Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-02-03
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SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.


SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
The somewhat notorious, if not ia
nous, Patrick j. Gleason, one time
mayor OF Long Island City and who
recently essayed to be the first mayor
of Greater New York, is a self-con-
fessed bankrupt. was in the court
the other lay while he was on the
rack. The attorney was j. Ralph Bur-
nett, at one time corporation counsel
OF Long Island City and always po-
litical opponent of Mr.. Gleason. 1--WE
hear OF you driving around behind your
famous team, Parnell and Gladstone,
MIR. Gleason" said Lawyer Burnett.
" Are you driving them now?"
"Ies, Parnell, - years old. I'll
give you drive behind him." "Who
owns Parnell?' 1.-The Woodside
Water company, and my friend Mr..
Tyrrell gives me the use of Parnell."
"Does any one else drive him?" 81
don't KNOW" growled the former
mayor, Pm not the stableman." He
had lot Of houses once, he said, "and
not one ef the 30 tenants paid rent.
They said, "Oh, they're Gleason's
houses and we don't have to pay
rent" And it is fair to say that,
whatever Gleason's shortcomings, he
was lenient landlord. Don't waste
too much pity on him. though, for it is
that the rent of the houses,
sold under foreclosure and bought in
by his own attorney, still finds its way
into Gleason's pocket.
1t is not often that one is called
upon to record the death of even
centenarinn, but l saw few weeks
ago in st. Martha's seminary woman,
whose death / note in the morning
papers, and who was 107 yeas old, the
records being we'll authenticated. Her
name was Miss Anna White, and it is
perhaps needless to tell you that she
was the oldest inmate in the institu-
ton. Three years ago Miss White and
her sister Marjory were committed to
he home OH the application of a friend,
who said that they had considerable
but were incompetent to
take care of it. Marjory White died
two years ago in the home at the age
Of 10l. The sisters were born in Ire
land and had been residents of New
York for upward of 80 years. They
were, before age impaired their facul-
ties, shrewd women. A small sum of
money was left them many years ago,
and they more than trebled it by spec
nlations in real estate There are no
known relatives, and no one knows
what disposition will be made of the
estate.
In another part of this letter have
spoken of Helen Gould as a communi-
cant at Presbyterian church. Miss
Gould is liberal giver to this church,
but does not contine her benefactions
to one or dozen churches. She has
Just given $50, 600 toward the new
building of the naval branch of the
Young Mems Christian association in
Brooklyn, close by the navy yard.
making provision for an ample build
ing of five stories, in which will be
gymnasium, baths, swimming pools
and $50 sleeping rooms for the sailors
10 occupy while their ships are at the
yard, and she has given the New York
public library the Berrian collection
a very valuable one e-of books, pamph-
ets and newspapers relating to Nor
1t includes 45O books, 800
and 80 volumes of news
papers, and forms a complete history
)f the Mormon church from its origin,
both sides being represented.
No man is more laughed at by read
BIS of the everyday New York para
yrapher and by portions of the weekly
comic and serio-comic illustrated pa
oers than Russell Sage, liking of the
puts and calls" Sage mixes business
and religion very skillfully, but does
not do the philanthropic act to any
great extent. Just now he is looked
upon as sort of religious wanderer.
Piqued at the action of the congrega-
tion of the West Presbyterian church
in turning down an old board of trus-
tees, of which he was member, lie
has broken with his church, apparent
y for all time. For many years he
was familiar figure at the services,
and his name was honored and re-
vered. The church is rich one,
among its communicates being Helen
Miller Gould and Henry NJ. Flagler of
Standard Oil fame.
A notable death here the past week
has been that of Mrs Roswell Smith,
the widow of the man who founded
the first Scribner's Magazine (now
the Century which was conceived by
the late Joshua Goodrich Holland
("Timothy Titcombo a generation
ago. 1t was Mrs. Smith, who as
Miss Annie Ellsworth, then girl of
II, sent the famous first telegraphic
message, "What hath God wrought?"
Her father, Ii. l.. Ellsworth, a son of
Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth, was
the first commissioner of patents, and
has been called the "Father of Patent
Office" He had been college friend
Of Prof S. +. B. Morse. Mr.. and Mrs.
Smith moved to New York in 1870 from
Indiana, when the former first started
the "Scribner's.
The home here of Andrew Carnegie.
.he steel king, philanthropist and
canny old Scotchman. will be the first
in the city to have becoming frame,
inasmuch as garden is to surround
it, and thus add dignity to the magni-
ticent structure. The fault with city
houses built by the wealthy class in
general is that they are without any
grounds, or evel the inferior court
yards, which SO enhance foreign build
ings. Mr.. Carnegie was born and has
lived much abroad, and for one am
glad to note the innovation of one of