Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-06-25
a rAnkes .ln SO rosk
AasSaste u Cs,rda.. ~. Bsr4bAEa Nss-
st~rs Hre@t - Bsrahans's EAp~ass-


= ,. fizass
whea Gordoa " BaTah4a, tas ys2sr-
abe nl lfsoaz.re, alsd TIE oth~r dAy. TIE
curtain fs.l "a ene u ths alost Interesting
careers ever begaa Ia New Eagiznd and
~rogzht oat Ia Nss Ngrk. OtAEaaries ia
gae 8esspapers have tod how be ross
frou stable 10y q Ds eapl aiisE, AID
hers sud th=re / base e1znes3 4poa state
uleuts representing the rlch old geutls-
man a. ooas1ful of his hunble origia. such
stories are more entertaining than aecu-
rate. Chief a,nong tae things that gave
rhs millionaire PRIDE aud self-Sati sfacti oa
Was as acquaintance With Daniel Web
sEer, ~ hose statue he erected as "a friends
remembrance" ia Central Park.
l have heard that Il Was uader rather
peculiar circumstances that NJ. Burnham
and Af. - ebster hrss met IL was IN
country tavern. The MASSAGE usetts states
man was Ia the not unusual condition
briafui ef good fellowship on an empty
wallet. Mr.. Burnhala Ia a mors business
ike manner, left an order with the land-
lord aud y eat g his room An hour later
a tremendous ratsling and banging on the
wall Ia the aext room attracted bis atten-
ton. Then the sounds OF stentOrIan
voice rolled in. The man Ia the next room
was summOning his ueighbor NJ. Burn
ham responded, and the inmate Of that
next 70 IA DO found was Daniel Webster,
VITA whom hitherto he had enjoyed scarce
~ an acquaintance. Mr.. " ebster WASN'T
any less happy than he had been earlier IA
the evening below stairs. A decanter, not
quite full, ornamsnted the table.
'I'm lonelyl" quoted Mr.. Webster; Il
want company. Lille Is brief, aud let's be
joyful wAi.e we may"
Mr. Burnhan was agreeable, aud l
imag inc that u the end o. his life the
memory that eventful night, and the
good stories that rolled from the Web
sterian tongue remain d bright, though
Mr.. Bnrnham would never confess that
be spoke sharply 70 his host the next
morning because extras charged in his
bill had never reached his own room.
Mr. Webster had generously regaled Mr..
Burnham at Mr.. Burnham's own expense
IA decanter had strayed into the wrong
room.
Mr.. Burnham was Yankee OF Yam
KEGS ia driving a bargain. The close OF
the war found him with a handsome
Fifth avenue house on his hands. His
keen foresight told him that il was a
good time 10 sell such real estate with
prices away up. Governor Gardiner, of
Massachusetts Know Nothing fame,l Icon
tracted 10 buy the place, and Mr..
Burnham had just announced
his purpose of spending three or four
years in Europe, when real estate prices
showed signs OF marked decline. Gardi-
ner wanted 10 be released from his bar
gain; Mr.. Burnham, however, was in no
such accommodating mood. There was
every prospect of lively clash in court.
Mr.. Burnham had Mr.. GARDENERS sigma
ture TO u bit of paper, and smiled content
edly; but IN the game of Yankee eat
Yankee" honors are often easier than they
Outwardly seem, and so one day Mr.. Burn
ham was sadly upset by the discovery
brought 10 his notice by the exultant
Gardin II, that there was "a flaw in the title
70 the property which would nulliiy the
standing bargain. The flaw consisted in
the fact that a newel-pOst fronting the
house and forming part of the structure
infringed a bare balf-foot over the divid-
ing line upon adJo ming property. MI.
Burnham never forgave this 'sharp prac-
tice," as he called the action that put
$4,000 profits just six inches beyond his
reach.
Mr.. Burnham drew his check for a round
$4,000 one day, when somebody up in
Waterbury, where much of his financial
interest was conferred, suggested that St.
Johns Episcopal Church needed "a new
organ. Just beneath the caves of ST.
Johns lived one of Mr. Buruham's wicked
enemies, wherefOre-so tue wicked enemy
osity a step further, and st. Johns was
equipped with a chime of bells whose
music fell little short of deafening people
for many blocks around. 1t was a sort of
literal bowling down to the doctrine of
heaping Goals of fire on 'the other fell
lows" head.