New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-18


window in the dining room. Why. get more
mail now tnan ever did before in all my life
That's because Of what the papers have
printed about my having money and having
that wording on my monument Funny whit
an interest people all over the country take in
all at once"
There were letters enough TO dI "a half bush-l
measure. They We're from religious persons ana
poor people. The religious letters impaired
the information to Mr. Wright as 70 where ne
was going, even if ne was in doubt himself
and the majority Of them quoted Biblical pas
sages to substantiate their statements. The
letters from the poor widows with large
families Of starving, fatEerless children Were
heartrending, and Mr. Wright has spent 4 good
deal of time reading them over and consider
ing their contents.
I'm an honest man." said Nj. Wright as m
drove along the road toward the cemetery-
That's why 1 had that wording put my
monument, for I honestly don't know where
l am goin when 1 die. I'd lie if l said did.
and it don't pay to lie You won't be success
full if you do. and none Of the people know where
they are a-goin when they die, but they amt
honest enough to put it their gravestones-"
Against an old stone fence in the corner OF
the cemetery there lay good sized granite
monument with sign on it which read: This
monument for sale. BY p. q. Wright"
oh my, no; that amt my new monument
That's the old one that 1 had taken down u
make room for my new one. That old one
put I'D in 1876 and it cost lie $4VO, but
never liked it. I'm goin' to give it 10 IT,
city for a soldiers monument and put it Oh d,
little wedge of land up here at the junction Ci
two streets. There's a woman who owns u
tenth in the piece Of land and all the rest are
willing to sign off their interest to the city
but her. Just as she signs off, then
the city have this old monument.
There's the new monument What do you
think of it? Don't that bust there look the
dead image Of me- And Mr.. Wright braced
his feet against the dashboard Of the old car
riage and Strengthened up as he admired the
work Of his bust in granite.
The monument is made of Western granits
over the bust. which stands out in bold relief
on the side Of the stone, is the name ''Phineas
q. Wright" Under the bust is the inscrl.-
ton: Born in FitzwiIliam. y. H. April 3.
1929. Going. but Know Not Where"
Now, l like that monument first class. "a
except one thing, and that is the whiskeis
The burned stonecutter parted my whiskeIs
in the middle there on the bust, and 1 never
parted my whskers at all l suppose III
have to part my whiskers that l VII
look like l do there the bust. Everything
else looks just like me except them WhIsk-rs-
Look at that coat pocket, just natural a.
life.
All my family lie buried under here" con-
tinued the picturesque old An but my
father. who died out in California years ago
I'm the last one Of my family left on the toI
of the ground and I'm goin some Of these dap
before long but"-and Gar Wright refieetsl
as he looked at the u.onument-"I don't knJ..
where"
That's my grave right there where tn s44
pipe sticks out of the ground l had t1at
placed there 50 that they would know right 81
/ where to take hold to get the fiat stone of t--
top. It's a big grave inside. all bricked Up
I don't like to think of being put in the gro1l
/ and the dirt all packed in tight around L.r-
/ That's why I had the grave made big and MD
/ so the dirt can't pack close around me. want
room I've always had it, and l want -
after I'm dead. l believe in enjoyin' life Wh--t
you live. Say, but I'd give a thousand dollars
. if them whiskers were changed If l live TIA
+ spring I'm goIn' have that stOnecutt-r t--ie
the part out Of them"
There are a good many anecdotes told III Put
nam of card" Wright. He has never been
! known to allow any one 10 infringe upon what
: he believed to be his rights. few years a5)
an effort to assert his rights cost him some
money. \ theatrical company was billed for =
/ weeks engagement in Putnam. They had the
regulation brass band, and evenings before the
/ performance began they would play in tls
streets in order 10 draw the people to the Thea
/ ire MI Wright came along in his one ho.s-
chaise one evening when the band was pia, -
.1-r. F-f.