The Newtown bee., 1880-08-25
The Peabody. of Washington.

A New I ork paper says of William w. Corcoran, the Washington banker and philanthropist:
 The name of William Wilson Corco- ran, like that of George Peabody, whose
 intimate personal friend he was, will go
 down to posterity as that of one of the
 greatest benefactors to his race to which
 the American republic has given birth. His father, Thomas Corcorap, emigrated from Ireland. and came to this country in l783. He settled at Georgetown while Washington was country gen. UlcIliau 5tb nluuu6 Nernon, boforc inc WAS called to the presidency. His son Will liam was born at Georgetown, Decem- Der 27, I798, and, after reooivine the
 meager education which was available in those early times, was placed in a humble position in dry goods store. He soon attracted the attention of Gen. eral John Mason, the president of the Georgetown bank. who gave him po- sition as clerk in the bank. He proved
 an apt student in the science of finance, and. after serving three years ill Mason s bank, was transferred to the branch bank of the United States. which was opposite the Treasury building. Here he gained the confidence of the president so thoroughly. that, upon the suspen- sion of the Georgetown bank, he was delegated to dispose of the real estate which the United States bank, as a | with great efficiency in the United States
 bank until the final dissolution of that institution.
 Simultaneously with the endowment
 of the Art Gallery at Washington MT.
 Corcoran erected and endowed the
 Louise Home," by an expenditure of
 $400, ,000. The home is nsmed after his
 deceased wife and daughter, and IS for the use of " ladies who have seen bette days" In this beautiful retreat from
 the storms of ill-fortune forty ladies find 8 delightful home. Among them are
 widows of naval officers, of eminent clergymen, and of lawyers, with daugh- ters of prominent merchants of former
 generation, and of planters, orphaned and made homeless by the late civil war. The home is in Massachusetts avenue, between Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets.
 Since 1865. when he returned from
 Europe. Mir. Corcoran's life has been de- voted to giving of his wealth to the
 needy. His donations to the University of Virginia amount to $60,000. and he
 has also given largely to the College oi William and Mary, the Virginia mili- 1 tary institute, Washington and Lee uni, verslty, and the Virginia IneOloglcal seminary of the Episcopal church. Ii 1 is estimated that in the last ten years he has given at least $3,000,00O for the | benefit of his fellow-men-
 MT. Corcoran has not been actively engaged in any business since his re tirement from the banking house of Cor I coran 6 Riggs, in 1854. He has lived to acquire fortune, enjoy 1t, distrIb- ute 1t, and make his peace with all
 ranks and parties of men. He is g
 man of genial disposition, and has al ways been 8 welcome addition to any
 society. At his hospitable table in l Washington presidents and their cabi-
 nets have been entertained, and visitors l to the city have evinced quite as much eagerness to penetrate to his house as to
 enjoy the hospitality of the executive
 mansion. In appearance he is large anC
 straight, corpulent, but not grossly so l He has beautifully clear skin, tint l liquid eyes, and luxuriant white hair 1 which covers every part of his head He dresses like a gentleman in polite life, carries gold-headed cane, and al
 ways wears gloves in the street. H'
 has the reputation of being the neates
 old man in Washington.