Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-10-19

however, II MAKES 10 pTeEelSlODS &c
architectural effect. 1t stands in the cen
ire Of a lot 100 feet square, equal TO fouI
ordinary lots, and at no time did it dc
more than impress the observer with an
idea Of substantially and wealth.
grand porch through which carriages
drove was the only thing that distin-
gIlished it from several similar New York
houses. There was a fountain in front
In the porch. on each side of the great
double door, were two cast-ir0n dogs,
which are now the property of Police In
spector Thorne. Since he purchased the
dogs at the sale of Col. Thorn's effects,
about ten years ago. the Inspector has
somewhat identified himself with the
family of their former owner, and he
curses the foolish vanity which made him,
when a youth. add an TO his name, his
fathers name having been spelled the
same as the COloners.
Inside, the house showed evidence of
taste as well as cost. In the centre was,
and is still, l presume, a great circular
hail floOred with marble, around which
wide stairs wound to the roof, in which
was a reproduction in stained glass Of
GuidO's Aurora" Around this hall were
grouped large apartments whose lofty
ceilings were frescOed with copies
Of famous paintings. as well as with
original designs The house. how
ever, was not finished in a style
commensurate with its cost and
character. The handsome furniture,
which Col. Thorn had selected himself
and imported from Paris, was burned
with the warehouse in which IL was
stored, and the Colonel was so DISCUS ted
by the calamity that he made no at
tempts 10 replace the furniture with a
fresh importation, and the natiYe-made
substitutes were comparatively plain and
inexpensive.
THE HOUSE DURING COT. THORN'S LIFE,
and while his widow lived, was more like
a hotel than private residence, for ten Of
the Colonies II children, with their wives,
husbands and children, were the occu-
pants. As many as % people, even when
there were no guests, which was very sell
dom, sat at the big table in the great
dlning-rOOm, and there were nearly or
quite as many servants. Ordinarily, too,
half dozen guests dined with the hOspi-
table Colonel, so that a dinner for more
than so persons was served almost every
day the year round.
The money which supported this large
establishment, like that Of the Astors,
came from the rise in New York real es-
tate. Mrs. TlOrn was the heir of the
Jauncey, after whom the old Jauncey
court was named, and the Jauncey farm
comprised at one time no small part OF
the upper western half Of Manhattan
Island. The site Of the buildings now Oc-
cupying Jauncey court, too, belonged TO
the same estate.
One cannot think Of the Thorn family
without rejecting on the transformers Of
life. With one exception only the younger
members Of that large household which
formerly Toasted and made merry in what
is now hospital are alive. All but one
OF Col. Tnorn's fourteen children are dead.
Eugene Thorn, Madame de Ferisac, and
all the elder sons and daughters have
passed away. One Of the sons died noble
death. He had safely crossed a river in
Mexico on h0Tseb. OK. when. looking
around, he saw that his servant. less for
tunate, was still struggling with the cur
rent. Tae mans horse was exhausted.
and he was evidently about to drown.
Nh. In0-n went to his assistance, and
persisted in vain endeayor to rescue
him. 1t is not every employer who viii
risk MS life 10 save that OF a servant.
The sole survivor of Col. ThOrn's II
children is the youngest daughter. Ellen,
who is the wife Of Edward Kirkland. Mr..
Kirkland is the son Of the late Charles p.
Kirkland, distinguished lawyer. and
belongs to the family which gave Presi-
dent TO Harvard College towards the end
Of the first quarter of this century. The
much to prevent the tribes OF the six Ma
tons from aiding the English in the reyo-
lutiOnary waT,was q member of the same
family.
The Thorn mansion was sold to the city
for hospital purposes on Mrs. ThOrn's
death in 1878. The lower portion is used
as offices, and the conyalescing patients
occupy the upper. Very different occu-
pants are they certainly from the men,
hcr Of +La g.
lived in the house, but the death rate
among them is doubtless nothing like so
great!
THE POST OFFICE HERE PRIDEs ITSELF
on Its efficiency, but I know OF two in
stances when it proved in one case very
unenterpTising and in the other it showed
an enterprise Of the kind that is termed
too previous. Some years ago the then
editor of the Denver Nelgs sent mis- photo
grapc to friend in this city belonging 70
the family of Abner Mellen, the South
American hair importer. who at that time
lived in Park avenue. He wrote, how
ever, Park place instead Of Park avenue,
and although Mr.. Mellen's name was
printed in the directory in type nearly
half an inch long, the postal officials did
not have the en- .rgy to inform themselves
Of the fact, and the photograph went to
the dead letter Office. 1t ultimately found
its way back to Denver, and although the
letter was signed only with initials, il was
returned to the sender, the Denver postal
officials recognizing the photograph.
Within the past fortnight the same
newspaper man, who is now in New
York, discovered that letter enclosing q
check from your city had been sent MIN,
which he had failed to receive. Investf-
CATION discovered that the letter, being
apparently addressed simply New
York." had been given BY the mail car
Tier TO a lab0rer who can neither read nor
write, living in West Sixtieth street. This
time the postal officers consulted the d.
rectory, and assuming one of the names
they found there to be that OF the owner
Of the letter a gratuitOus suppOSition, as
only the initial OF the first name was given
in the address, they handed over the let
ter without asking the questions which
would have revealed that the receiver
was not the proper person.
The letter was kicked about the labor
er's lodging for about q fortnight. when
il was opened and a neighbOr read its
contents. Now. the labOrer had bought
a ticket in the Havana lottery, and sup
posing, so he says, that the check from
Savannah was a prize which he had
drawn, he boldly had il cashed. and told
all his neighbors OF his good luck. Much
to his disgust, he Is now engaged IN pay
ing back the German grocer who eashed
the check in installments. the newspaper
mar, who, by the way, being of the same
name, he claims as a relation, not think
ing, IN view OF his ignorance, that he was
fit subject for prosecution.
''THE OHIO ELECTION DON'T TROUBLE
ME-"
said Col. Jus son, Secretary of the Fire
Department, to me at 1880 O'Clock this
morning. Il am a Republican. and had
/ been a citizen Of Ohio l would have
voted the Republican ticket on Tuesday.
The candidates were all good men, and
the fact that the Republicans have norni-
mated a bad man for President. was no rea-
son why they should not be supported.
Although l shall vote for Cleveland. L
shall vote for the Republican candidates
for local Offices" The Colonel, previous
to the Ohio election. said that Cleveland
would get majority in this State second
only TO his majority for Governor, and he
shows no evidence of having charged his
opinion. Col. JussOn expresses the SEN
timents Of the Independents. Confident
in their numbers. they believe that they
viii be the means Of giving the SO votes
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