The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-19
PEABODY CENTENNIAL
CELEBRATIONS IN HONOR OF THE
FAMED PHILANTHROPY.
CabIegrams from Queen Victoria and
the Duke of DevOnshfrc-EIabor
Exercises at Peabody, Mass.

Cured in this, his native town. to-day with
appropriate ceremonies. 1t was not, how
ever, a strictly local observance, for cable
grams from Queen Victoria and the Duke
of Devonshire, chairman of the Peabody
donation fund, to which Mr.. Peabody
tributed S2,500000 for the establishment
of homes for the deserving poor of Lon
don, gave it touch of international char
acter The business part of the town was
appropriately decorated and several pri-
vate residences were also adorned for the
occasion. Flags and bunting foated from
all public buildings and business was sus-
pended. Bells were rung for an hour, be-
ginning at sunrise.
Early in the day guests began to ar
rive and when the afternoon meeting was
called to order distinguished citizens of
many sections of Massachusetts and else
where were present. President Cleveland
was represented by Collector Warren, of
the port of Boston, while among the civic
dignitaries We're Governor Greenhalge and
staff, Lieutenant Governor Wolcott. Frank
Southwick of the Governors Council, Prof.
c. G.. Marsh, of Yale University; Prof.
George Osborne, of the Massachusetts In
stitute of Technology, and Hon. John p.
Myer
The forenoon exercises, in which about
We're held in the Peabody Institute, and adj
dresses were delivered by Rev. j. H. Hud-
son, of the Unitarian Church, and Rev. o.
S. Butler, of Georgetown. In the afternoon
exercises of a more elaborate nature were
held in the Town Hall. Music and adj
dresses comprised the programme. The hall
deliberately decorated with bunting
English and American seals and State and
town coat of arms. Hon. Francis II. APP
pleton, chairman of the celebration commit
nrQSidad a nd % wit
an eloquent address. He was followed by
Lieutenant Governor Walcott, the orator
of the day. The original pOem "One Hun
dred Years" was read by Its author, Rev.
Minot j. Savage, of Boston. The exercises
were interspersed with vocal and instru-
mental music.
BANQUET AND BALL.
The celebration closed with a banquet
and ball in the Town Hall. Hon. Francis
Appleton sat at the head of the table,
with guest at either side, among whom
were: Mrs. Charles Peabody of Boston;
Lieutenant Governor Wolcott, Colonies
Paige and Moses. of the Governors staff,
and Colonel Thomas, the Governors pri-
sate secretary. In opening the post-prandial
exercises Mr.. Appleton referred to the wide
spread influence of the man In whose MEM
CRY the occasion was observed, and read
cablegrams received from Queen Victoria
and the Duke of Devonshire. The one from
Queen Victoria read: ION this, the one
hundredth anniversary of the birth of Geo.
Peabody, the grateful remembrance of him
and his noble benefcent deeds of charity
N that of my people, The Duke of Devon
ShlreS message was as follows: Chairman,
manager and trustees of Peabody fund de-
sire to associate themselves with the COM
mttee to commemorate the birth of Mr..
Peabody, and offer their sincere tribute of
grateful respect on the OCCASION
Addresses We're made by several of the
guests. and appropriate messages were read
from the faculty and five hundred students
he Va
Tenn. Daniel c. Gilman, professor of Pea
body Institute, Baltimore and the Johns
Hopkins University. A grand ball closed
the days festivities. 5e
Chairman Appleton has tonight sent re-
sponses to the cablegrams received from
shire. The message to the Queen follows:
THE committee desires to express on be-
half of the town of Peabody its sincere
thanks to the Queen of England for the
honor conferred upon 1t by her Majestys
gracious message upon the commemoration
of the one-hundredth anniversary of the
birth of George Peabody.''si u
MIR. PEABODY'S GIFTS.
The house where Mr.. Peabody was born
is still standing Washington street--a
spacious and substantial residence-and is
of the notable landmarks OF the town,
which is annually visited by thousands He
was a descendent of Lieut.. Francis Pea
body, who emigrated from ST. Adams, Hert-
fordshire, England in 1855, and settled in
Topsfield, then a part of Salem. His father
was Thomas Peabody and his mother
Judith, daughter of jeremiah Dodge. He
received his education in the district schools
of his native town, and it was while yet
schoolboy that he earned his first dollar by
tending a refreshment booth on day of
celebration This was the nucleus of a
colossal fortune subsequently, acquired and
distributed: He was grocer's clerk at the
age of twelve, and so marked was his bust
ness ability that at nineteen he was admit
ted into partnership with Elisha Riggs, of
Washington, in the wholesale drygoods
business. Owing to his talent and industry
the house soon took rank with the lead -ng
concerns en f of the ecu country In 1887 he with
Co, and. with others, formed the firm of
George Peabody & Co, money brokers and
merchants With M daslke touch he was
abe to realize handsomely. from his opera
lions, and fourteen years later he had ac-
complished the object of his life. far
as the acquisition of great fortune was
concerned
His benefactions aggregated $4,000, 600
Among his princely gifts were over 49,
00o, coo to Southern educational funds, 81
800, 900 for establishing homes for deserving
poor in London s1o0.0o0 to the Peabody In
stitute in his native town., and to the Pea
body Institute in Baltimore he gave in all
$1,000 C0. The town of Danvers was en-
m tban ms any ny s
generosity was manifested in the establish
ment of libraries in Thethford, Vermont
and Georgetown, his mothers birthplace
He provided the means for fitting out the
Advance, DR. Kane's ship, for the arctic
voyage in search of Sir John Franklin
Peabody institute, Peabody; Peabody Insti-
tute Danvers; Peabody Academy of
Science, Salem, and the 100000 memorial
church in Georgetown are evidences Of his
generosity. In the fireproof recess in the
Peabody Institute in his native town is the
portrait, valued at So. COO, presented by the
Queen of England to Mr.. Peabody. the gold
medal voted by Congress and other testi-
mon'als of esteem which have been called
out from time to time by his superb benefi-
cance. Mr.. Peabody never married. He
died Nov. 4. 1869, and his remains now lie
in the Harmony Grove Cemetery, Salem
a large sarcophagus of granite marking the
spot. The obsequies were held in the South
Congregational Church and distinguished
men present from all parts CT the
country.
In Middle Tennessee.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, Feb. 19.-George
Peabodys birthday was celebrated by the
city and country schools. public and pri-
vate with appropriate exercises. At the
Peabody Normal College an elaborate pro-
granme was carried out and Chancellor
PAYNE delivered an able address on the char
acter of Mr.. Peabody. In ali the principal
towns in Middle Tennessee schools, public
and private, observed the day, they had
been requested to do by the proclamation of
Governor Turney issued some weeks ago.
Yesterday in manv OF the churches special
sermons on the l:fe and character of Mr..
Peabody We're delivered preparatory to the
celebrations to-day.