Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-02-04
WHERE HAMILTON plep.
A House Rendered Famous by ths Death Ct
the lllustYions Statesman.

A House Rendered Famous by ths Death cf
the lllustrions Statesman.
The late naval Commander Gorringe
so noted for his services In the i'm
portation of the obelisk--was a native
OF the West Indies. and this recalls
the fact that Alexander Hamilton was
Of the same origin, writes the New
York correspondent of The Troy Times.
His father was Scotchman, who went
thither for the purpose of trade and
married French woman. Both par
ents died there, little imagining that
their SON (who sought new home In
America) would attain such greatness.
Hamilton reached this port &C rhe age
of IL. He was possessed of sufficient
means to enter college, expecting to
become physician, but the opening
of the Revolution led him to a military
life. He recruited an artillery COM
pany. whose memory is still honored
In the national service by what Is
termed the Hamilton battery"
As we are just approaching the an
niVersarV of Hamilton's death DULY
IL, 1904 it need hardly be added that
this thrilling episode will never lose
its interest. 1t liz really the most
famous duel in entire record OF the
law of honor, and viii long hold this
distinction. Duels are generally
fought on what most people consider
the slightest pretexts. Burr's griev-
ance was that Hamilton had spoken in
''despicablen manner of him. This
was then q sufficient ground for q
challenge, and indeed Hamilton HIM
self had served as second in duel of
this very character. This was when
Col. Laurens challenged Gen. Lee Tin
1879 for speaking unexpectedly of
Gen. Washington. Lee was wounded
in this affair, though not seriously, and
Hamilton having approved this chal-
lenge could not refuse one based on
the same grounds. 1t seems now al
most incredible, but then it was very
plausible.
History informs IT'S that Hamilton
died Fat the house of a friend IN the.
suburbs of the CITY," The friend re-
ferrsd to was William Bayard, prom
inent business man, who had farm
out of town with a spacious country
seat. The locality was then called
Greenwich, and neat little village of
that name clustered near the river.
The house is still standing and in good
condition, being a prominent feature
in Jane street. Instead of a country
seat, however, il is now in the center
of dense population, and the former
village of Greenwich is lost in the inn
mensity of the metropolis. Tho Bay
ards were then leading name in this
city, and Nicholas Bayard was an al
derman and an extensive real-estate
holder, but the family has since then
passed away.
Jane street connects the Hudson
river with Greenwich street, and hence
is easily reached by the L road. Leav-
ing the cals, soon found the house,
which still has commanding appear
ance. 1t is of wood, but being well
painted is in good preservation, and
like ali such buildings of that day it
is double. Ringing at the door / was
ushered into a spacious hall, where
the lady of the house soon approached
me. She readily guessed the object
of my visit. and seemed pleased TO oc-
cnpy place of such historic charac-
ter. She had subtenant occupying
q part of the house. but / was made
equally welcome by both families. One
of the ladies seemed to look upon my
visit as a matter of course. 20 yes, 2
said she, there was man here q
while ago and photographed the
house, and me sitting in the window. =
why did he photographed it?" was
my inquiry, for had not told the OBJ
iect of my visit, and was DESTROYS to
learn what she knew on the subject.
why, sir, there was great man died
~ Ia
reply; "but / don't know his name.
He was great man, though, and
somebody killed him, and every body
felt bad, but don't know what his
name was Reader. how could /
avoid smiling to myself and recalling
Byron's lines on visiting the grave OF
a distinguished poet, of whom the
sexton knew nothing:
For did not dwell
With a deep thought and sottened eye,
On that old sexton's natural h0mily,
In which there was obscurity and fame,
The glory and the nothing of q name.
Going upstairs one could not but
notice the dignity and elegance of the
upper rooms, especially when one con-
slders that this was but a summer
house. The ceilings are high. and the
wooden mantels must in their day
have been the best of workmanship.
While / was looking at them the
woman exclaimed: ssThere was an
old man came here a spell ago. and he
looked at them, and then he looked al
everything else, and he said it hadn'i
been changed since he was boy
This man, of course, must have beea
some branch of the Bayard family,
but my informant could not give me
his name.
Can you tell me where that gen.
eral died?" was my inquiry, after I'm
ishlng my survey of upstairs. so
yes, was the reply, she died down
stairs, in the back ROOM" We pro
ceeded thither, and Immediately per.
ceived this to be the best place in the
house for such an occasion. Itlooked
out on a pretty yard aud was connect.
ed with the front parlor by folding.
doors. This was the place where the
greatest statesman of his day passed
the last hours of his life, suffering the
agony of a mortal wound, aud the
deeper agony of parting from q wife
and six children, who were left with
no visible means of support. The
mourning family in this room sur
rounded the dying bed, aud thence the
corpse was borne downtown for the
purpose of holding the funeral sery,
ices. The latter began at the house d
Hamilton's brother-in-law Qor the
family lived out of town., and were
concluded in Trinity church with all
the impressive Accomplishments of such
an occasion.
Burr's country seat (Richmond hill
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