Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-05-22

The Story of a 7
Vanderbilt Bride.

Name where l was born and lived when
q child was a family of the name Of
Tuck. This was in the hill country OF
New England, back about 20 or 80 miles
from the ocean and bordering on the
New Hampshire line. As the land re-
eedes from the ocean it becomes rapidly
more rough and wild and is soon lost in
the foothills of the White mountains.
The high peaks of the latter can always
be seen from all the higher hills tower
ing in the northwest when the air is
clear. The town l came from lies in the
midst of the Ossipee region, close by the
Ossipee mountains, Ossipee pond and the
two Ossipee rivers, Little and Big. The
immediate section where the Tucks lived
was a farming community, with no
towns or villages large enough to find a
place upon the maps or in the geogra-
phies.
The Tuck farm was In the western
part of the town where l lived, some
four or five miles distant, and was, IL
possible, poorer and less profitable than
any others in the neighborhood. 1t was
on the sandy borders of Provence pond,
body of water two or three miles ia ex-
tent situated partly in Maine and partly
in New Hampshire. As the dividing
line between the two states crossed the
pond, it may be truly said that their
farm ran to the New Hampshire border.
The elder Tuck was among the earliest
settlers of Parsonfield. He came into the
town during or Immediately after the
Revolutionary war, and for some strange
reason took up farm on the sandy
shores of Provence pond instead of good
meadow lands and intervals that consti-
tuted the best land of the section. Here
he worked hard and managed to exc out
| frugal existence, although the best
crop. after the manner of most all New
England, was the stalwart girls and boys
he raised. There were three boys-John
Tuck, Jonathan Tuck and Amos Tuck
all born on the sand dunes of Provence
pond. 1t was the granddaughter of the
| last named. Amos Tuck, who was mar
ried short time since to young Wander
| bilt.
| One of the boys, John, was a farmer
and was a man of more than usual intel
| ligence. Jonathan became blacksmith,
| lived for many years and piled his trade
| at Biddeford, but in later life removed
| to Sherbrook, in Canada, not far from
1 the northern edge of New Hampshire,
| and was alive and still resident there
| a few years ago. Amos was the youn-
gest and most ambitious of the boys. He
| had ambition beyond working on the
! sandy plains and picking huckleberries
around Provence pond. While yet lad
| he left home, went over into New Hamp-
shire, taught school in winter, worked his
| way through Dartmouth college and final
| ly graduated in the class of '34 when
| 25 years of age. He then turned up at
| Exeter. N. H., where he read law with
| John Bell, who was a prominent man In
| the state and for long time was United
| States senator. Mr.. Bell took young
Tuck into partnership with him, and the
| latter climbed up rapidly. He took
| hand in politics, became a member of the
state legislature and was elected to CON
gress in 1916 before he was 40 years
| old, the same congress OF which Abra-
| ham Lincoln was a member. Tuck was
| strong antislavery man, took an active
part In the organization of the Republic
| an party, and after Lincoln became pres
ident in 1861 was appointed naval officer
| at Boston, lucrative and profitable po-
| sition.
| Here Amos Tuck began to develop rap
| idly. The office. brought him in contact
with men of business and of affairs. He
| was shrewd enough to seize upon the
| opportunities presented him, and by the
| time his commission expired he stood in
| with men In Boston and New York and
| began to build up a large fortune, of
| which he and his children were to reap
| the benefit.
His son, Edward Tuck, turned out to
| he as good if not a better business man
than the father. About the year 1864 he
| was appointed consul at Paris. Here he
| soon became a partner in the banking
house of Monro & Co., resigned the Of
| fee, retired from business several years
| ago, purchased the celebrated residence
Malmaison that belonged to the Empress
| Josephine, where he makes his home.
| and last summer gave to Dartmouth col
| lege the Amos Tuck endowment. named
| in honor of his father.
| Aside from his son Edward, who has
been a prosperous business man. Amos
Tuck had daughter. Ellen. She was
married while yet a young woman to
| Francis o. French, who was a banker
and also accumulated a large fortune.
He died several years since. 1t was her
daughter, Elsie. who was married to
! young Vanderbilt short time since and
received present of over S3,0O0.000 at
| the time from the heirs of her fathers es-
tate. She is the granddaughter of Amos
| Tuck. who was born and brought up on
the sandy farm among the Ossipee bills
| of Maine. She has another brother, of
the name of Amos Tuck French, who
gave the bride away and preserves in his
name the memory of his Parsonfeld pro-
| genitor. He is now vice president OF
| one OF the big savings banks of New
York. which his father and grandfather
helped to build up.
This is the substance of the facts in
the story. 1t has been only three gen
erations, inclusive, from Amos Tuck to
the wife of young Vanderbilt. who, 1t is
said, now becomes the head of the fam
lily. when poor boy had to scratch hard,
teach school and resort to all kinds Of
expedients to get together little money
wherewith to get an education. to the
marriage of granddaughter with mil
lions In it; from the sandy acres of Pro-
vence pond. worth possibly 50 per acre.
with no market, down to marriage
with dowry of millions. The story is
of benefit in at least one respect as show
L. - l. L