The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1901-03-23
PAUL MINNEAPOLIS SATURDAY MARCH 81 1901
:. Rogers meant exactly what he had

Mr.. Rogers meant exactly what he had
said 81, :.
Meetings of prominent citizens were
aeld. It was urged that Mr.. Rogers
should be told that the city. did not
want the works closed. He heard the
message and answered that he CUES e
he owned the works. He was then ask
ed If he would sell the works. Now
that was a request that made Mr.. Rogers
ra ther uneasy. He never sold anything
but locomotives and butter in his life,
SO far as his fellow citizens know. He
did not want to sell the locomotive
works. But the citizens were very ur-
gent One of Mr.. Rogers few intimate
friends was persuaded to lay the matter
before him and the old gentleman said
that he would think it over After due
rejection he announced that he would
sell the works, but only on his own
terms. These were that board Of ap.
praisers should be appointed, one to s.:
named by himself, another by the in-
tended purchaser and third either by
both parties TO the transaction or BIZ
the two appraisers already selected
Then the purchaser was to put I'm a
bond OF S2O0, 900 to accept the factory al
the appraisers valuation
L don't want any more for the factorv
than 1t Is WORTH said Mr.. Rogers, te
the committee. II dom t. want any less
You ought not to expect to get it for
less Under the circumstances yor
ought to be willing to put up a proper
guarantee that you mean business y
1t was all In vain that the citizens and
MS friends appealed to him to see thai
no business could be done on any such
basis. Those We're his terms he said.
When they were ready to talk business
ne was There were negotiations thai
lasted nearly half year. There are
rumors now that Mr. Rogers has re-
Tented and that he has seen his Wav tc
making some other arrangement thar
that he first suggested. ..--c
" course Paterson has been in a fermen,
over Mr.. Rogers affairs ever since the
negotiations have been pending. All the
old stories that had been told about Mr.
Rogers and his doings were raked over
some OF them bear the unmistakahlt
stamp Of being the product of long-lived
gossip. IA
Mr.. ROGERS FRIENDSHIP.
One Of the Paterson stories about Mr.
Rogers Is that his home is a veritabe
rats nest Of disorder and raggedness.
This report may have developed out of
the pique OF the neighbors who have not
been invited into his house. It may be
the child of q fancy fed on the spectacle
OF the stuffed deer and the stuffed swans
not in accordance with the facts. Mr..
Rogers home, dingy and Loosely built as
it may seem to be on the outside, is as
comfortable place as an old bachelor
could have for his declining days. So far
is he from being afraid to let anybody
see what the inside Of his house is like
that he is constantly entertaining in the
most liberal fashion 1t is noteworthy
that he seems particularly to like to
have young people around him. Almost
the only intimate friend Mr.. Rogers ever
had in Paterson was the late Henry V.
Butler. Mr.. Rogers used to frequently 60
to Mr.. Buffers home and the Buffers fire.,
quently visited MIN. They spent days OH
his Pornpton farm. Sometimes they livel
there the whole summer through, This
friendship between Mr.. Rogers and the
family has continued since Mr.. Buffers
death. 1t seems to be no lees a bright
spot in the. Old gentleman's life than In
that Of the young people But they Fey
spect Mr.. Rogers desire to keep his own
business to himself and Paterson has
bcen able to get very little comfort out
OF the friendship. Perhaps that is one
reason the friendship is SO strong.
An aged housekeeper Is in charge Of
the house. The lawns are neatly kept
and the walks, are always swept Clean.
If for any reason this work is neglected
the nelghborhood is apt to have the treat
of seeing Mr.. Rogers marching up and
down tho yard with the Iousekeeper,
pointing out with his stick every par,
tioular bit Of paper that has attracted
his attention and telling her in tones that
reach the street what he thinks of the
state of affairs. He makes animated ges-
t,ires and is very emphatic with them.
Another story sets him down a.:
woman hater.> 1t is said of him that he
will never go to pace where he is likely
a thn Nrlx >Io+s
this yarn has is that Mr.. Rogers is a
has made about Mr.. Rogers is that in
nave By ee mhen RHs M
has been visited by insistent and voluble
persons with lists, of signatures and plen-
tiful reasons why he should add his name
q mount Of money. Sometimes Mr.. Rog-
ers. after studying. the purposes OF the
subscription and the list Of those WHO
lad 1t; already contributed, DECLINED to have
gave as much money as he thought the
matter called for from him But 1nva-
rlably the amiable persons who brought
pointment that a man possessing from
eight to eighty millions of dollars should
not nave subscribed more freely. These
criticisms We're not always reserved until
Mr.. Rogers was out of hearing. He an
swered them by scaling down his public
s.@-.
What do you Want?' he said once to a
WON who came to him with paper
flor q worthy cause" ~
Money, lots Of money cried the wo-
man, vivaciously. ,@...~ S..
asked. - 4. j. -.
money Mr.-Kogers," said the young
that thought you could spare
a little bit of it."
. .roh; you DID" exclaimed Mr.: Rogers.
to- see old man Rogers today, but you
knew it wouldn't DO any good? wouldn't
for the world aisappoint lady. Good
\ good many years ago Mr.. Rogers
wanted to close two Paterson streets
If no use to the city, and Were practically
.ity wouldn't have It. The city wanted to
show Its independence Of rich corpora
.Mn the town. The streets were not
closed, but perhaps in these latter-day
negotiations both Mr.. Rogers and the
people OF Paterson have been remided
once Or twice of the hostile spirit the CITY
showed then. ~
HIS DEER AND his FARM.
Mr.. Rogers owns great deal Of land
about his house. When it first came i Is
ms possession it was all open fields. Now
Paterson has built up ali around him.
j mere are acres and acres of green pas
ture therefore all about him The land Is
tremendously more valuable than it was
when it came to him He has been urg-
ID to sell or build or do something He
'ays. he is very we'll salts led with things
1, Is they are; He does not want to st l..
The Susquehanna railroad put lis tracks
'jght through the middle of M. Rogec<
lacant lots a few wears ago. He was
iery much put out about the matter But
he, road had the law on It's side. and
,ould not stop it. He seemed to be af ali
hat the trains would annoy his 6e
There are about fifty deer. They are
OF on which his house is built cove
about half city block. The rear half OF
It is altogether occupied by the deer
cark. The deer have plenty of room to
run around in number of enclosures