Huntsville gazette., 1889-08-31

| ftwas upon his return from this long
| period OF travel that he commenced the
study and cultivation Of plants and
| flowers, and it was in the prose cution OF
| these studies that the now world famous
botanical gardens had thsir origin. De-
| voted to the fascinating pursuit with
which he sought to ornament his life of
leisure and culture, Mr.. Shaw determined
to extend to others the pleasure that his
wealth had procured for himself, and to
| that end made his gardens and beautiful
estate free to the public. The gates of
the gardens were thrown open, and visit
ors were welcomed to the private grounds
which had cost fortune to beautify. Mr..
Shaw continued enIarging and adding to
| the gardens, maintained them entirely at
his own expense, and yet generously
allowed such free use and enjoy
menT Of them that they were as
much place of resort as could have
been city park or other public
property. With the death of Mr.. Shaw,
they become the property of the State of
| Missouri, a gift the value Of which can
| not be estimated.
| Another and, perhaps, more valuable
| munlhcence was the gift to the city Of
Tower Grove Park. q resort of peculiar
beauty and one almost as dear to the ST.
| Loulsan's heart as the gardens. Mr.
| Shaw's generosity did not stop with the
giving of the park, but he has since ex-
| pended much Of his wealth in adding to
| its attr activeness, and in the Columbus,
Humboldt and Shakespeare statues has
| left to st. Louis art treasures which pro-
woke the appreciation of ali who view
them. Much of his time was devoted to
the care Of Tower Grove Park after it be-
came the property of the city, and that
| beautiful place was always an object of
much pride to him. A
| Mr.. Shaw's residence at Tower Grove
was always open to the public, and his
| imposing figure and courtly bearing are
remembered by many visitors 10 st.
| Louis, as well as by all citizens. Of d
| singularly modest and unassu uming
nature, he disliked what he considered
| the undue prominence given him by his
benefactions to the city, and would have
been richly con tent with the public ap-
probation of the beauties of the two re-
sorts, seeking no personal glorifcation
| for the gifts. Nevertheless, it was i'm
| possible for his munifcence to escape
frequent public recognition.
Mr.. Shaw's estate is chiefly in real
estate. and will probably appraise at
something over $1,000, 900. Just how it
has been disposed of by will is not known.
1t is conjectured that after providing for
| his immediate relatives, certain intimate
| friends and associates will be remem-
| bered; that there will be an endowment
! for the botanical garden; bequests to
| some charitable in stitutions of the Epis-
| copal church, and further gifts to the city
of St. Louis.
| Mr.. Shaw's direct relatives, as far as
known, are Mrs. Morrisse, whose hus-
band was III any years ago clerk in Mr..
| Shaw's hardware store, and MISS Sarah
Shaw, who resides at Rochester, N. Y.
| They are both his sisters; the former be-
| ing eighty-fve years Of age and the latter
eighty eight. Miss Shaw is an invalid,
and has been confined to her home for
five years.
The remains will be inferred in the
mausoleum erected for them by Mr.. Shaw
about ten years ago and recently rebuilt
! This mausoleum is octagonal in shape
and is composed of red granite with O
| base of limestone, with a curving roof
of copper, the whole consisting of the
most lasting material. The site is the
tall grove of evergreens and plants, just
south of the garden apd fronting the
homestead. The sarcophagus over the
vault is of white marble, ornap,ented
with wreaths and garlands, with beauti-
full relief work. On the top Of the slab
will repose partly-recumbent figure Of
Mr.. Shaw, executed in white marble by
l Baron Won Maeller. of Munich. This
work was executed at Mr.. Shaw's request
several years ago, and has remained
boxed up on the ground near the mauso-
leum since its arrival at the garden.