The Penn's Grove record., 1893-08-04
MANY GIFTS TO CHARITY,
Thu Iate Senator Stanford Used to CIV
Away Vast A~mountsIln Washington.

Inc iete senator stanford Used to CIV
Away Vast AmountsIln Washington.
John B. Mccarthy, who had fol-
years been Senator S%tanford's private
secretary in Washington, was talking
the other day to a Post reporter
about the Senator's expenses during
sessi ms of Congress He said: "Mr.
Stanford's charities were enormous In
number, though only a few OF them
got into print. 1 have In a sac a
stack OF bank checks six inches high.
They u in value from $40, 900 tt
500, all given unostentatiously tt
churches, schools, scientific bodies
and needy persons. 1t would be i'm.
possible TO even approximately esti
mate the amount expended by him in
this way during the years in which
he followed the practice. Even his
pocket-mUney account was terrific t.
a man OF moderate means. 1t used
to cost him f.om S65, 600 to S75, 0O!
every session Of Congress that he lived
in Washington. or course these
enormous sums were not expended
upon himself. They went in helping
needy people. Senators and repre-
s~entatlycS beSieged him by the score.
They wanted donations for churches
in their districts, for societies. for d
dozen different purposes, sometimes
for destitute constituents I have
never known him to refuse one Of
these requests When he first came
to Washington he would leave the
house In the morning with pockets
full OF SO gold pieces. These he
dispensed here and there. He learned
later that those who begged OF him
would have been content with $40
bills. lie used them for awhile and
then fell to tives. 1t was his custom
Of late to load himself up with thirty
or forty bills Of the 81 denomination,
and he Used to chuckle over his
fancled cuteness In getting rid of his
worries SO Icheaply. But whether he
carried 500 gold pieces, SO bills, So
bills, or So bills, he always came
home without a cent.
1.-THE mail Of Senator Stanford wac
q curiosity In its way. The fame OF
his vast fortune was worldwide.
Dukes, earls, lords, and countesses
wrote to him for money. Sometimes
the petitioners would occupy a very
humble station in life and ask for
very little. l have read many NOV.
ing stories in this way, many that
were transplrently fraudulent. and
many that were sickcning in greed.
Here are the pictures of three
brothers, all of them, as you see,
young, fine -looking, muscular men,.
They wanted to be adopted, and
promised to be faithful. Here is the
photograph Of an old -time newspaper
writer. He inclOsod photographs Of
his wife and child, AMI threatened to
murder them out in the park in front
of this house unless money was sent
him. He did not get 1t, of course
"ln the matter Of charity Mrs
Stanford wa as bad, or rather as
good, as her husband. She 1T was
who used to give the wraps and rub.
bers and woo.en comforters to the
district messenger boys every New
Years Day. On such occasions you
WUulu uuu ulC III lulS iuOlu DCliuu
stacks of silver dollars on the table.
As each boy passed out he was
handed a coin with Senator Stan
tord's compliments and best wishes.
We had 222 Of the Youngsters N
year. When the Senator and Mrs.
Stanford were not In Washington
when the new year began the little
performance went on just the same.
l remember n Mrs. Stanford
stepped into a little Catholic institu-
ton OF charity here in the city. tNcar
the front of the building stands a
small statue of st. Joseph, and it
was the custom to hang a notice upon
the figure stating what gift would be
most acceptable. When Mrs. Stan,
ford called a card upon the statues
breast bore the word "Fcathers. "
She came back and told me to send
the sisters 500 worth of feathers. !
gave the order and the goods were
sent. What use was made OF the
annrmous mass I do NOT knoW.D