Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-09-01
MANY GIFTS TO CHARITY.
The late Senator Stanford Used to Gve
Away Vast Amountslin Washington.

Away Vast Amountslin Washington.
John B. Mccarthy who had for
years been Senator Stanford's private
secretary In Washington, was talking
the other day to Post reporter
about the Senator's expenses during
sessions of Congress He said: "Mr.
Stanford's charities were enormous in
number, though only few of them
got into print. 1 have in safe a
stack OF bank checks six inches high,
They run ia value from $40, 900 to
500, all given unostentatiously to
churches, schools, scientific bodies
and needy persons. IL would be inn
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-m0ney account was terrible to
a man OF moderate means 1t used
to cost him from S65, 600 to SIS, 900
every session ofCongress that he lived
in Washington. OF course these
enormous sums were not expended
upon himself. They went in helping
needy people Senators and repre-
sentatiyes besieged him by the score.
They wanted donations for churches.
in their districts, for societies, for IN
dozen different purposes, sometimes
for destitute constituents l have
never known him t. refuse one Of
these requests When he first :.
to Washington he would iear. Se
house in the morning with puSkets
.fnlitof $50 gold pieces. Thess he
dispensed here and there Tie leai- 1
later that those who begs.~t ia
would have been content wiz 80
bills. He used them for awhile q
then fell to fves.s> 1t vas his custoi,
9f late 10 load hi.fSteN up with thirty
anti s.ss 'uisedf L & dss se fAidkTe over ms
fancied cuteness fr getting rid of his
worries so!cheaply. But whether he
carried $50 gold pieces, $40 bills, IS
bills or 81 bills, he always came
home without a cent.
'rhe mail of Senator Stanford was
a curiosity in its way, The fame OF
his vast fortune was world wide
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 ! have read many NOV.
ing stories in this way, many that
were transparently fraudulent, and
many that were sickening in greed.
Here are the pictures of three
brothers. all Of them, as you see,
young, tiue-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, and threatened to
murder them out in the park in front
of this house unless money was sent
him. lie did not get it, of course. q
In the matter Of charity Mrs
Stanford was as bad or rather as
good, as her husband. She it 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
wOuld find me in this room behind
stacks Of silver dollars on the table
As each boy passed out he was
handed coin with Senator Stan
fords compliments and best wishes.
We had 222 of the Youngsters one
year. When the Senator and Mrs
Stanford were not in Washington
when the new year began the little
performance went on Just the same.
| remember once Mrs. Stanford
stepped into little Catholic institu-
tiou Of charity here in the city Near
the front OF the building stands
small statue of st. Joseph, and it
was the custom to hang a notice upon
the figure stating what gift would be
most acceptable. Whea Mrs. Stan
ford called card upon the statues
breast bore the word "Feathers.
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
enormous mass do not know"