New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-03

millions whom he dted, ana hls fstaI Illness NJ ~
resalt Of IN attsmp By him 10 ssvs part q hin Aare
earned fortune. 70 went 10 waskinston p ds5un1 ~
interest In Nortkwestem rsilroad. TIE ouest(cn ~
issue in tho suit brought against him bang ~ VALVES
Of soma mortgage bonds Nj. Richardson sr,osrS
himself rUchsssiy, and caught his sdesth q eollp.
this time literally. q
Tho estate Of the Old eaptain Is worth probAkk
% 000o00 beyond ~ indebtedness snd possh1y mopa
for It Is diout to ise<rtaip To oxaof vaks 81 ~
possosScnA Tho management d ne pruosey M
NOT ideal, and It Is rsmsskahle, psuhspss IA ~
usual viii contest does not pronBs 8 1890
tho estate. The Inheritance 4 s1nltsze4 80
SIX States The captsin owned ~ ~nofles n ~ Z
Gcnsvisys, Missouri. whence the grants ~ ~ sta1s
was obtained. In Utah 40 held stock n ~ u3A -
Northern Railroad and real estate # salt EAts CIV
In Michigan he wss ono Of he principal stos1holdep
Of the Saginaw and Northern hiehien Railroad Il
California, his old stamping grounds = h ssls4 u
real estate and doct property were under hi eontek
On the Fsrralons Islands, the sfsr>Alonsss h t1e6
them, he held guano fields and eeg plantaftonsr n
New-Jsrscy he hsd farms and town property h many
places. and be possessed similar hodines Asw-fox&
and Brooklyn. In tie Latter city his DICK properly
alone amounted to q oOo,0 in vslus, TOR Of u
sixty lots no held he sod ono only month sgo ~
His tenants numbered 41o, and thsrs ID ~
ono among them who does not regret the old mAas
death.
he CALLED ms HOME "yoRT LINCOLN,
When aUncls Benz died, no was seventySevs1
years old snd there wee few inhabitants OF Harlem
who aid not know of hin and his peculiaHtiss. Hs
eccentricftses frsv .becams generally known abous
fifteen years ago. AT that time, he occupied pesx<
liar sYuareroofed frame house in onehtndred and
twenty hfthst, between Fourth and Aads
SON ayes Tho house had dormef vtni
dows, and tho captain made portfolios
out Of them and mounted coupls Of Aouaksr
guns IN the garrett The frowning wooden cannon
and the strange adornments of the place stfrsobea
general attention, and doubts were frequently AZ
pressed regarding the sanity OF tho proprietor Hs
was proud Of his home, and with PATRIOTS inspiration
called the house Fort Lincoln"
About eight years ago 'ho captain moved TO ~
place whore he died. He bought piece Of ground
bounded by nohundrcd- and sixteenthst, vnerhun-
dred-and- fiftocnth-st., pfeaantavs. and he Rass
River At that time a. foi years before, ne was n
the abudIng-junk" busness-tfnt Is, he bought con-
demped houses and stored the old material lis
yards were ct Pieasantave. and 0nehundretan ana
twenty fourth-st, aud an old sign bearing the voros
q BENJAMIN Richardson Contractor sHE holds gusra
over remarkable collection 0. old rbbish. Tho IN
man was accustomed to look ont for bsrSains ano n's
FACULTY Tor discovering an advantage m HensAcuon
wss admirable. Everything be bought w. ssconat
hand.s,-
He he'd secondhand clothing horses and earfisees-
There was nothing new about him. hs place or MS imr
mediate surroundings, yet every thing vas Reps u
nns order and fairly spoke Of thdft Tho Harlem
school children have often seen old UneIs Ben ss0p
h rclev horse ana climb out Of hs rfckeey carriage
to pick up stray brick along tho ROAD When ~
bought lis new property there waa nothing on Y
the shape Of building, bat that deficiency vs. soes
rsmcdied. Tho esptaan bought big snArc-roond 80
xHrad- aud-0
- 6ifrnss % III mAxAlne4 for several kono1 vnas
MOVING the structure. ne old tuildne wAs 50 ~
IN position IN tie cehtss d The pict rhsatee -
Ac,asss WIRE moved 70 ~ p1noe b raSed s1eeesoous
ana before long tho captain Bad vfAss OF odds sne
ends Of architecture, their room ptehng "a ~ es
fiona ore Of Ms achievements wAs the reccnsadoeeu
Of he historic aDestsrs bost-house' vheh
no bought for juns, ana moved
frm the river All these cunoslties be repaired earea
fuIiy with tbs old buildnsmsteris he had fatasrsd
and with remnants Of different coosd paints he ns1s
the collection look unique, n NOT attractive
Hrs HOUSE THE srRANcEsr OF ALI
His own houss, however. was tho straugest d
all and the reason for some of his freaks In sdornins
his house win forever 10 wrapped in mystery Over
the entrance he put up an old sign, which bore the
woris sCharats House, Upon entering the visitos
was sure to bo startled BY the diversity Of The
furniture, some Of which was hosry with ags ovs
the sItting door, another nexpca motto rcsat
Mono OF these women you see here Is my WIN.
This was apt to embarrass stranger. unti some o.
Uncle Ben's ether oddities would set him ss eases
Immediately behind tho house was the garden. and
facing II, long versnda The open spaces between
the pillars Of the lattor the proprietor had ied ID
with secondhand winowframes, after the manner OF
conservatory, but instead Of the hors, ns sissoe
apartment formed protection for stuffed specimens
Of the fauna Of the world. Crane, gorseo WIZ
sawdust and boaconstrictor. filled With has' vsos
the old mans favoritcs.
The e.rdsn Itson was model and rscelvedshs
most careful attention from the owner FreQusnVs
in tho summer months, at o'clock in Tho nosnmss
Mr. Richardson would appear clad In shirs osaeo
skirt beiop ging 10 one Of his female servaau, ~ :
pair Of slippers without socks. His grand
Viola BiIdsau, who acted as his bookkoepsr 80
agent was his constant companion on such occAso',
and made herself useful by carrying wsser " ~
buckctful. hour after hour, to water ne piAnu -
old man scrll'sed his ground with manure Ho1 !.
stable, and, with the care bestowed upon aon,
vegetables grew luscious enough to temps ms ne'sr
bors. To ruara against possible ntrudess. mo esr
tain hsd surrounded his yard with baricsce On o.s
fences ana baiusrsdcs some pieces OF tho as1er suA
being ornamcnted WITH Artstcaliy turned posu'
zrsronIc .Llos HIS PASSION.
Arothsr p.eu,,srisy Of Captain Ben was his ~
Of htstoric relics. the passion being The result
slmoss sSuormsliy developed pstriotIsn- He haA
bis colIco.on several articles Of clothing which "a
bean worn By Lincoln Lafayette and Other ossess -
pe,ssas His greatest pride Of al, noSeses -
washington cosch,s waich had ocen tne -
carriage Of the hnt President IN Almo's 800 49,.
Fourth q July or Decoration Dag parade q es ~,
portaues .upcle Ban was wont to appear "
coach with his srsstcanesos, Lincoln Risnsso.cs
Cooper, who In the eyes Of no I'D man ss rs.s.S
-...r.,.a tn. rather of bis CoI..ry In his yo4se
The o,a man,s only personal vanity took the pfm
Of desire to appear in conspicuous plsees 9
patriotic occasions, and he frequently exchanges ~
loan Of his old coach for seat on mo spsAxsfs
form. \.
In his personal appearance, auncls nen' Va -
odd ~ In his habits. he was nfse n'sDs ~ ~
ve. ooo ROUND. The too of his head Wa bald, ~
wreath q white rnglss surrounded his Dare crown.
His features wore rather coarse, but hs long, nov.
snow.whits beard gave him patasrehA iooa u, ~
beard was another Of hs prioes sno qs 's Ssna
- .ho< <1.nt Bis 6HIk, DVtfQu cau~eyX