New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-11
A SKETCH OF DANIEL HAND.
HIS FORTUNE AND HOW HE MADE 1T.
INTERESTING FAMILY HISTORY OF coNNEoTI
ours LATEST pHILANTuRoPIsT.

Hand, in connection with his recent munhcent giit
for the education of the exslave population OF the
South it may be Of sufficient public interest," ana GER
tanly due to the donor to correct thesc errors Ill
brief sketch Of the man whose name Is ana VIII DC
in the future, associated with prominent puohc
charity
Mr. Daniel Hand is a native of Madison formerly
East Cuford). Conn.,, where his ancestors have lived
from the earliest settlement He Is also The last
representative Of the family name in Connecticut, e4
cepting brother, Judge Hand, formerly OF Detroit,
Who like himself. is without family, and maiden
cousin of even greater age than himself Hence with
him dies out another Of the old Puritan surnomes,
which have survived on Connecticut soil for upward
of 300 years His earliest American ancestor was
John Hand of whom DIR. Alvin Talcott in his record
of the earliest settlers Of Guford, gives the follow
ing account: John Hand was a leading member OF
company that emlgrated from Maidstone, Kent
England (about 1885,, first to Lynn. Mass. but not
liking that place they sent delegation TO the east
end Of Long Island then In possession OF the Indians
Their report favorable, and through the Gov
ernors of Connecticut and New-Haven they purchased
tract Of land for settlement for thirty pounds naming
the place Southampton. In 164s John Hand was one
Of the original patentees OF East Hampton and nc
sided there TIL his death, in 106o. John Hands
name stands first in tho documents relating TO the
purchase of land from the indians, and hfst in 'ho
list of civil magistrates
In the town records OF East Hampton, under the
date of 1857 there curious passage, to the effect
that the town by popular vote appoints Johh manu-
and Thomas Baker a committee TO SO into henehcu1
10 bring us under their government also addhg 10
the duties of said committee that they are - TO take
along with them 'Goody' Gulick, who is accused OF
witchcran TO be dealt with seemeth good to them
of Kencticut' From the Connecticut records 1t APP
pears that Cody" Guck was not burned as witch,
but was sent back to East Hampton, with directions
that her husband should pay part of the expense OF
"Goody'so involuntary trip to Keneticut, and the
foNn az Eae HamOtOn the rest, also aumOnlShnp
them of East Hampton that for the future Goody'
Culck and her husband were to be treated com
for,ably etc. One of John Hands sons, Joseph re-
moved to Guilford Conn. (about 1860, and settled
In the portion of the town, then called liam
monassctt Madison
From this first Hammonassett coIonist the present
Daniel Hand, five generations intervene, among whom
ono is represented the Revolution in the person of
Captain Daniel Hand who with his company OF East
Guilforders joined Washngton's army in the first
campaign on Long Island The writer of this article
had recently in his possession an autograph letter
written by this Captain Hand to his wife, dated
Camp Fort Washington, October the TO- 1116"
in which occurs the following quaint tom of nows
respecting the military situation: yesterday three
ships passed by For. Washington which caused
crate noise of cannon. Many balls went Just over
our heads, but nobody hurt on our side
Iy early and later inteImsrriages between the Hand
and Mees families of Hammonassett (Madison,. Mr.
Hand is allied with the family of the carly Ohio Gov
ernor and Postmaster General Retun J. Meigs. and
The present venerable Quareimas tel General, Mont
gomery C. Meigs
At the age of seventeen I'm 1919, the present
Daniel Hand to Augusta, Ga, in charge of his
uncle Daniel Moigs an old Augusta merchant. whom
he succeeded in business Mr. Hand lived in Augusta
continuously till about the beginning OF the civil war;
in 1861 always however, keeping up close relations
with his early Connecticut home, and spending
portion of nearly every summer there. Some fifteen
wears before the breaking out of the Civil War; Mr.
Hand had associated with him In his Augusta business
George W. Williams, a native Georgian, who had pre-
viousy been in his employ as clcrk for some years.
IL is in regard to the relations of MI Hand and Mr.
Williams that the newspapers have " mudded' mat
tiers unnecessarily Some years before the war, Mr..
Williams had established branch of the Augusta
business in Charleston under the firm name OF Hand
Williams 4 Wilcox (Mr. wilcox, the junior partner,
being the present Daniel Hand Wilcox, OF New-Haven'
a nephew of Daniel Hand When the war came on.
Mr. Hands capital was largely employed In the
Charleston business, Mr. Wilcox having succeeded 10
the Augusta business and withdrawn from the Charles
ION firm Nj. Williams, as Southern man. CON
tlnued the Charleston business during the war having
the OF Mr.. Hands capital, which the Confederate
Government vainly endesvored TO coniscate by legal
proceedings against Mr.. Hand, as a Northern man OF
pronounced Anti-slavery sentiments
Mr.. Hand meantime after passing the ordeal OF this
inguisitiOn. quietly retired to the mountains OF
North Carolina (bcng even then an elderly man, and
sed his time IN rcaulDE WdlnS lOi inc NJtthtiu
armies work out deliverancc for himself and
other beleaguered compatrios. After the Mr..
Hand North and left it to his old partner, Will
Ians to adjust the business and make up accounts,
voluntarily allowing him almost indefinite and unlm-
tied time for doing so. When this accomplished,
Mr.. Williams quietly came North and paid over
TO Mr. Hand his portion of the longInvested capital
and its accumulations, honest and honorable
merchant and trusted partner should do-smply this
and nothing more.
in his youth Mr.. Hand married his cousin. Eliza
beth Ward daughter Of Dr. Levi Ward of Rochester,
n Y. (who also of early HammonaSset stock,
and, with his wife, Mehtablc Hand. was among the
pioneer settlers Of the city OF Rochester,. Two of
the other Ward sisters married respectively Samuel
l. Selden, late Judge OF the Court of Appeals of
New-York and Freeman Clarke, Congressman and
Controller OF Treasury during President Grants
Administration Mr. Hands wife and younS children
dying at an early date, he has remained widower
for upward of fifty years.
In personal charact eristics. NJ Hand. although
bred merchant, has always had the qualities and APP
pearance of literary professional man. OF a
Striking personal presence, marked in Ms intellectual
vIctions his conversation instead of treating upon
markets, trade and prices, has been of men and
principles in their larger scope and range for which
his extensive reading of solid books and broad OBJ
servation furnished ample material Intensely prae-
teal and earnest in his mode of thought IL is probable
work of mere fiction ever SO much as attracted
ieIn of genuine ard true human interest IS not beneath
his concern Wealth, as such, has never been his
ambition. either for H. Injuries or pOWcf ana
has como 10 him almost unsOught while in the simple
performance OF ordinary life work and duty. These
qualities. coupled with inexpensive and simple habits,
have been the source of his fortune without any APP
parent aim for thought OF large ACCUMULATION
Tie writer of this recalls remark made TO him
by Mr. Hand a time when TO all appearance the en-
tire bulk of his Southern fortune was In Imminent
jeopardy of total loss by reason OF the unfortunate
cotton speculaions In which Mr. Williams became in
volved and when creditors and suits were pressing
him side. Mr. Hand, who much the
largest creditor and fully entitled 10 preference
stood aloof from any step toward pressing or securing
claim, and Quietly remarked: " II Mr.. Williams
lives he will pay his debts am not az all concerned
about if7
Such being the man. it IS natural sequence that
he should consider his fortune trust conferred upon
for greater good than TO enrich eithcr himself
HIS family connections. and that he should pass II
over almost entirely to work out benefcencc for
branch of the human which he considers most In
need Of help in It's upward struggle toward cIvIIzs