The New York herald., 1875-12-23
A STRANGE LIFE CLOSED.

DEATH OF ALANsoN PALMER AT THE WILLARD
ASYLUM FOR THE INsANE-FEoM A MILLION
MARES POSITION TO THE PooRHoUsE-A
SINGULAR AND MELANCHOLY Lice HISTORY.
From the Buffalo Courierl
One who acted an important part in the long ago his
tory of city died Saturday night last in the Will
lard Asylum at Ovid Seneca county State institution
for the insane We speak OF Aanson Palmer, once tho
millionaire whose vessels We're the proudest that
ploughed the great lakes; whose landed property
its extent whose hand seemed to to gold
everything 1t touched; but who was yet destined to
drag through nearly the years Of generation v
ng monument of the muablty of fortune, cropping
into extreme old age with no vcstige of his former
wealth, with intellect darkened and, indeed, in the full
sense OF the expression, "a very weak old man." We
only sketch career which, if written in detail,
would prove most interesting recital although sad
one.
Aanson Palmer was a sclf-made and perhaps we
might add selfruined He was born in Eastown,
Washington county, May 30 1894, and came with his
fathers family to the then village OF New Amsterdam,
now the city of Buffalo, in 1906. subsequently they
removed to Eighteen Milo Creek, this county, where
the future millionaire and pauper worked on farm
until such time he was sent TO learn the tanning,
currying and shoemaking business at Smiths Mills
known Whites Corners. There he remained
only four months leaving his trade to enter the army
at the age of eighteen as substitute for his elder
brother who had been drafted In 1918 he returned TO
his trade, but after working four months longer he
again abandoned 1t and coming to Buffalo, he entered
the employ OF MIS-. SL JOhn VINO Kept tavern on
Main street. opposite the site at occupied by the
Tiff House Later, and after the had closed, he
became clerk for William Hodge, whose store was To-
Gated at what would now be the of Main and
Utica streets, and after remaining with him Tor time
the young man took half the stock of goods, with
which he started store at Eighteen Mile Creek. He
continued there until 1917, when he returned
to Buffalo and began the grocery business in what
is now the Kremin block Alanson Pamer's cash
capital at that time was just Sl3; but he was naturally
business man. shrewd to calculate and energetic TO
carry out His trade increased, and from that time
until the final and fatal crash prosperity seemed to at
tend his every venture In 1917 he was married TO
Patio Swain, daughter OF Daniel Swain, OF Boston, this
county. Five years later she died leaving children,
and in 1927 he was again married, to Julia Matteson,
who bore him five children of whom the survivors are
Charles W. Palmer late of Buffalo, and Mrs. Julia
Cleveland. Fortune continued TO favor him with her
peasantest smiles. His wealth rolled up until he be-
came one Of the richest men of the whole section OF
the country. According TO his estimate he was
worth 81 00o, 600 The American Hotel, for which he
gave 100000 was ono of his purchases The
Alanson Palmer and the Julia Palmer were
among the finest vessels our inland
seas. His cquipage the grandest seen
upon the streets and he was looked upon the Crosus
of then infant city. But at last the change came
Grand specuations developed into nothing costly bub
bles burst leaving nothing but empty air and Aanson
Palmers riches took wings which hurried them IRE,
assignment to Horao Warren his brother-in n-law and
Colonel Alfred Cleves. His ruin utter and com
plete. OF his lost fortune not even the shadow re-
manned The blow than his mental
faculties could sustain and the balance of his long life
became useless to himself and to the world Not even
the of subsistence remained to him. and he be-
came public pauper, for years inmate of the Erie
county Amshouse OF all his faculties the only one
which seemed to remain unimpalred was his memory
The old loved to talk of the very early history of
Buffalo, recting many quaint aud interesting crcum-
stances.
Many anecdotes of Aanson Palmer's life might be
repeated but they would only onghen out chapter
that is at its best gloomy Many Of readers Will
remember the old man making his slow way about the
city streets clad in his poorhousc garb, melancholy
picture Of the work OF adversely. During the CON
structon OF the addition to the County Asylum he
removed to Ovid where his history OF over cightyone
years has ended with his death.