New-York tribune., 1903-01-11
THE NEWS OF BROOKLYN.
ANECDOTES ABOUT HENRY WARD BEECHER And
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
Nzr Diocesan Opend-ngenuy at the No1y fafd-Notes
Of Social interest,"
Yard-NOtes
GOSSIP OF THE BOROUGH.

There are many stories told in connection with
the life of Henry Ward Beecher. but one whlch
was told by the Rev. DR.. Newell Dwight Hills the
other day is new. 1t told to him by a grand
daughter OF President Humphrey, who at the
head of Amherst College when Beecher was
student there It seems that when young henry
went up to Amherst awkward freshman he
bore a note from his father, Lyman Beecher to
President Humphrey, which read:
1 send you my son. Henry because think ,n ne
!. is the brightest of my sons-but 1 am not sure.
He is always kicking over the races = po1 n 1afhe bs
hidden power.
1t is related by those who familiar with
Beecher's career at Amherst that ne fully lived
up to his fathers designation of him AS student
in the classroom Beecher was not a success nut
he spent four prota BILE years in studying and get
ting into touch with nature. Almost every day In
the sprng and the fall Beecher could be found
among the primeval trees on the Pelham HIS,
which rise up like behind. the village OF
Amherst The professors thought that the young
man ought to be studying. but he loved nature
PETER e1 Inan bTaneb and tWg on those old Pelham
trees and had names for many OF them-
When the Beecher memorial house becomes a
reality it is possible that it may become the re-
positorv of the most complete collection in exist
ence of everything that was ever published by or
about Beecher. 1t is now owned by Dr. Hills. who
began it's collection when schoolboy and when
not even in his widest dreams. did he ever think
of himself as occupying the pulpit in Plymouth
Church made famous by Beecher. If DR.. Hills
could be accused of hero worship, Beecher is his
tunity OF adding to his collections OF works on ana
9meriesn Vas snT Written it was Dr ass pleasure
to furnish the bographer with greater part OF the
material used
plymouth Church of course has large collec-
ticn of relics of Beecher, which are being pre-
served in fireproof vault and there are many Old
members of the church who have many Valuapie
books pictures, pamphlets and other things which
could Well be placed in the Beecher collection
which is be of the main features of the
memorial building. William F, Hammond OF
time collecting --Beecheriana" " 1t is not IN
likely that interesting additions will come in to the
memorial from All parts OF the country atter 1t
has been completed
Some idea of the completeness of the machine
shop and foundry and of the capabilities of the
men in charge of them at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
may be gained from incident that occurred last
week Several large firms had failed utterly in
trying make large casting for a centrifugal
pump which is to be used in connection with
drydock No. 3. The casting is fifteen feet in
diameter and weighs $500 pounds. and outside
firms seemed unable to handle such a large piece
of work Finally another attempt was made at the
ravy yard, and it was successful in every way
ne casting shipped several days ago TO Pack
ard q Co., of Bayonne, who nave the cohtract IoT
lie installation of the pump and VIII be nnisheo
by them.
Many Brooklynites taking a lively interest in
the work of the Tree Planting Association of New
York in promoting the planting and protection Of
trees. Any who contributes S. may be elected
a member of the association, and by a payment OF
500 will be made a life member. The association
has arranged with several nurserymen to supply
suitable trees plant them and to do all the work
incidental thereto. As conditions vary, the fur
nishing Of and the work incident to planting
must be subject 10 agreement in each case Be-
cause of physically defective conditions at the out
set, lack of roomy pit, meagre provision OF soil
and careless ind uninteigent work in planting
many street trees fail
1t is urged by the association that the quality
of the tree should be in all respects the best at
tainable and that il should be nursery raised
tree with sound, straight stem and a well bal
snced top The roots should be full, compact and
hbrous and at time in the planting season dur
ing the process of taking up. transportation and
planting should the roots be exposed o the sun
Preferably they snould be kept moist until placed
in the ground 20 prevent injury to the more tender
nbres. Failure of young trees is often attribu-
table directly to this neglect. For opening tree
Dit permit is necessary, and may easily be OBJ
fained or application the Commissioner of High
who supplies and plants the trees. Trees may be
planted either in the spring or fall preferably in
The fall AS the variety of trees the association
suggests that the Carolina poplar has proved thus
far much harder than any other tree in the streets
OF New-York and is, withal, rapid grower and
good shade tree for general planting.