The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-03-28
An Exemplary Life.

shows that posthumous philanthropy has
evils that can be avoided only by mans
live interest and personal promotion of his
benign objects. 1t is while he is i'm the
flesh that his ideas can best be carried out
and his commands obeycd. and Il ia this
view that now animates the deeds of MANY
OF Peabody and Cooper's emuators
When those philanthropists lived, mil
honaires were rare, multimllionaires al
most unknown, undreamed of, but today
one may live next door to a man possessing
millions without suspecting it, A philan-
thropic millionaire may exist whose monu-
ment in the shape of some enormously en-
lowed charity confronts the passerby daily
and the world know almost nothing of his
good deeds. OF this class is man reputed
to be worth SIS 100000. Fame has not
shouted his name abroad, nor does the
world know him, yet he has been a great
shipbuilder-one of the greatest for 40 years
and has lived to see erected at cost of
100000 and with an endowment of s. OO0,-
600 home for aged and impoverished ship
builders that will keep his name forever
green.
This man is William Henry Webb, and
he lives at 415 Fifth avenue, in this city. He
made his fortune Of S25, 100000 building
the clipper, in the famous old shipyards on
the East river, between Sixth and Seventh
streets.
Mr.. Webb is rs years of age, but looks 60
Rather slightly modelled, his figure is of
medium height, surmounted by head
typical of the old fashioned American mer-
chant and man of affairs His face is kind
ly and serene, wearing the air of calm re-
pose that betokens clear life, and lights
up easily into good humored smiles His
silver gray hair encircles his face like a
halo, and his eyes beam softly behind gold
trimmed glasses
He is averse to notoriety and breads
praise more than most men fear criticism.
or oensure, yet it is impossible to build 81
500, 900 homes without mourning both fame
and praise.
When he was Is years Of age, he asked his
father to let him 60 to work in his ship.
yards. He prevailed over parental objec-
ton and for six years never missed dag
except to go to Boston to see the navy yard
for week.
He learned what hard work was and had
to study drafting at night by candle light.
and in 1889 his health broke down. Then
he went to Europe, returning to find lis
father a bankrupt But he went into the
and built more ships than any maa who
had ever-until lately-been in the busi-
ness.
He built the General Admirable for Rus
STA, the largest warship in the world at the
time She was to be model for the Rus
sian navy and revolutionizeu shipbuildin.:
the world over
Reputation came to Mr.. Webb from the
building ofthis ship, and success and wealth
We're assured. He built for Spain and then
made ironclads for Italy, men-of war for
France, fishing smacks for Newfoundland,
prlvateers for Spain and gunboats for Our
navy during the war. He constructed the
very last ship built in New York-the
Charles H. Marshall-in 1868.
His big contract with Spain for building
a warship was Cancelled at the outbreak of
the rebellion by Preston the Confederate
representative at Madrid who impressed the
Spanish government that they were vast
ing their money by employing a northern
er. He was then engaged by the United
States government to build ships and had
almost completed the Dunderburg when
the war ended. He refunded the 81, 025, 900
which had already been paid to him by the
government and sold the vessel to France.
She was one of the finest vessels ever built
=
Mr.. Webb found beautiful steel model of
her which had cost 81, 900 to build. This he
purchased, and it now occupies position
OF honor in the home.
Connected with the home and under it's
roof is an academy wherein American bows
between the ages of 16 and 20 receive free of
charge their board and tuition in the vari-
GUS forms of naval architecture. They will
be taught to draft and put together ships
and engines. But they must first prove
that they are unable to pay and must have
q documentary education in mathematics
Twenty-Five or thirty boys can be accommo-
dated and each have a room nicely fur
nished.
There are very pretty rooms furnished in
sets of birdseye maple for over 100 old ship
makers, and their wives may live with
them. Everything for their comfort and
amusement has been selected with a care
aIsi solicitude that show how thoroughly
MIR. Webb's heart is in the undertaking.
There are two libraries. One contains
books on all subjects, but principally his
torlcal. The other, adjoining museum of
models of all sorts of ships bulls, has
books treating only of marine subjects and
is chiefly for the use of the students. There
are splendid arrangements for facilitating
WIZ PAcSSoo Va ne large
sunny hospital is perfect in all its details.
There are baths galore in the building, and,
in fact, it would seem impossible to find
fault.
From an architectural standpoint the
academy and home is most imposing edi.
flee, and its location is admirable Sur
rounded by IA acres, it is situated upon the |
highest bluff at Fordham heights and com
mands wonderful view of the surround |
ing country, overlooking as it does the pic
turesque Harlem river and to the west the |
banks of the Hudson, while in the east the
waters of Long Island sound can be seen.
1t is Of buff brick, terra Gotta trimmings |
and granite base 1t is 100 feet long by so |
in width, four stories in height in the cen
trial portion and six at the north end At
the northwest corner tower rises 10 sto-
ries, or 40 feet, and represents the shaft
and lantern of lighthouse, while that at
the southwest end is seven stories in height.
In this latter tower there is splendidly
equipped smoking room for the old men.
1t is pleasing in these days of arrogant
displays of wealth and the murmuring I'M
dertones of socialistic complaints and
lrpQt aniDOG IN tan nj at ha daa1c !