Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-05
MIR. TILDEN,s LAST DAYS.
How They Were Spent-Intcresting
Points About His Farm.

]
Points A bout His Farm.
| The following article, written few
! days aGo for the New York Star, gives an
! interesting picture of the physical condi-
| ton of the Sage OF GreystOne near the
| close Of his life and the way he occupied
| his time:
! Mr.. Tilden usually wakes in the MORN
! ing about 4:30. An electric bell at the
! head of his bed summons his valet, who
| gives him his medicine, which he takes as
regularly as he does mis- food Atterward
| he lies still until about & O'Clock, seeming
! ly DOING, though when his valet, think
1 ing MIN asleep, approaches the bed, he
| finds his bright eyes open and watching
| him. If he feels well he is assisted down
to 8 o'clock breakfast, which usually
consists Of milk and some rich broth.
Owing to an attack Of paralysis, Mr..
Tilden is unable to close mis- lips, and his
mouth is constantly open. HIS right
hand, from the same cause, is entirely
| useless, trembling all the time. He has
not even the power TO raise it to his
| mouth. His left hand is but slightly af-
iected by the stroke OF paralysis, and he
has the partial use of il. In eating he
uses his left hand to hold up his lower
jaw. His faithful companion, Miss Anna
| Gould, who is the sister Of the wife OF MIR.
Henry Tilden, places to his mouth every
particle of food that he eats. She gener-
ally puts it in his mouth with 81 spoon,
and be is enabled to wallow it by raising
his lower jaw with his left hand and put
! ting mis- head back.
WHILE AT BREAKFAST THE MORNING
PAPERS
are read to him. and notes made by his
| secretaries at his direction of any impOr-
tant point or move in the political world.
! Altar brpa kfaGt he uSuAllV goes into his
office on the right side OF the hall, where
he sees the different employees of the place
and hears their respective reports con-
corning the welfare of bis stock and farm.
lie goes into the minutest details, and
often astonishes the men with valuable
suggestions about their different work
which they who have been in that especial
branch of farming all their lives, have
never thought of.
While he cannot speak above a whisper
and that not without great effort, and
only a few words at time, he gives d.
rectiOns concerning everything that is
done. either on the place or the farm. He
has two secretaries, who are kept busy
all the time looking after the vast details
of hi Investments and tabulatlng the IN
crease and production of his stock and
farm. AT Il O'Clock, il the sun is out and
the weather not too damp, Edward Riley,
who has been MIR. Tilden's cOachmau for
IHlEIN years, uItSSeu Ill lib uluG jblD tOdN,
Immaculate white tie and high silk hat,
drives up to the front door under the por-
ticO. He sits on the front seat of
an Old-iashloned T-cart, drawn
by dark blood bay thor
oughbred. Mr.. Tilden, leaning on
the arm OF his valet and Miss Gould,
comes out at the front door. His walk is
slow and very feeble His right leg,
which has been paralyzed. moves with a
stifr, uncertain motion. His face is very
thin and furrowed. His hands are shriv-
eed until one can almost see the bones.
He stoops little and leans heavily on
the strong arm OF his valet. His ewes
alone retain the fire OF sound health. They
are bright, kindly and truth-telling, and
seem 10 penetrate your innermost thou gifts
as you look into them.
AFTER INSPECTING THE DOGS,
the chickens and the horses, MIR. Tlldnn
drives over to the back part Of his farm,
where his herd of thirty Jersey and
Guernsey cattle are. He watches them
closely and comments upon their appear
ance, their growth and their health. lie
knows a remedy tor almost every Ill that
cow kind is heir to. His sheep next come
in order for their daily inspection. They
are all young, healthy animals, with a
magnificent growth of wool.
When questioned as to what was done
with all the surplus stock Farmer Lynch
laughed when he said: 'Wny, he gives
away most OF it, He has Just sent three
fine Jersey cows and some sheep to n
friend of his out West. We never sell
ANYTHING. When the chickens get too old
TO lay we simply chop their heads of and
bury them.'
After inspecting the sheep Mr.. Tilden
drives around the other side Of the farm
to the stable. lie nearly always gets out
Of the T.cart and, with the aid OF his
valet, walks in TO see bis horses. He has
thirteen head, nearly all of them Ken.
lucky thorou bOreds. Two of them,
Blackstone and Miller, cost him $ll. 900.
He bought them while he was Governor
at Albany, and, htched to a victoria, Mr..
Tilden's favorlte carriage, with Riley on
the box, they were familiar sight IN the
streets OF that city. His old saddle horse
Topic has box stall all to himself
Mr.. Tilden in his younger days WAS "A
! splendid hOrseman, and even now he never
! passes the stable without going in to see
the old horse that carried him on so many
pleasant rides. Topic is "A bay thorough
3 bred, 81 years old, and can still show a
clean pair Of heels To many OF the younger
) ! horses on the road. Blackstone has a
record Of 2:27, made at Rochester, y. Y.
Miller is not quite so fast and has aged so
rapidly in the last year that Mr.. Tilden
y has purchased bay, like all the rest Of
, his horses from Kentucky, TO match with
= BLACKSTONE, VINO is 81 years old and has
still plenty Of life and so in him.
WHEN IT Is NOT so WARM
that he cannot stand the artificial temper
, allure OF the greenhouse, whore nearly all
kinds OF tropical fruit ana rare flowers
, grow in abundance, Mr.. Tilden is very
fond of going in and pulling the grapes
himself When asked II Mr.. Tilden knew
much about flowers and fruits the gar
!, dener. who IL an educated German, said:
"G es, he knows almost as much as ! do
about them. 1t is pity that his health
has JAILED him so rapidly. When he
comes here he will walk through the
I, greenhouse, and before be goes out be al.
ways has to sit down again. lie is one
of the kindest ard most loyable men that
] have ever met, particularly good TO all
those who work for him"
Though Mr.. Tilden has been unable for
the last five years to speak above a wins.
p per, caused by the paralysis OF the vocal
} fsh nd bf ~