Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-07-13
ANECDOTES OF ROGERS.
Odd Personality Of the Wealthy
Locomotive Builder.
GREAT LOVER OF ANIMALS

Them All by Nu"c
,,.,.rre.-How He Treated !" "
Estate Man.
Tho late Jacob S. Rogers, the mlliion-
o,,o locomotive builder Of Patersois ~
who has left $s,oOO,ooo for the Me'-
rono,;ton Museum of Art in New YORK;
,ros q bachelor and a recluse. lie sep
aroted himself from the world as mucn
os If was possible for man with Mfse
business interests to do, says the NE"
York Herald. He spent two days IA
zach week at the Union League ciuD Oh
Nav York. The remainder OF the weeA
he spent at his ivy covered nome III
Peterson. N. j., where he lived alone
with his housekeeper.
The park surrounding the house was
filled with red deer, for when NIL
Rog .rs had great fondness. he kne"
them an by name. He had also
about half dozen collie dogs whicn
were unusually vicious. Ihey olten
attacked persons who approached Tue
house after nightfall. They were tied
nm during the bay, but they roamed all
over the premises during the nleht' =,
Mr.. Rogers was about IS years oiu
and was quite deaf. He had an irascl-
BILE temper, and few men approacheu
him unless their business was lmpera-
tive. Until few years ago he had a
farm at Pompton, which Is about ten
miles from Paterson. He spent much
of his time in the summer there, ana ne
raised some fine cattle and horses. He
also had on Pompton lake fine flock
Of swans, which he imported from
England, but the swans ate the tsh,
and some of the fish and game protec-
ton people got after him.
After long fight Mr.. Rogers gave
IN the farm and sent the swans to his
nephew's place in Delaware. In his
home. at the corner of Park and Mad
ison avenues, Mr.. Rogers had some fine
pictures-not famous pictures, but pic
lures by obscure artists of talent-that
he had picked up all over Europe. He
had not n single landscape. All of his
pictures are miniatures. Paintings Of
the heads of young girls seemed to be
one of his fads. There is not a single
one that is more than 20 inches long
by 10 wide. He never dealt directly
with the New York art picture sellers.
He was afraid that they would know
him and that they would overcharge
him if they knew his wealth. He was
always represented by some one else.
When he was in Paris the last time,
20 years ago, he saw a picture in the
Louvre Art gallery, for which he Of
fcretl a fortune. but he could not buy
it, He seemed to take his discontinue
so much to heart that he left the city,
though he kept rooms at hotel re-
served for him till the day of hisdeath.
No one in Paterson thinks that he left
money to the art museum because of
any real love be had for it. but in doing
so he was as consistent as in all his &C.
tons. He never had anything to do
with his relatives. He was determined
to disappotnt them.
In his home there are treasures even
more valuable than some of his pic
books. These no one was
permitted to see.
George Brown. a real estate man,
who had known Mr.. Rogers from boy
hood, went to see him to urge him to
something when the locomo-
tive works We're shut down. When
Brown Lett, Sr. Rogers stood in the
door and watched his dogs worry him
and throw him to the ground. They
tore Browns clothes to shreds, but the
real estate man fortunately escaped
without harm. He wrote to Mr.. Rog-
FRS next day telling him of the damage
lone. Mr.. Rogers sent him check,
With the following note: Find check
Tor S2o for new suit Of clothes, but l
give this conditionally. The dogs have
1ot taken sick yet after biting you. but
t they do will sue you"
When General Grant was in Pater-
son, he passed the Rogers works, and
very one was at the windows to see
him. Mr.. Rogers window overlooked
he spot where he passed, and he could
nave seen him plainly, but Mr.. Rogers
lever took his eyes from his ledger
md refused to be told that General
Grant had passed. That evening Gen
sral Grant was taken to see the fine
stables Of Mr.. Rogers, and on admiring
he splendid cattle and their fine hous-
ing the general said to those around
him:
Il can tell now why you people are
giving me champagne to drink instead
If milk. 1t Is because it costs so much
70 produce the milk"
Around the old secluded home in
t'ark avenue there are scores Of swans
cut from the purest marble. These
swan statues are very fine work.
1t was always said In Paterson that
Mr.. Rogers never gave cent for char
|ty, but the Very Rev. Dean McNulty
said recently that the dead millionaire
gave picture to his church for which
be paid $1,000, but wished to have
nothing said about it. He gave $3.50 ia
4 synagogue and $500 to the Church OF
the Redeemer of Paterson.