Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-04-12

had sold the 1900 acres. and other
friends in the east authorized him to
sell lands. He never charged more
than Eve per cent commission. At the
end of two years DR.. PearsOns' farm
land sales had become famous and ne
was agent for some of the largest land
owners in the country. Some weeks
his sales would amount to $4,000, AMI
his fees would therefore be $4,000 HIS
earnings he invested in farm Ian IS
and city property for himself. He was
becoming so prosperous that his land
lord raised the rates for himself and
wife from $40 to $40 week. This the
doctor considered exOrbitant and he
traded off farm OF 400 acres for the
house and lot at 4S Van Buren, street,
where he lived for a number Of years.
The great stretches Of prairie land
throughout the state which were pus
in his charge for sale he cut up into
farms of 100 and $50 acres, and settled
colonies on these tracts. He brought
Scotch and German colonsts from the
east. picked out locations for them,
and started village after village Many
OF these purchasers were eXsoldiers.
The Illinois Railroad turned over most
OF its vast stretches of farm lands In
Illinois to Dr. PearsGnS to sell.
In 1890 the doctor came to the con-
clusion that the time had arrived for
him to begin giving away his fortune.
lie followed the plan that he and his
wife had formed after they had
reached Chicago in 1860. He has never
been a member of any religious de-
nomination, but all his gifts have
been to those institutions having re-
ligious affiliations. From 1890 to 1900
the doctor has given away $500, 900
OF his fortune and has perhaps $500
coo left His larger requests are: Lake
Forest University, $4,000; Beloit Col
lege. S295. COO; Knox College, at Gales
burg, 500 coo; Chicago Theological
Seminary. $2S0,0OO; Mccormick Thee.
logical Seminary. $4,000; the Pres.
byterian Hospital. of which DR.. Pear
sons is president. $40 coo; the Chicago
Y. NJ. c. A., $4,000; Drury College,
Springfield, Mo, 100000 Yanktor
College, South Dakota, 100000: Colo-
RADIO College, Colorado Springs s1O0-
Coo Fargo College, Fargo, y. D., $780,
COO; Mount Holyoke Seminary, $780,
coo; the Chicago Art Institute. $4,000.
Berea College. in Kentucky. S10O 900,
Marietta College. $4,000; McKendrea
College, $4,000; Grand Prairie Semi
nary. Onarga. H., $4,000: Whitman
College, Sl20000; Pacific Uniyersit5,
in Oregon, $50 600: Pomona College in
California. $4,000; Bradford (VtD
Public Library. $4,000; Presbyterian
Beard Of Missions, $4,000; First Pres
byterian church. Chicago, $4,000; Oil
vet College. in Michigan, $4,000:
Fsrmont College, Kansas. $4,000;
Carleton College, Northfeld. Mimi.
$4,000; Chicago City Missionary So
ciety $4,000; Anatola College in Tur-
kew. $4,000. He has given many
smaller amounts. some Of them so
quietly that no one but the recipients
knew of them. At one time he had
s15o.000 loaned to needy students st
three per cent.
Four years ago Or. Pearsons had his
tombstone erected in Hinsdale Gene
terry, as he desired to have all his al
fairs arranged before he died. The
granite for this monument was
brought from Barre. VT. where the
doctor taught school in 1886. The re-
naming s1,5OO,OCO will be disposed OF
IN donations which have not as yet
been announced. On this account i.