The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-02

From the New York Herald
recent events have made 1t plain
that the munif1cent gift Of 81 900 600 to
cornell university for the purpose of
establishing a medical school in the
metropolis came from Col. Oliver H,
Fayne. OF all the magnates whose In
terests center in the greatest trust IN
history, the Standard OIL Col Payne
Is the most interesting and the least
known. Member of a dozen clubs here
and elsewhere, he is not a "cIubman."
owner of a score of trotters and a
very large steam yacht, he is not
knoWn among sportsmen.
Living in a palace at Fifth avenue
and SlXty-siXth street, he is not con-
splcuous among the entertainers of
wealth and fashion. Holding enormous
monetary interests in railroads, Stand
ard Oil, Tobacco and other 'industri-
ais, he has no office. A patrician Of
patricians, he holds advanced ideas
about the education Of the poor. He
loves young people, particularly those
near and dear to him, and is hailed as
the fairy godfather of the Whitney,
Vanderbilt family" Once before ne
gave several hundred thousand dollars
to Cornell, then, as now, enjoining Sc
crecy as to the giver. He shuns all
publicity and despite his achievements
his wealth and his national services
Col. Payne has succeeded in keeping
his name out Of all the dictionaries Of
biography and all similar works.
COL. PAYNE'S CHARACTER.
Yet he is kindly, genial and popular
among those who know him. Inclined
to portliness, with smooth white hair,
thin, long face, small white mustache,
straight patrician nose, firm mouth and
chin, he looks his age-the sunny side
Of sixty. He lis the last living member
Of the family Of Senator Henry 3.
Payne, Of Ohio. 1t is at once singular
and sad that the possessor Of many
millions should be without an immedf-
ate relative in the world, being a
bachelor whose father and mother, two
brothers and two sisters, are all dead.
His nearest living connections are the
children Of his late sister, Mrs. Flora
Payne Whitney, and the children of his
other deceased sister, Mrs. Mary Payne
Bingham, Of Cleveland. To these
nepheWS and nieces and their interests
Col. Payne is devoted. No other inter-
est in life is so engrossing. He has
always been generous to his own flesh
and blood; now he is giving to the'pub-
lie.
He gave Mrs. Bingham a magnificent
country home at Colto, just east Of
Cleveland, on the lake shore. He gave
Gertrude Vanderbilt a beautiful and
very costly necklace. When his
nephew, Harry Payne Whitney, mar
ried, Of all the endless array Of we'd
ding gifts none was 80 expensive as
that from "Uncle Oliver" who gave the
happy young people a deed to the we'll
known Knower property on Bellevue
$3.50 900.
WHITNEY COTTAGE, NEWPORT.
The cottage" is one Of the hand
soonest on that famous thoroughfare Of
wealth and fashion, and the estate Is
situated in the very center Of the most
exclusive and enviable part Of New
| port. To others Of the Vanderbilt
Whitney encourage Col. Payne has
given polo ponies. trotters, knock
abouts'' and "half-raters," dog-carts,
| runa bouts, books, paintings, jewelry
| and bric-a-brac. For generations the
Paynes have been rich. and. in their
| own quiet way influential. Col
Payne's maternal grandfather was Ma
than Perry one Of the first wealthy
men Of Cleveland
The Perry homestead still stands on
Euclid avenue, Clevelands swell resi-
j y
street. 1t is a fine old place, broad
deep and low, with many wings, added
| doubtless, as the growing demands Of
the Perry family required. One Of Ma
than Perry's daughters married Henry
3. Payne, and Nathan Perry erected
| for the newly married couple a stone
house adjoining his own.
1t was here Col. Oliver H. Payne was
born. His father, Henry B. Payne, long
known as 1.-The Standard Oil Senator
from Ohio" had three children. One Of
them, Nathan Perry, who was also
bachelor like Col. Oliver H. Payne, was
prominent Democratic politician, and
once mayor of Cleveland. When the
war broke out Oliver was at Yale col
lege. He was intensely patriotic, and,
desiring to go to the front, he left New
Haven, receiving his diploma in adj
vance on account of his creditable rec
ord He became the lieutenant colonel
Of an Ohio regiment. After the war
he "got into" Standard oil. In due
time he became it's treasurer. Soon
riches were counted in seven figures,
and he withdrew as treasurer, bought
a fine house in the city, and lived at
ease on his income.
PERSONAL TASTES.
In former years he liked to hunt.
After his removal to this city he used
to go back to Cleveland for a few sea-
sons and go to the marshes for a hunt.
By and by, however, he abandoned the
gun and long boots and took to driving.
Then he turned to yachting. In the
summer Of 1897 Col Payne chartered
the large steam yacht Eleanor from
w. A. Slater, Of Norwich, Conn. She
was originally built for a voyage
around the world, and she entirely sat
isfied her charterer and his guests.
During the time she was away from
Norwich the Eleanor sailed more than
80, 900 miles. On the trip to the North
sea and the land Of the midnight sun
Col. Payne had as his guests half
dozen congenial gentlemen, including
Mr.. Schey, of Moore & Schley. the
senatorial sugar brokers'" He was so
much pleased with this new diversion
that he ordered a duplicate of the Flea
nor built Next March she will be
ready for him. The new vessel will be
an enlarged Eleanor, more than 800
feet long, bark-rigged, single screw
with a sustained speed Of Is knots for
forty eight hours.
In addition to holding membership in
his yacht club Col. Payne belongs
to the Union and the Manufacturers
clubs of Cleveland. the Metropolitan
CNUliOnaires'O Manhattan, Knicker-
bocAr University, Riding, Suburban
Riding and Driving and Turf and Field
clubs and the Yale alumni and Down
town associations Of the city. Col.
Payne is cultured gentleman, widely
read and admirably advised on current
events in the world. His deep devo-
ton to his sister Flora, the first wife Of
eX-Secretary Whitney was the ruling
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