The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-14

made hin. other than his natural. .6uoysnt self
self and his home during these times do we nnt
mention Of any look or word betraytnR th'
OF his letters he thanks God for his tempers
ment, which can put aside all care at bedtime
and let him sleep.
NoRRrs's FINANCIAL FALL
Now. imagine the downfall of this man. I'm
agine his credit HIS standing In the esti.
NATION OF men. growing weaker ana WEAKER
o the so end f Hs ssm SIsorss may saPs
trsn.aeyions ap after he lsf Sn ofce-tSss hI'
do with it. Some, indeed have sought TO estab-
fish that he was never wealthy, and that mis-
had caused his own ruin, though he had stolen
money, one could forgive a man all whose per-
try. Maybe this cred was fictitious; but I maybe
teen years men and banks and nations loan
mains that he associated himself with the Gov
eminent a rich man, and emerged in debtor g
Mr.. Morris began to notice the decline Of his
sred, III n Iss5 or "a while in the midst Of cSios
his neyer-ending obligations.
- in lT96 his new house. on Chestnut street,
ip,hiladelphia. was sold under the hammer before
came to Mr.. Morris there was for him no pity
but IN words; no seeming memory OF what he
Morris to save him from debtors prison, as he
had saved his country from oppression. Wash
ington came to see him, and Hamilton wrote
him dunnng letters. but he was not released
not I'LL the law allowed.
IN A DEBTORS PRISON.
So poor was Mr.. Morris that, for the first few
months of his confinement. he could not afford
bedroom in the prison. but had, as he expressed
II, TO sleep in other peoples BEDS In another
letter he writes, II have no money to buy bread
Notwithstanding his wretched existence at
this time, II is recorded that in his intercourse
hn lnQt Mt
sSngune disposition " which had made him what
he had been and, perhaps, alas what he was.
dine with him. they found the same magnetic
host who had built the. first private con-
Of his now M vnmsSsd 70 n UG nhs ang h
genial face the poor fare OF he prison:
:, I'po,p his release from prison Mr.. Morris and
Of Philadelphia. Here the great fnancier lived
the few years remaining to him.
IL would be curious to know II the old man
ever strolled into that part ofhe city where were
buildings that ne used to own and banks that he
led to him. Probably he did. and probably 1t
never occurred to his soaring nature that he was
Mr. Morris died May 3. 1906. and was buried
in a cemetery that then was soft with grass and
bright with sunshine, but now Is paved with
the graves still have blue sky and sunshine left
them. but Robert Morriss resting place has been
robbed even of that by the encroaching city.
TIVE BATAVIA MEMORIAL.
The memorial to him at Batavia came about
as follows: have said that he had sought to
save his credit by land speculation. Indeed, all
that remained Of his great fortune was tied up
In large tracts Of territory in Pennsylvania,
Louisiana. Maryland. ana New York. The most
valuable of these tracts was in the last-named
state, where he owned all the land west of the
Genesec River. 1t will be remembered that
much Of the money he borrowed for the colonies
came from Holland When, through lack of
capital to enable him to wait for the advancing
settlers to create q profitable demand for his
land he was finally driven u the wall, his Holland
creditors and others organized the Holland
Land Company. To them he transferred his
tract in New York, In 1901 this company
erected a substantial stone building at Batavia
for the transaction OF their business. This
building. within whose walls has been trans
ferred the original title to every piece Of ground
In western New York, Is the memorial dedicated
to-day to Robert Morris, the monument which
he unwittingly raised to himself out Of his own
distress: and. with shame be 1t said. II is the
granted to his memory. FRANK &. DRAKE.