The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-02-05
A GR0TON ROMANCE.
ROBERT STAFFORD, OWNER OF
FAIRYIEW.

The Boston Herald has recently re-
called the following bit of ancient his
tory:
More than three-quarters OF CEN
fury ago Robert Stafford, a handsome,
bIue-eyed young fellow. went from the
north to Georgia, and so prospered in
business that he presently became the
sole owner of Cumberland Island, off
the Georgian coast, famous for the pro-
duction of the wonderful fine sea island
cotton, in great quantities.
He amassed great wealth, acquired
the title Of colonel and lived in prince
ly state in mansion--the only one on
the island--whose turrets overtopped
the forests of liveoaks environing 1T,
and commanded a superb view of his
whole domain and the sea beyond its
borders.
An army Of slaves worked for and
waited upon him, and occasional guests
whom he entertained royalty, returned
to the mainland with tales of the mag
niflcence of his estate and the lavish
ness of his hospitality, that could hard
" be duplicated outside the Arabian
Nights.
Colonel Stafford with his vast posses
sions, high social standing and the adj
vantage Of youth and good looks,
might, according to contemporary re-
port, have welded any one of half a
dozen charming Georgian bellies, his
equals in position and property. But he
fell desperately in love with quad
room, said to be the daughter of rich
planter and a slave woman. She was
almost as white as the fairest Caucas-
ian, of marvellous beauty, and reputed
very intelligent and fairly well edu-
Gated.
She was the coloners property, but he
had too high a sense Of honor to follow
the course usually pursued by southern
Shareholders, who were not in the habit
of calling on the church to sanction the
relations too often existing between
themselves and their bondwomen. He
freed Mary-for that was her name
and married her.
SIX CHILDREN BURN.
The wedding was secret, and was
long unrevealed, for if it had become
known Colonel Stafford would have
been socially ostracised, and not i'm
probably might have. felt the strong
arm Of the law, which forbade, under
severe penalties, the marital union Of
whites with persons in the slightest de-
gree tainted with African decent.
Six children were born of the mar
riage two handsome, manly boys, and
four lovely girls, but as is often the
case with the offspring of such unions.
they were darker than their mother.
The colonel as well as Mrs Stafford de-
sired to give their sons and daughters
a good education, but they had not
been publicly Acknowledged as legiti-
amate, and there were no educational
advantages in the south for colored
children; indeed, in most Of the slave
holding states they were prohibited
from even learning to read, lest by In
creasing their intelligence they might
become dissatisfied with their lot. There
was no way. therefore, but to take the
young Staffords north; and so, when
the eldest, girl, was about Is years
Of age, the colonel decided to remove to
New England.
Sailing into New London harbor, he
was struck with the beauty of the
Thames river shores, and soon there
after purchased great estate on the
Groton side, about three miles above
the city. On the highest point OF
ground in the property he erected a
grand mansion, and called it Fairview.
The house was built In southern style,
-
which low French windows opened
from all the rooms, and the roof was
surrounded by a spacious cupola, from
which was visible miles and miles of
histoic and beautiful Sketches of land
and water, including the river, valley
and harbor, and the more distant Long
Island and Fishers sounds.
There were twenty large and lofty
apartments, with ceilings and walls
frescoed by noted artists. The massive
staircase In the central hall was con-
structed Of San Domingo mahogany
and everything about the establishment
bore the same evidence of disregard OF
cost, Nowhere in Connecticut was
there q more complete or luxurious res
idence.
MONEY LAVISHED LIKE WATER
1t is still a landmark familiar to
thousands of summer guests at New
London and visitors to the Yale-Har-
ward varsity boat races, the course fol-
which it overlooks
Money was lavished like water or
the ninety odd acres included in the
estate. The fifteen acres Immediately
surrounding the residence were terraceo
and laid out as ornamental grounds, in
accordance with plans supplied by q
distinguished landscape gardner Else
where the natural forest growths were
trimmed into groves, lawns were lev
eied and turfed, winding drives and
walks were constructed, and every
species of tree, shrub and plant that
would thrive there was set out. The
barns and stables were finished in hard
woods, and the horses and carriages
Were the wonder of the surrounding
country. Colonel Stafford succeeded in
creating a beautiful home. but it is
doubtful II 1t was a very happy one.
Mrs. Stafford did not live long to en-.
joy 1t. Residence in the cold north de.
veloped the seeds of consumption
which she inherited from her mother
md she soon became seriously ILL., She
returned to her old home on Cumber.
land Island in the hope that the mildel
climate would benefit her, but the dis