New-York tribune., 1900-12-31

generally known to the people of this city by his
partnership with Alfred B. Darling and Paran
Stevens and the establishment of the Fifth
Avenue Hotel, at Fifth-ave. and Twenty-third-
st. The erection of such hotel a site which
was then considered far north of the uptown
district was first looked upon almost
chimerical enterprise. But the undertaking
proved to have been wisely planned.
Mr. Hitchcocks health broke down in 1866
and he accordingly retired from business and
travelled extensively abroad, visiting Egypt,
Syria, Cyprus, Greece and Italy. Here he made
especial study of ancient art, and carried on
extensive original researches He made his
home in Hanover. n. H, in 1871, and year
later he attracted considerable attention among
archeologists by announcing the extensive dis
coveries of General di Cesnola, in Cyprus.
paper by him. published in "Harper's Maga-
zine" on the subject, awakened considerable dis
cussion abroad and in 1874, the motion of
Samuel Birch, the head of the British Museum.
and president of the British Society of Biblical
Archaeology, he was made a member of that
society. Two years before he had received the de-
gree of Master of Arts from Dartmouth College.
In 1876 he became a trustee of the New-Hamp-
shire College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts.
In the same year he made president OF the
Dartmouth National Bank of Hanover sand of
the Dartmouth Savings Bank. Ins1SIf he rep
resented Hanover in the ew-Hampshire Leg
islature and in the following year he was elect
ed trustee of Dartmouth College. In 1873 ne
again resumed active connection with the
Fifth Avenue Hotel.
Since 1879 Mr. Hitchcock had been associated
with many enterprises of business and hnan-
cal character and a considerable number OF
associations and societies. He was ope1of the
prime movers in projecting and1 erecting the
Madison Square Garden, land for. which was
purchased from the New-York and Harlem Rail-
road Company by James T. Woodward, ano
transferred by him TO the Madison Square Car
den Company on June %. 1877. Mr.. Hitchcock
was president of the company during the con-
struction of the great building and at its open
ing. He later withdrew from the corporation.
He was one of the founders of the Garfield Ma
tional Bank and the Garfield Safe Deposit Bank
at Twenty-third-st. and Sixth-ave. and was
the e-president of both organizations at the
time of his death.
Mr. Hitchcock's interest in Dartmouth College
never waned after his return. in 1879 to this
city. He made several gifts of money to the
institution and in 1893 he gave the college the
Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital. built by him
in memory of his first wife. The dedicatory ser
vices were held on May 8, 1898 in the college
chapel which through his benevolence has
been handsomely renovated in the Colonial style
of architecture
Mr. Hitchcock was extremely devoted to his
New Hampshire home. and took great delight
in country life. He found especial pleasure
in his herd of Jerseys, which he boasted had
as good blood rs flowed in any herd or cattle.
He remarked on March % last and the ar
rangements for the wedding which took place
In Hanover were kept so secret that the occa-
sion was not known TO the most of his friends
until the last hour. His wife, before her mar
riage. was Emma II. Howell of Hanover, who
had for more than two years made her home at
the Fifth Avenue Hotel. The two were distant
; cousins
Among the associations and societies of which
MI Hitchcock was member may be mentioned
the Association for the Advancement of Science.
the New-York Academy of Sciences, the Amert-
can Geographical Society. the Dartmouth Sci
entific Association, the New-England Society,
the New-York Chamber of Commerce and the
University Club.
Mr. Hitchcock came into National prominence
as the president Of the Nicaragua Canal Asso-
! citation. in which he invested largely and which
originally proposed to construct the Nicaragua
Canal
1t was said by of Mr.. Hitchcocks part
ners that his death would in no way affect the
management of the Fifth Avenue Hotel, which
will hereafter be under the joint direction Of
Elmer A Darling and Charles n. Villas.