Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-08-06
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY MoRNlNo
Too Dollars Year IN Advance.
Obe ca,,taster 1ntelligenfer.
LANCASTER, AUGUST 8, 1895.
A Conspicuous Figure.
LANcAsrHs, PA.

That Long John" Wentworth, Of Chi
cago, should pay e10, 900 for cemetery lot,
with the intention of erecting upon it a
heroic statue of himself is probable, be-
cause it is characteristic of the man. He
has been doing eccentric things all his life,
which have made him different from other
men and there Is not the least reason
why he should not continue to do 50 to the
end Of his days.
1t is given to few men to be more thor
oughly themselves than to Long John :"
Wentworth. For nearly fifty years he has
been one Of the figures of Chicago. Leav-
ing New Hampshire when almost boy he
had the judgment and prescience to settle
in Chicago when 1t was no more than
hamlet. Even as young man he soon be-
came prominent. With small patrimony,
he had more education and culture than
the average pioneer Of that day, and
enough character to make himself place
without the delaywhich discourages so many
aspiring young men. He edited the first
paper in Chicago, and soon became promi-
nent in business and politics. He served
in Congress while Clay, Webster, Calhoun
and Benton were the principal figures in
our politics, and continued in public life
until after the advent Of Lincoln and his
regime.
He was not only in public life during all
this time, but was active in every move.
ment which had for its purpose the promo.
tion of Chicago and the West. The ship
ping interests Of the great lakes owe more
to John Wentworth than to all the Western
men combined. 1t was he who early rec
ognized their Importance, and insisted
upon liberal appropriations for harbors
lighthouses, and similar matters of valu,
to the mariner. The commercial interest!
of Chicago have been forwarded every
possible way, while the educational, reli
gious and social aspects of the city hav,
alysys found encouragement in him. II,
hs been active in gathering everything O
pS9rlcal interest or value, and has him
.repared many papers on this impor
sTs s1 Nlestion.
& Ts1sS$ such man should have statue IL
eg5t demand or admit OF dis
Ut the people of that city woult
erect one must be assumed. But it Is mucl
more characteristic of the man that h
should do just as he proposes to do by erect
ing it himself. 1t is to be heroic statue
But it could hardly be otherwise If it rep
resents the man only as he is. His gigan
tic stature Of six feet, ten inches, with
weight of three hundred and fifty pounds
and his rugged features, indicative O
strong character, cannot fail, If faithfull
reproduced in marble or bronze, to be i'm
pressive.
But John Wentworth, with his immens
fortune, made by his own energy ant
foresight, and bristling all over will
peculiarities as he does, knows tha
he deserves statue, and he goes about i
in such way that he knows he will ret i
and knows what he will get. When h,
makes political speech or delivers lee
ture, he simply hires hall, has it lighted
pays bis own ushers, introduces himself
makes his speech and goes about his bust
ness. 1t is only natural that he should d,
the same thing about his own statue. L
will simply add one more to the big list O
anecdotes about one of the abest and mos
eccentric men of his time.