Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-03-03
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
j. PierpOnt MOrgan's Plan to
Light st. Paul's in London.

Expenditures In America Are
HcnNE-st. Georges, It's Hector, DR..
Rainsford. and His Family.
NEW YORK, March - Special Lit.
tie attention has been paid 50 far to one
of the most interesting items recently pub
lishcd in the New York ncwspapcrs-viz,
that j. PiCrpunt Morgan, the banker and
reorganizcr, is about to expend $25, 900 or
thereabouts in the fitting of St Paul's
cathedral, London, with electric lights.
Whether the installation is to be fur
nishcd 10y an American concern is not
stated in the cablcgram, but it is at least
an even chance that 1t is. II so the fact will
furnish an excellent text for an essay on
the industrial advance of America. Looked
at from certain viewpoint, there is some
thing very homogeneous In the notion Of
American incandcscent bulbs illuminat-
ing the dim isles of England's most note
worthy church.
At the same time, when it is remem-
bercd that Mr. Morgan's banking opera
tions are almost or quite as extensive
abroad as on this side of the water, that
he spends good part of each year in Lon.
don and is quite as well known there as
here, there is nothing surprising in his
donation of lights to the fine old cathe-
dral, especially as he spends tens Of thou.
sands of dollars every year for the benefit
of the church in New York.
j. Pierpont Morgnn's Church.
j. Pierpont Morgan is a member in good
standing of St Georges church, the same
over which that exponent of muscular
Christianity and plainspokenness, the
Rev. DIR. w. s Rainsford-a born Briton,
by the way-has long been installed as rec
tor. Although st. Georges is relatively
"down town, " far removed from most of
New York's fashionable quarter and vir-
tually in the heart of dense industrial
population, the rich banker is present at
it's services with reasonable regularity
when he is in town, and his wife and
daughters are devotedly regular in their
attendance More to the point, perhaps, a
very large proportion of its exceptionally
heavy running expenses comes out Of the
Morgan profits from consultations and
other financial operations.
In fact, Mr. Morgan bears the same re
lation to st. Georges church that the
| Vanderbilts do to st. Bartholomew the
other chief exponent on Manhattan island
of the new and practical Christianity that
believes in reaching the souls Of men by
first striving to teach them how to live
and how to care for their bodies.
Notwithstanding the fact that the ex-
penses of his church are SO largely borne
by plutocrat of the plutocrats, DR..
Rainsfords views come sometimes sur
| prisingly near to being socalistic, and
New Workers who give heed to pulpit ut.
4.
made n Sunday or two ago that he forcsees
a speedy breaking up of old political ALI
ances and algnmcnts and the formation
of a new party that, based on the brother
hood of man, shall sweep everything be
fore it. Along with this statement were
others relative to what Dr. Rainsford con
siders the evils Of family life in hotels and
his personal opinions concerning individ
| uals OF certain nationality that have
brought forth more indignant criticism.
than any other recent pulpit utterance
saving only Bishop Potter allusion n few
weeks ago to the saloon as the poor man
club. In holding that view Of the drink
ing shop, by the way, the bishop was only
repeating expressions made by DR. Rains
ford several years ago
Mrs. W. $. RaInsfOrd.
There is no doubt whatever that DR.
Rainsford's work among the toilers o
this town-and his bittercst critics ever
do not hesitate 10 accord it praisc-ha
been materially helped by the intelligcn
and tireless cooperation of his wife. IL
the best sense of the word Mrs RainsforI
Is a business woman, and her name Is on
to conjure with among the parishioners o
St. Georges, for she enters into all tn
affairs of the parish with as much vigo
and earnestness as the rector himself, ant
she understands his work as no one els
does. Besides, Mrs. Rainsford is unusual.
well informed upon practical affairs gen
orally.
She took prominent part in the equa
suffrage campaign of 1894. She makes al
excellent platform address, and she hold
vigorous notions of her own on all mu
nicipal questions, especially the conduct O
the public schools, and it was in recogni
ton of this and her special knowledge o
the situation in the section of the tow
where st. Georges is located that she wa
made ward trustee by the board of edu
cation in 1895, having charge of a distric
supporting two grammar and three pr
mary schools.
Like her husband, Mrs. Rainsford is c
English birth, her father being the hea
of the great shipping firm Of Green & Co
which at one time virtually controlled th
China fleet.
The RainsfOrds at Home
The home of the Rainsfords f. in tn
rectory of st. Georges on East Sixteent
street Besides the doctor and Mrs Rain
ford there are three sons, aged 10, 10 an
II.
In every sense of the word these lads
English blood but American training
are said to be home boys. Like their Il
Their, they are of sturdy physique, and
has been the aim Of both parents to brin
up the youngsters to like work for its ow
sake. They have also been taught Il
, Embellishments love for athletic and flel
sports, and they are constantly reminde
Of their fathers prowess as NimrOd
the heads of elks and stays which adorn Il
walls of the rectory's entrance hall. I'll
influences for the formation of taste in a
and literature and the dainty side OF Ii
surrounding these boys are, however, qui
as pronounced as those of a more robu
nature, for the library of the rectory is O.
ceedingly we'll furnished with good book
while meritorious pictures are to be see
/ upon the walls of nearly every apartment
and the drawing room is furnished ar
| decorated with taste that an artist migl
| envy.
l. Those who know the .Rainsfords we
| say that there Is degree Of comradesh
| between the father, mother and three so!