The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-06-04
A BTRsT-CLAss AMERICAN
A Fable Library ss the Monument 60 Tkso,a.
Cr.ne-The Career ola New England steno
Cater Told by Charles Frsscis Adams, Jr.

AFubiic Library ss the Monument to Thou,S.
or.no-The Career ola New England Stone
Cutter Told by Charles Frsscis Adams, Dr..
Erom u. bottom Trauscrtpt
The event OF the day In Quincy yesterday
was the dedication Of The new public library
building. named the Crane Memorial Hall, after
the deceased townsman. whose bcPpest has
doubt p'o one Of The most elegant and PERFECTLY
appointed buildings Of It's Kind In New Eng.
apartments were thrown open to tho public for
the first time at a; MI snd an Informal r,la re,
OF Quincy by the family Of the deceased. CON
and anE The n Ss ssecso consist
keys and the memorial address by the Hon.
Mass4ehusetts. and while Cromwell was ,still
land. among many others. a man named Henry
Crane, Little is known Of him except that. Of
was hs asSsr On Six
sons have perpetuated his name IN many
S Se% Ensand rch
best more than we'll to do. They lived in the
southern , and western Part OF the td9wn
branches branch "'O Of 'A the family. Though con-
nSeted by 9R w almost
cannot find that the Cranes were ever town
officers. or doacons. or delegates to the Gen;
affairs. From generation to generation their
lives were the usual lives Of common hard
they married and had children. and presently
they died; And these events. and these only.
a in Se Of Crane
found place on the muster rolls OF the French
or the Indian or the Revolutionary war A..
father-born in ITO. Just rs the Revolutionary
troubles were about to begin; and married in
was vas set Sut of from the town Of Braintree and
called Quincy few years after MS marriage pa1,
| Quincy and made his home for a time, on
| Georges Island. in Boston Bay. where Fort
seG w tse sh Of so
on the lst Of April, 1875. died in New York.
man. His career. as you Will presently see was
not in any respect dramatic. 1t affords no
orator. could skilfully lead up, and then dwell
upon them. sure Of the sympathy OF his an-
HE Of New sTEp Well s
and clear headed, who. youth. went out from
his home into the great world, and there
tlitions., his New England birthrght traits Of
simplicity; thrift. straighttorward honesty, and
self self into great movements with which. beeom-
| career, on the contrary. he was quiet. do
| isned with the position he had won. and doing
| his honest days work In 1t, he had no ambition
therefore, does not stand forward and arrest
| attention as an imposing individuality; and 1t
is the, very fact that. being lust what he was
forth-it is this fact which makes him a typical
q representative man. whom IT is we'll 20 COM
npehs %Ro
remarkable race OF men to which no belonged.
\, 1t was forty-seYyen years after ne went TO-
such general growth and Development as the
Sroe aH nSf eeq Gov sef Witt cnSn had
opened to navigation the Erie Canal; When it
c san with the itO great lakes New
York was city of less than 2OO. 900 inhabitants.
Sa ee s nK 0 MS hS
In 1874 the telegraph went into operation. or
more Immediate concern to Thomas Crane.
New York on the 18TH OF December, 1885, and
which. burning for three whole days, laid in
events and, especially the last, had q direct
bearing on his fortunes; The canal. the rGil-
mee ds e. sSs aaet sGd y es AS basS
metropolis OF to-day. New York as we see 4
was to be built. and it was Thomas Cranes
when to bud nf His s eppofiaaty fr &as %.s
and he he ava ayaied himself OF it. Not much more
| occasion in lie wncn 1t presents itself makes
human success; During nea:-.s thirty years 81
as active construction as any great city ever
Ge erected New orR n When W ahy
| was used. TO which Thomas Crane did not con-
tribute, and which did not contribute to him.
AtaNery early day he began to buy out his
| associates In the stone yard 1t was the old
story. They were impatient and improvident;
they cbafed at delay and the slow movement OF
things; they saw. or thought they saw, better
| chances elsewhere. SO thcy made short cuts
| TO fortune. and doubtless remained poor all
| their lives Onp Dy they sold THAR m IA
| csts to the clear-headed more patient man.
who was strong enough to bde his time. 1t
lttest. Solid Judgment, shrewd honesty. and
temberate habits did the work. Among them
pnpd accordingly survive the rest he did
1l Edrayp Ge built 2s hoS Swea IN
| Granite not speculation. was the basis OF his
growing fortune He made his contracts ever
Size OF his yards and bought nj new ones, More ore
and more stone came to them from the quar-
| larger number of workmen har ,,led his tools.
| In lsSI, when the great tlnn,I.cinI storm burst.
as s1Sb9d G Tte the tSa rest de howSvgr
stood firm on hi, feet: and he was firm on
them them a." H. the est Of his life The va" grew
prodSo1 n1d gF9w Was OF dn Se ~ b9s
Saga saga .ous enough TO for@see it, His, stone
gar s and his granite. contracts became hence
ae bought lands in the path OF the Tvs de-
yelopment, and it grew up TO them and over, An
| mem; IL overran his stone yards Thus his
wealth increased with the wealth Of New York
| ana enlarged and took new directions, under
! ile guidance always of that same cleau-cut
business Judgment He was bank director
an insurance company director, Il street rail.
way dirSct9E pap of note on Change Long
| before his death his measure of success in a
business walk was full. and beyond that his
ambition did not 20. As | have already said
he did not care for outward worldly distinction.
had ne cared for it, with his strong Judgment
ana strong common sense he would probably
,have worked his way high office in the State;
Tor he was ono of that class Of men who are less
often seen than wanted in the Senate Chamber
ana the Cabinet. Inever met Mr.. Crane and can
therefore speak Of him only from the report OF
others, But DO from personal contact know
something OF those who in recent years have
played prominent parts in many public events;
ana DO not hesitate to say that the qualities
which MIR. Crane possessed. and which led TO
the measure Of success he coveted are those
qualities which also win success in the other
and more snowy walks of life, but which also.
IN those who essay to tread those walks are
nnt intreauently conspicuous for their absence.
Had fortune or inclination called Thomas
Crane to the pOsitinn. he womb hnNn alulInIs-