Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-06-29
WAS A LIBERAL GIVER.
Senator Stanford's Private Benefat

! Senator Stanford's Private Benefac-
| tons.
| Washington, June 26.-The death of
Senator Stanford was cause of great
regret to the social world and also
to another circle Of Washington life.
The entertainments at the Stanford
residence were always interesting and
elaborate, but not Ostentatious. They
were enjoyed by many prominent
in a social way and by others
who were not especially prom
inent. Yet there are still others
who enjoyed his hospitality and
Kindness of which the public and the
world knew little and sometimes moth
ing. John Mccarthy, who was his
| Washington private secretary during
his entire senatorial term, said ia talk
I ing of this:
His charities We're too numerous to
mention. Many of them got into print,
but very many more of them did not
Information concerning the gifts was
always given out by some one else and
without his knowledge. l have in the
safe there a stack of bank checks six
inches high. They run in value from
500 to $4,000, all given unOstenta-
tiOusly to churches, schools, scientific
bodies, and needy persons 1t would
be impossible to even approximately
estimate the amount expended by him
during the term of years in which he
followed the practice. Even his pocket
money account was terrific to a man
20 10
from $4,000 to $4,000 every session
of congress that he lived in Washing
ton. Of course, these enormous sums
were not expended upon himself, they
went to help needy people. Senators
and representatives besieged him by
the score. They wanted donations for
churches in their districts, for societies
for a dozen different purposes, some
times for destitute constituents. / have
never known him to refuse one Of these
requests. He gave unheSitatingly, will
ingly, even gladly. He was the object
of solicitation by scores of people who
had no claim upon him-did not even
know him. They waylaid him upon
every corner, and he never lost pa
tence He would help man, woman or
child His heart was as big as q bar
rel, and his ready hand went into his
pocket, it seemed, instinctively. / have
known him to frown and shake his head
and brush the impOrtunate aside, but
only when the man had been drinking
and the senator scented the liquor. He
himself drank only teaspoon of bran
ely three times day, and a mOuthful
or two of wine at dinner He could not
tolerate drunkenness. When he first
came to Washington he would leave
the house in the morning with pockets
full Of $50 gold pieces. These he dis !
pensed here and there. He learned
later that those who begged of him
would have been content with SO bills
He used these for a while and then
fell to fiveS. 1t was his custom of late
to load himself up with So bills; and
he used to chuckle over his fancied
cuteness Of getting rid of his worries
so cheaply. But whether he carried
$50 gold pieces, $40 bills, So bills or
81 bills, he always came home without
a cent.
You will believe me when l say that
the private secretary of a multi-milliOn-
aire sees a great deal of human nature,
not only personally, but through cor
respOndence. He may do as [ have
done, and learn to love the great, gen.
erous heart and gentle mind of his en-
ployer, but he is not apt to think more
highly of his fellow humans. The
mail of Senator Stanford was a curios-
ity 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 very humble station in
life and ask for very little. l have
read many moving stories in this way, /
many that were transparency fraudu-
lent and many that were sickening in
greed. In the matter Of charity Mrs.
Stanford was as good as her husband.
He found her a ready second in every
thing of the kind. She it was who used
to give the wraps and rubbers and
wooden cOmforters to the district mes
Senger boys each new years day. On
such occasions you would find me in
this room behind stacks of silver dol
idio Oh thC CobiC. Ao CftIh IVY pdSoCu
out he was handed a coin with Senator
Stanford's compliments and best. wish
es. He had 222 Of the youngsters one
year. When the senator and Mrs.
Stanford We're not in Washington when
the new year began, the hearty little
performance began just the same. :
got my orders and laid in a supply OF
silver dollars the dav before [ RENE n
Der that once Mrs. Stanford stepped
into little Catholic institution OF
charity here in the city. Near the
front of the building stands a small S