The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-12

- a stock speculator of Buff
- faIo, N. Y, has forsaken
u Il business and become tene-
ment house dweller. He Is
A now living in the old Wood
building in Scott-st. The room he occu-
pies Is dilapidated and scantily furnished.
His food is of the plainest kind, and he
wears clothes that are faded and tat
tered.
This sudden change in the former speed
lator's mode of living Is not due to busl-
ness reverses. He is now worth 100000,
IS known as a shrewd investor, and sew
eraI of the more important Industrial
enterprises here bear his narla on their
directorate. Coate has seen fit to aban-
don his pursuit of wealth solely to aid
the poor people of Buffalos tenement
house district.
Several years ago, through the offices
of a society organized by wealthy people,
for the purpose of relieving the tenement
house conditions he became vitaIly inter-
ested in the solution Of the social prob
lem. Gradually his interest in the work
drew him away from his business inter-
ests, and his friends were not at all sur
prised one day when he announced that
thereafter he would devote the greater
part of his time to the relief of the poor
persons in whom he had interested HIM
self
Little by little he lost his identity IN
the social circle In which he had moved;
he was absent from the social gatherings.
and could no more be relied upon for
active participation in the thousand ard
one movements fnaugurated by society.
In fact, he became practically recluse.
It was while society was commenting
on the unusual and unexplainable course
he had taken that his mother, practically
his only relative, died. On her death
bed, friends Of the family say. she gave
her approval of the life he has chosen.
The sale Of the Coate home in Delaware
ave. followed her death closely and Ed
ward Coate had severed all connection
with the life In which he was reared.
Then he became a social recluse In fact
Gathering only sufficient house furnish
ings as befitted the new home he had
chosen, he moved to the old Wood build
ing In Scott-st., where he has lived since.
This occurred two years ago. This last.
the most radical move of all, caused his
friends to look askance; it had gone be-
Iyend explanation Nevertheless, 1t can be
explained by the principal and it was so
explained by Coate when a visit was
paid to his room in the tenement house.
An hours. conversation with the bene-
factor Of the city's poor will convince
the most skeptical that he has chosen
a career that will give him more pleas
ure than any other line of work this
wealthy man might have engaged in.
His home is on the third floor of this
tenement, which. 1t is said offers the
worst example of tenement-house life In
the city. About the door crowd OF dirty
haIf-naked children stay from early morn
ing until late at night. gasping for a
breath of disease-laden air and to watch
the passing cavalcade of express wagons.
delivery vehicles and poor people like
themselves. Only twice during the day
does anything unusual happen-when
Father Edward as he is known leaves
his tenement home. There Is always re-
spectfuI obeisance when he approaches
an obeisance born of love and regard for
the man who has befriended them.
IJp two flights Of narrow. dirty stairs
and then sharp turn to the right brings
one to the door opening into Edward
Coates living apartments
@aGood-mornfug, come In" said Coate,
when visit was paid to his room "I am
lust completing my domestic dutfes.''
Truly he was engaged IN his domestic
duties; he was darning one of a pair of
stockings. Numerous little articles Of APP
paref piled high In a little work basket
attested to the extent Of these duties.
The main roou1-there are three-was
scrupulousIy clean. widow living on
the same floor scrubs it each day. Thus
he provides a pittance for one OF the
many poor persons who come under his
care. Three windows IN this room look
out upon the snokestacks and dfngy roofs