Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-01-30
THURLow WEED AT HOME.


active DAYS, when he was the power be-
hind the throne, and one Of the most po-
tent of all agencies in public affairs, it Is
certain that the last two decades OF his
life were crowded with kindly deeds.
His home in West Twelfth Street, New
York city, was the resort Of the stricken
in purse and spirit. no less than the Mec'
ca Of aspiring politicians. Years ago
and for years-there was a sight TO DC
witness every Saturday afternoon IN front
of that Twelfth Street home not to be
seen anywhere else in New York. II
was a score or so Of little girls, all Of
clearly appearance, but all giving cyl
dence of poverty in their dress, who were
weekly applicants for his bounty, and nc
one of whom ever went away from hi'
door empty handed. Once when COM
mittee of one called at his house on a
Saturday afternoon with a carriage, &c
request his attendance at the first receP-
ton of the New York Press Club,
throng of these little ones were before
his door. Mr.. Weed expressed the pleas
ure it would give him to meet the work
ing journalists of the city, or, as he ex-
pressed it, ''the boys in harness ! but,
he added. "you must wait until feed
nv chickens" After the children had
been loaded with his gifts, he proceeded
to the rooms of the Press Club, where,
by-the-way, he gave some good advice to
those who were only entering upon the
road he had traverscd to It's end. lie
frankly admitted tina; day, as he always
did in his declining years, the great
changes which had been wrought in jour-
nalism since he was an active member OF
the profession. No man knew better
than he in his later years that the news
paper had become the vehicle Of informa-
ton rather than of opinions. As he once
terseiy put it, "the world don't care
what an editor thinks about fact, but
it does care a great deal for the fact it.
self"
Yet there was never more omnivo-
rous reader of newspapers, although lat
teIly he used the eyes of another instead
of his own, and usually those Of the
daughter who devoted her life to him.
1t was not only political news that claim
ed and obtained his attention, but all the
record of events, great and small, that
combine to make up the daily journal.
The knowledge of this fact and of the
benevolence of his character came TO the
knowledge of reporter for a daily pa
per in peculiar way some years ago.
The reporter had been detailed to case
of distress which had been reported TO
the office. In the performance Of this du-
ty he encountered one Of those pictures
of misery which can only be seen in q
great city Of startling contrasts like New
York. 1t was bitterly cold night in the
latter part of November, aud in a room
on the top floor Of an East side tenement
house, in which there was neither fire
nor food and no furniture save two rem
enants of chairs, q woman was found
with two little children. The next morn
ing description OF the scene was given
in the newspaper, together with short
statement of the cause of her misfor-
tunes. That afternoon a second call was
made for the purpose Of giving her a
small amount which some charitable per-
son had sent to the office for her relief,
and she was then found in comparative
comfort. A stove had made its appear
ance, there was supply Of coal, the
closet had been filed with provisions,
and mother and children had been pro-
vided with stout shoes and warm stock
ings. The woman gave description of
her benefactor so full and Correct that
the reporter had no difficulty in recogniz-
ing Mr.. Weed. When that afternoon
inquiry was made of him as to the fact,
Mr. Weed admitted that he had "helped
the woman little," but exacted prom
Use that no mention should be made in
the newspapers Of the circumstance nor
has the incident ever been published I'M
til now. This case has not been men,
toned in such detail because it was at
all an anomaly in the life of the veteran
journalist. but rather as a typical of the
man in that aspect of which the world
knows so little.-Harper's Magazine for
February.