Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-03-25
VOL. LXXN.
THE SUMNER FAMILY.


There were, in all, eleven children born to
Ms. Sumner, who was u very distinguished
looking lady The family lived on Hancock
street, Boston, aud there all the children were
brought up Henry, the eldest, who was a
large, powerful man, died in Orange, n. D.,
some years since. Charles was the next, and
his mother was always very proud Ut him.
Being asked how it was he had become the
possesSor of SO many requirements, she said
that Charles, when boy, was a very good
scholar aud diligeut at his stuiies Albert
Sumner was, like his brother, splendid specl.
men of mauhood He, with his wife aud
family took passage for Europe IN the Arctic
and were lost with that unfortunate vessel. lu
connection with this event a singular crcum
stance occurred.
Albert Summers wife was very rich lady
possessing upward OF million dollars in her
own rghl; aud when she was lost the Sumner
family thought that rlghttully they ought to be
considered the h:lrs-a;-law Accordingly, they
contested the inheritance with the lalys rel
atveS, aud ultimately won the suit. But the
Summers had ouly gone to law to vlndlcate
their honor and their rights; they had no
iuteutiou Of impovcrishiug the dead wouan's
family and, having won the cause, they mag
unanimously resigned all the property to the
wife S relatives, thus exhibiting rare disnter-
estedness.
George Sumner came to his death in very
remarkable way. During the war he was go
ing To Inspect some troops at short dlstauce
trom Boston, when he met with an accident III
getting iu or out of the railway cars, and hurt
one of his knee-caps, He was very much 10
favor of the water. cure theory, aud went to
water-cure establishment TO get his leg treated.
However. the injury went on from bad to worse,
until hually George was so parayzed all over
his body that it could hardly be said that any
part of him but his head aud his heart was
truly alive.
Horace younger sou, was slender youth,
quite different 10 appearance from his stalwart
brother, the Senator. He was placed for some
time with Levi Bartlett, of Warner n. H., to
learn farming He was of dreamy, poetic
nature, fond Of reading and meditation, aud
very little iuciued for any practical business Of
and stopped ia Rome for some time with Mar
garct Fuller Ossoli and her husband. The two
latter, with their child, were coming to Ameri
ca, and Horace embarked with them. When
almost within sight Of home the vessel was
wrecked of the Long Island coast, aud many
on board, including the Osso family and Hor
ace, We're lost There were three daughters 10
the Sumner family, Of whom only, Julia, who
is married to medical officer 10 the Uuited
States service in California, survives. The rest
Of the family died when yet young. Charles
Sumner own modest fortune came to him by
the successive deaths of his brothers, who left
their property to him.-N 7. Graphic.
TEMPERANCE Oucof the most remarkable
Contributions tn the temperance discussion yet
elected is the sermon Gt DR.. Howard Crosby,
preached on Sunday morning at the Fourth
Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York DIR.
Crosby diSseuts entirely FROM the common view
tthe drunkard as a person to be pitied, and
would treat him instead as a criminal to be
punished. He regard, the keeping Of tipping
shops as equally criminal; aud finally charges
the total abstinence party with serious respon'
slbillty for the drunkenness of the land through
i reaction provoked by their preaching false
gospel. On this poiut he said
And here | make the charge against my to-
tai abstinence friends, with all regarded for
their honesty of purpose and with true syn
pathy with their motives, that they are making
very many to stumble by preaching false gos-
pei The churches swarm with total abstinence
prayer. meetings, total abstinence celebrations,
total abstinence bands OF hope, and total abs'l-
ncnce literature until il IL the most natural
thing iu the world to suppose that total absti-
ncnce is the one great burden OF the Gospel.
Now what is the natural fleet Of all this upon
the world at large? Ii simply disgusts them
into determination of opposition which in-
creascs the drunkenness Of the land. | believe
that the misguided efforts Of good men 10 the
total abstinence cause have Increased greatly
the evil they sought to abale. AS a minority
they have been always defeated n legislation
in our State, when if they would join men of
moderate views, who would put down drunk
ards and drunkard factories they would win a
ri uip.o frup nd hanl nj tom
ance.