Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1897-12-17
GEORGE PEABODY.
Interesting "Reminiscences of q Cousin of
the Great Phiianthropist.

Interesting "Reminiscences of a Cousin of
the Great Phiianthropist.
When George Peabody, the emf
cent banker and philanthropist,
was, by the death of his father, LETT
an orphan at the age of about 10
years, he, his sister and their moth
or were given a home by the moth
or's brother, Eliphalet A. Dodge Of
Georgetown, then part of RoWley,
lass. The daughter of the genor-
Gus hearted brother and uncle, Miss
Amanda Dodge, r. now Temporarily
wing in Char1estOwn. AS she is
he youngest Of a family Of IL chill
1rcn, she has, of course, no recOl-
lection of her distinguished relative
before he was a man of mature
years.
Her father took great interest in
the lad and predicted for him sue
ccSsful career, not because of any
early predictions for industry, but
from the fact that he once observed
literally the injunction about kill
ing two birds with one stone, Il feat
which he accomplished with one
throw of the little implement with
which the valorous David laid low
the mighty Goliath. When the
proud lad picked up the trophies of
his remarkable skill with the sling,
he expressed as much satisfaction
as he ever did over his marvellous
feats in the financial world, the 1e-
suits of which were so lavishly dis
tributed among the objects Of his
bounty. He not only showed little
inclination for labor as lad, but he
exhibited a marked tendency for
likeness, and his uncle used to tell
with great glee how he sent the boy
into field OvCrrun with sumac with
instructions to clean it up. He did
so, but in his own way, for instead
Of cutting the bushes close to the
ground he left the stumps as high
as his shoulders, being too indolent,
as his uncle believed, to stOOp. He
got bravely over this inclination to
shirk before hereaChed his fifteenth
year, when no left tho hospitable
roof that had sheltered him during
his years of helplessness to become
a clerk in grocery store.
Miss Dodge first saw her cousin
IN the early sixties, when he visited
the home of her father, who was
then living in the little village Of
Post Mills, n part of Thetford, Vt.
Mr. Peabody was on his way from
the Thousand islands, in the st.
Lawrence river, where, in company
With the sons of his sister, Charles
and Singleton Daniels, he had been
fishing for salmon, sport of which
he was excessively fond, as he was
OF all outdoor diversions. The young
men s mother awaited at her uncle's
home the arrival of her brother, and
when he camo he was greeted by
near relatives numerous enough to
make a party of 30. TWAS regarded
rs most remarkable that so small a
village should be the home of so
many members of one family.
There was also present George Pea
body Russell, a son of Mrs. Daniels
py her first husband, jeremiah Rus
sell, the favOrite nephew of Mr..
Peabody, to whom he left the great
err part of his immense property.
Mr.. Russell was accompanied by his
wife.
So pleased was Mr.. Peabody with
the E0sDitable manner in which he
was entertained and SO grateful for
the many kindnesses he had receiv-
ed from his uncle in his youth that,
IS a compliment to him, he gave
tho village a public library, sending
most of the books from London, ac-
companied by fund to sustain it
and add to its treasures and a por-
trait of himself similar to the one
which was part of his gift of a libra
ry to the town of Georgetown. Miss
Dodge speaks enthusiastically of her
distinguished relative as "the grand
old man." 6 feet high, finely pro-
portioned and of noble presence.
Dignitied and impressive in his man
ner, he was easily approached even
by strangers and genial and pleas
ant to all. Miss Dodge bears re-
markable resemblance to Mr.. Pea
body and would be at once recog-
nized as q near relative. Boston
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