Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-15
STORMY GEN. DE P EYsrER.
His Wonderful Checks and sharpened
Fence Rail Signature.
4


Ns,0 York Advertiser.
General J. Watts De Peyster, the de-
PENDANT in the suit for separation which
has stirred the NOur Hundred nightly,
and which was brought by his wife,
Mrs. Estella Livingston, has a country
seat near 'liVoli, in Duchess County.
1t is not far from the celebrated Mont
gomery place. from the piazza OF which
the widow of General Richard Mont
gomery stood alone and watched the
vessel which bore the body OF her hns-
band pass slowly down the Hudson.
General De Peystyn is one OF the best
known OF the aristocracy Whereabouts.
His choleric temper and domineerlng
disposition are proverbial with all the
residents Of the vicinage, and his many
peculiarlties are common talk.
General De Peyster for many years
kept m account with bank at Rhine
beck. The General used to ride down
in semi-military style over the country
roads of about seven miles to make his
depoiits. He paid everybody with
checks, and the checks were the most
wonderful specimens OF chirography to
be seen anywhere. They were made for
all sums, from five dollars down to a
single dollar, and for all fractions OF a
dollar down to thirty-fve or forty cents.
The general drew the line at thirty-hVe
cents, paying all debts below that sum
in coin.
His cheeks were about the size Of q
No. 6 envelope, and the signature was
simply stunning. All the letters OF the
full name were of the same size, about
an inch and half high. They filled at
least one-third of the face of the check.
each downward stroke being drawn
heavily, as though De Peyer were
charging down upon an enemy, or as II
they were made with subdued fence
rail, sharpened to a rough point with a
dull AK. The pen or the rail did not
stop with the name, but it curled the
tail Of the final ''r" up to the top OF the
letter, and then was drawn backward
and forward and upward and down over
the signature and a portion OF the
check, until veritable spiders web In
ink appeared. Only those familiar with
the signature could decipher it.
nThe story of how young doctor OF
Tivolvi village got one of them remark
able checks out Of the doughty General
is still laughed over by old residents.
This young doctor was newcomer,
and had incurred the Generals dislike,
which, as was customary with General
De Peyster, was very bitter and aggres-
sive. The general, in order to insult
him, sent to the doctor to call at the
castle to see q patient. The doctor
promptly responded. When he was
ushered into the drawing room he was
informed that the patient was a dog.
The doctor said nothing, but examined
the animal as carefully as II he were
diagnosing the case of the General him
self. He called from day to day, until
he was able to pronounce the patient
convalescent. The physician then went
down to his modest little Office and
made out bill for the sum Of S25,
which he sent to General De Peyster,
who speedily made the air blue with
verbal pYrotechnics. The doctor said
nOhing in reply, but sent the little viii
lage constable with summons to Cen
eral De Peyster to come down and
settle. The General fought the case
vigorously, but was beaten, and the end
of it all was that the fence-rail pen was
taxed down once more and another Won
derful check was drawn, covering the
sos Of doctors bill, with good round
sum in addition for costs.