The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-15
Pathetic Story of a Father Who
Says He Has Been
Wronged.
HIS MILLIONAIRE ANCESTOR.
the Van Patten Family In
Oakland.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANc1sco CALL, |

vi
COS Broadway Sept. Ia. I
Through a recent order of the Superior
Court, Mrs. Sanford, secretary OF the HUI
name Society. has been able to place the
three Van Patten little girls in home at
San Rafael, but nothing can induce the
father to part with his crippled boy.
The story of the Van Pattens, outside of
recent proceedings, has never been pub
lished. But IL is a peculiar story and quite
interesting.
The lad is Eugene Van Patten, u years
of age, who has been cripple from birth.
Previous to coming to Oakland, Mr.. Van
Patten was successful and happy farmer
in Southern California, where he made
and lost several fortunes in the cattle and
dairy business.
The first cloud of the succession of mis-
fortunes that have followed him SO closely
for the past seven years was the burning
of his home on a ranch near Bakersfield in
which his wife received burns that ulti-
mately caused her death. In this fire his
infant child, wife's mother and brother re-
ceiyed injuries that caused their deaths a
few days later.
The shock of this misfortune left Mr..
Van Patten almost daZed, and he was
never again able to build up his lost for
tune.
After coming to Oakland he put the re-
naming money he possessed into the coal
business and supported his family COM
fortably until the death of his invalid wife
left him with five children on his hands,
the eldest not old enough to care for the
younger ones. He is said to have tried all
kinds of help that his means would allow
to keep the children, but never with sue
cess.
Mrs. Sanford of the Humane Society APP
piled for and succeeded in obtaining the
guardianship of three of the girls, whom
she has placed In an orphan asylum IN San
Rafael and the boy, Eugene, was left to
his father, whose devotion to the child is
pathetic.
When spoken to about the children Mr..
Van Patten said: 1.-THE only hope that
buoys me up in my distress and separation
from my children and the constant care
must necessarily give my boy is the hope
that my relatives in the East will seek aud
obtain the guardianship of my children
and take them from the disgraceful cir
cumstances that my enemies have sur
rounded them with in this city.
81 do not expect justice. Alf1 desire is
to see my children with my family, who
stand in high positions in New York State,
and will give them the education and care
that my means will not permit"
The grandfather, Van Patten, is one of
the wealthiest residents of Oneida County,
New York, and is said to own half the site
upon which tie city OF Rome, n. Y, is
built, besides being the owner of two blocks
of business buildings in the city of Austin,
Tex. The old gentleman is 96 years of age.
There are six direct heirs to the property
at his death, and Henry Van Patten and
his children will come in for something
over 81 200, 900 as their share.
A strange circumstance in the affair is
the contrast in the two grapdfathers of
these TWO Van Patten children. One is a
very aristocratic millionaire, representing
one of the best families of the old Knicker-
booker stock of the earliest settlers of New
York. The grandfather on the other side
is a plain man, who makes his living by
raising pigs in East Oakland, and can be
seen any day in the week drawing an old
dilapidated wagon, gathering swill from
the restaurants on Broadway and Washing
ton streets.
The only Van Patten boy takes after the
family whose name he bears, and though a
helpless cripple, is ambitious for an edu-
cation, and aspires to be lawyer
If he lives and his rich grandfather
takes the interest in him that he is ex-
pected to, there is no doubt but that the
intellectual young lad will be honor to
the name he bears. At present he and his
father are boarding with Mrs. w. F. Aram,
on Ninth street, near Alice.