Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-09-08
,1pjA GAZETTE s VIRGINIA ADVERT
ucDonogh and his Requests.

The New York Mail has been delving into
the records of the past and raking up the story
Of Old John McDonogh, the millionaire Of
New Orleans, who donated millions for the
oancatiop of the poor in New Orleans and
Baltimore Probably very few of the present
generation know of the old gentleman's pur-
noses Here is an extract from his will
The rlan which my mind formed (inhuenc-
ed, TRUST, by the Divine Spirit, and has pur-
sued for near forty years, to accumulate and get
together large estate in lands, lots of ground
in and near the city, houses, etc., for the edu-
cation of the poor, will, in time, | doubt not
weld revenue sufficient to educate all the
Door of the two States of Louisiana and Mary
land, and perhaps the poor of many other of
the States of our happy Union. 10 effect and
secure that, I have laid its foundations deep
and broad in and all around the city OF New
Orleans, in every direction, so that tor centu-
ries to come (if managed in wisdoml its reve-
nues must and will go on increasing 10 amount
with the growth and extension OF the city
(which is destined to be one of the greatest IN
extent and population the world has ever
seen), until its rents will amount to some mil
lions of dollars annually. If, therefore, those
vho will come after me, and will have the man
apement of his store (which | have strven to
anass and pile up), will labor to increase and
render it productive with the same fidelity
with which l have husbanded it and striven to
make it great one, then, indeed, it will be-
come in time huge mountain Of wealth, and
will Weld its increase to the honor of God and
the benefit of generations yet unborn through
all ages of the world
The remainder of the will devoted the iD-
come Of this vast property to the education Of
The Door of the two cities named. 1t has been
twenty-three years since McDonogh said fare
we'll 10 this world, but even at that day he
simulated that there should be no distinction
Of coIors in the schools to be founded by his
beuefcvDce And he made it another of the
conditions that the Bible should be read every
dsy 10 these schools He also enjoined that
singing should be taught, suggestion melted
By the memories of the days when he, poor
boz 10 Baltimore, was led to the music school
Of those days by his father.
McDonogh meant we'll, but he tied uphis be-
quests with such complications that for yeas
it was the subject Of legal plunder, and When
the estate was rescued from the hands OF law
yers and courts it was not worth more than
half Of the original three millions The result
has been almost practical Degation of his in-
,eu,ioDs New Orleans has been cheated out
Of her share, until it now amounts to less than
S2jOp0 The Mail asks what Baltimore has
done With her share We believe that there
has been farm school instituted with it some
where near the city, and that it now educates
some dozen or two of boys who are being taught
an education and trade. But there is singu-
lar diSproportion between the figures of McDo-
nosh's legacy and the proportions Of this school.
As in the case of the Peabody bequest, this
seems to have unfortunately failed of accom-
pishiDg more than fraction Of the object for
which it was given.-Bdltin,ore american.