Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-12-29
The Late Hon. T. ". Park.

STEAMER, ana VIII return Will tnc uouy. ihe
steamer will arrive at New York about the
first of January. His fortune is estimated at
from five to eight millions. Mr.. Parks. first
wife bore him three chldren-Mrs. j. q.
Mccullough; Mrs. Frederick Jennings, wife
of a New York lawyer and son, Trenor L..
Park, now in the senior class at Harvard.
Mr.. Parks first wife died six wears ago, and
in the beginning of the present year he was
married TO the lady who survives him. She
is the daughter of Mr. A. &. Nichols of San
Francisco. Hon. Il. j. Phelps, who was in
Boston, Wednesday, SAID 10 a reporter !:
"Mr. Park was a man of vigorous intellect
and extraordinary capacity for business ms
well as great mastery of legal and financial
subjects. Ills foresight was remarkable and
he was rarely disappointed. lie was man
of warm and generous feelings, strongly at
tachcd TO his friends and liberal in the OK
IRENE. His private and public benevolcnco
was very great. A iavoritc scheme which
he has not lived TO complete was the cstab-
lishment of an asylum nj Bennington Tor
orphans and aged women. This he has pre-
sumably endowed in his will
From the New York Tribune.l
Mr.. Park was native of Bennington,
v yN"o '''' '.''
youth and early manhood were
spent in Bennington, where after common
school education, he began the practice of
law. There, too, he married Miss Laura
Hall, daughter of Inland Hall, once govern
or Of Vermont. In 1862, Mr.. Hall, who
had been appointed Second Controller of the
Treasury, was sent to California as chairman
of the committee charged with the invcsti-
CATION of land titles in that State. Mr.. Park
HIM, his fnantial condition at the
time being indicated by the fact that to do
so he borrowed money from "Jim" Melon
aid, wcll-known m)ncy-lcndcr of Ben
nugton. Not long after his arrival in San
Francisco Mr.. Park became partner of Gen
era Halleck in the firm of Hallcck, Pcachey,
Billings & Park The firm did very large
share of the business created by the conlro-
vcrsies on land titles in California. In ten
years Mr.. Park made enough money 10 en-
able him to invest extensively in real estate
and to embark in number of mining and
other speculative enterprises. He became
in the estate of Las Mariposas, and
with General John G. Fremont and others,
on his return to New York in 1868, he or
ganzed the Mariposa Company, which be-
came bankrupt a! cr its stock had been pur-
chased lar ely by New York capitalists. Mr..
Park always retained warm interest IN his
native place, and FIR years made his home
at North Bennington, dividing his time be-
tween there and New York. There he IN
vested portion Of his capital in National
banks and railways.
About twenty-five years ago MIR. Park
joined Russell Sage in buying up the first
mortgage bonds OF the Western Vermont
railroad, aftcrward purchasing Mr. Sage's
interest, and recognizing the road as the
Bennington and Rutland Rnil way Company.
MIR. Park was also one OF the projectors OF
the famous Emma mine, and was the chief
instrument in the carrying out The project by
which the mine was sold to the English
stockholders. 1t Is one OF the episodes in
Mr.. Park S busy HE That he took exception
TO an article which appeared IN the IHdHhe
at the time OF the scandal created by
General Schencks CONNECTION with that en-
terprlse and sued the Ir6nhe Association
Tor libel. Arguments were had on the plead
lngs IN the United states circuit Court, but
before the case was ieached Tor trial Mr..
l'ark discontinued II without COSTS. MI.
Park Kept his holdings OF Emma mine stock,
erected settlements with the English stock
holders, and as late as last Thanksgiving day
SAID to Trend that he considered the mine
worth twice as much as he had sold it for in
London.
Mr.. Iark made fortune out OF the sale OF
the stock OF the Panama Railroad Company
TO the De Lcsseps Canal Company last year.
he price agreed upon Tor the railroad stock
was 2oo, bnt this was exclusive OF the cash
assets IN Inc companys hands, which
amounted To about S4on share or more. MIR.
l'ark held n the time nearly l5,O0O shares
Of Panama stock, on which he received from
the canal company nearly S4,OOO,OOO lie
had been connected with the company for
ten OF twelve years, and at one time he was
obliged, it is said, to sell some OF his stock to
relieve himself from financial embarrassment.
lie aitcrward bought back the stock, and
when the control Of the company was sold to
inc canal company he owned more OF the
Panama stock than over before. lie died
worth probably SIOOO,OOO, although some
OF his intimate friends estimate his fortune
considerably higher. Throughout his con-
nection with the Panama Railroad he was
me dominant power, and to him, more than
to any other man, probably, was due the
success of the company.
In personal appearance Mr.. Park was
forward so far that he seemed almost round
shouldcred apparently he was absorbed al
ways in deep thought. His eyes were small,
but bright and restless, and his whole man
ner was nervous and restrained. His face
was clean-shaven, but in late years at least
il had whitish hue that his thin gray hair
failed 10 relieve. His chin and mouth were
strong and firm, and his thin lips closed over
his words with great decision. He spoke
slowly, as II he weighed the value OF every
statement he made. lie was modest and
unobtrusivc, but thoughtful and possessed OF
great mental power. lie was an invcterac
reader. His first wife having died in 1875
Mr. Park on May Both Of this year married
Miss Ella Nichols, daughter of A. c. Mich
OILS, Of San Francisco, a lady Of thirty-tvt
Three children Inv lila first wife ar. l;v;nr
Il Val