The San Francisco call., 1904-12-25
STRANGE HOBBY
OF RICH NAN
Likes to Build Monuments to
Honor Memory of Heroes of
Revolution and Late Wars
PLAIN ONE FOR HIMSELF
Intends to Crafty Peculiar
Desire as Long as He Lives.
100000 Cost Up to Date

SlUU,UUU COSL Up 10 QdIe
Libraries may be all right for Car
negie, but my money goes into mOnu-
ments," recently remarked John G.
Taylor. retired business man and Quak-
er of West Chester. Pa.
In these few words Mr.. Taylor indi-
Gated the hobby of his lifetime; hobby
which has developed into mania
probably the most remarkable brain
kink possessed by any man in the
United States, and one of the most
costly.
/ Up to date Mr.. Taylor's collection of
monuments has cost over $60,0OO, and
plans already perfected carry the
amount of his expenditures in sight
to over 100000. And he does not pro-
pose to stop until he has exhausted
his fortune, reserying only a sufficient
amount to see that his beloved monu-
ments are kept in good condition after
he has been called to his fathers.
The scene of his operations is in the
old Lafayette burying ground, ad1Oin-
ing Birmingham Meeting House, of
revolutionary fame, about five miles
from West Chester.
Mr.. Taylor began his monument
buried in the ancient cemetery. and
after the erection o. a handsome trib
ute to her memory, he started to beau
ttfy the place generally, planning fig
ures to mark historical events. in some
of which his ancestors participated. to-
gether with others commemorating
matters and figures of biblical lore.
But his plans were not to be exc
cuted without a determined struggle.
of h0 xad
askance at the dazzling marbles and
the costly figures in the heretofore
plain old burying ground and finally
he was stopped in his work by order
Of the board.
CONTROLS THE CEMETERY.
Mr.. Taylor, however, had no intention
of abandoning his cherished idea. He
saw that, as matters stood. he could go
no further, so he bided his time. worked
quietly and said little.
In 1891, to the surprise Of the board
Of trustees, he secured enough stock to
give him control of the cemetery COM
pany. and at the election succeeded in
ousting the ombstoners' and
electing a board whose ideas were in
harmony with his own.
The election contest was waged with
extreme bitterness, and every man and
woman who owned lot in the ceme-
terry was importuned to turn out.
1t was a complete victory for the
monument builder and he was chosen
president of the new board. The anti
tombstoners" were routed and shortly
after Mr. Taylor took up his monument
plans in earnest and he has since made
the old burying ground famous
throughout the country. Mr.. Taylor
says he will provide for the protection
of his monuments for 100 years after he
ia dna6 nd fhnGa 1uf1 "a o17av
acter Of the man have no doubt that he
will make his word good. His whole
heart and soul appears to be wrapped
up In the ancient burying ground and
he will devote. his entire fortune to 1t.
The conventional towering pillars
surmounted by statues or the low
stones on which are reclining lambs are
not satisfactory to Mr.. Taylor. and his
collection of monuments indicates that
he has his own ideas as to designs and
the independence of mind to refuse to
have them interfered with by any rule
Of cutters of gravestones. He appears
to be especially fond of statuary. as
there are several places in his monu-
ments. All of these figures are carvel
in marble by a celebrated sculptor at
Carrara, Italy, and then shipped to this
country.
HIS FAMILY LOT.
At the head of his private lot. where
in lie the remains of his father. mother.
wife and other relatives, he has erected
an imposing shaft on the top OF which,
in a graceful kneeling pose, is life
size statue Of his wife in white marble.
while at the foot stand white marble
statues of the Savior, the Virgin Mary
and ST. Joseph.
All of these statues have biblical in
scriptions; they are incased in glass
to protect them from the elements. and
are among the most beautiful sDeci-
mems of statuary art in the country
Mr.. Taylor's family lot Is close to
the main entrance to the cemetery.
Near the gateway is a massive granite
monument, about twelve feet in height. /
surmounted by a large ball. erected to
the memory of the monument builders
great-grandfather, Colonel Isaac Tay-
lor, who was a member Of General !
Anthony Wayne's staff.
ALL READY FOR HIMSELF.
In the family burial lot there is
but one space left for the dead and
this has been reserved by Mr.. Taylor
for himself. He has had his grave dug.
walled and cemented. and when his
time comes all that will be necessary
will be the raising of a heavy granite 1
slab and lowered the coffin to the place
prepared for it,.
A few yards distant stands the i'm
posing shaft erected to the memory of
General Lafayette. 1t is built of gran
ite on pyramid base, and stands
forty-flve feet high 1t is Mr.. Taylor's
purpose eventually to cap 1T with
bronze statue of the DISTINGUISHED
Frenchman. At the foot Of the shaft
there are places at the four corners Of
the capstone for the busts of four
French officers who participated in the
battle of Brandywine. Their names
and the dates Of their birth are chiseled
thus in the granite:
General Lafayette, born September s.
1851: died May 2, 1894
Cassimer Count Pulaski. born 1T47:
died 1871. at sea.
General Count Jean Rochambeau.