as they severaly preferred.
Without word Mr.. Lent slipped quickly
past them into the store and purchased every
toy he had heard the children mention, the,
group of waits meanwhile gazing at him
throug h the window with admiring eycs.-
When he came out again his arms we're full.
of playthings. He approached the astonishedf
boys aud handed each the gun or drum or
;hugle, wagon, sleigh or. hobby horse which
few moments before had been the special; OBJ
ject of his unattainable ambition Then
leaving them in stupor over their unex pect-.
ed good fortune he dashed into the crowd
and sauntered on until he came upon another
group in front of another store, when he res
peated his deed of Christmas charity.
From one group to another did the good
representative of Santa Claus glide, making
every childish heart overflow with delight -.
Five hundred dollars melted away between 8.
and IL o'clock, p. NJ, aud Mr.. Lent's last
dollar would probably have found its way into
the pockets of the storekeepers but for the
small army which grew at his heels, sclamor-
ing out tfervent.Thapk you, sir !" and"God
bless you, sir ]" Unable to bear the load of
gratitude which was accumuating on his
shoulders, he hurried to the Bowery and took
refuge in passing car, which bore him to his
hotel y
DEATH ,oE, "A PArK1ARcn.-The vener>5
able Paul Lyons, 1.-The Oldest man in Mobile
county, and perhaps one of the oldest in the
Southwest, died at his residence near Heron
Bay on Thursday night last. In conversa>
/. tion with the writer of this article, held in
February, 1870, and of which some account
was given in the Register aafew days after
ward he stated thatshe was bornliny Savannah,
8 Ga, on the 18th day of, .Ju i, go He:was:
stheretore nearly one hundred and eleven years
: old at he :timesof his death. : HI was in,
Savannah during the war of the Revolution,
and was present duringsthe siege ofthat city,
III AttSb Wy 6uS Il teuCu dUu american 1OrCcS
under Count D. D'Estaing aud General Lincoln.
A few years atterward he removed, with his.
father, to this partof the country, then, in
possession of the Spanish, and has ever since
resided on the Gulf coast. He married in
1909, when nearly fifty years old, yst had
lived with his wife, who survives him, for
more than sixty years.
MIR. Lyons leaves number of children,
and great grand children, most'of whom are
residents, of the southern part of this country
Hefwas born before George the Third sue.
ceeded'to the Engligh crown, while Frederick
the Great was in the zenith of his fame, and
several years before the ,birtt. of either Ma,
Poleon Bonaparte, the Duke of Wellington, ;,
or Andrew jackson. He was a contemporary
of johnson and Goldsmith, and was eleven
years older than Walter Scott During his
life the spot on which he died had been sue,
cessively under the flags of France, Great
Britain, Spain, the United States; the Con-
tederate States, and the United States again.
Men and women, who were boys and girls
when he was man in the full maturity of his
powers have died at good old age and been
almost forgotten.
Two years ago he was still possessed of all
his physical and mental faculties. / His sight
and hearing was good, his intellect was ap-
parently unimpared, and his conversation was
animated and cheerfuI-Mobiz Register.
Squirrels are SO great nuisance in Calls