New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-06-02
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
AN APPRECIATION OF MR. GODDARD.
ga Reproduction of Best in New-England
Ancestry

To the Editor OF The Tribune
civ, permit ono who has had no share in his
ahors to express his estimate of the character ana
work of Norton Goddard.
~ orcd 10 mo = reproduction OF what
host in his New england ancestry. These traits
dominated his life: A clear VISION as TO uu''' d"
in perious conscience bidding him 90 "h'' outEI
to b done at any cost will to sacrihc time.
means strength. friendship life itself. If need
he IN puhlic duty and heart tender ana sensl-
tive in the highest degree Necessarily SUCH a
nan Is Il lonely friends can only Understand
in mart his motives and the price paid Tor the place
he won In the community. The more they studied
Norton Goddard the more were they impressed
u.itt, tho absolute purity OF his aims and his
complete scf-sacrifce. Philips bfookS' lIoi"
WHOM, in his Harvard days he caught some OF the
inspiration that shaped mis- life and whose scr
mons he rend and reread, once said; NO one was
over the victor in a conflict with evil without
being himself wounded Certainly MT Hoddafd
suffered much and most of ali from the WOUNDS
received In the house of his friends lie was mis-
understood by many his motives were impuSned,
his methods heIittled his efforts thwarted. He
felt all this more keenly than any knew. but he
never swerved a hairbreadth from the course of
conduct he impclled himself to follow.
lust q year ago when he outlined to me his in
tentions in 4 memorable effort I said: You are
attemptine the IMPOSSIBLE He replied: Il must
attempt it, though it is impossible
It. yyns in this spirit he ever wrought Another
time he said to me: when something ought to be
take the work. at whatever cost than 10 leave II
to others
Mr.. Goddard could not believe in distractions. nor
had his mind any for soph!stry. Inc tacts
of human life absorbed his thought and the fnF-
tnerng of the best interests Of those who needed
helm was a passion Ne leader ever loved his fol-
| lowing more devotedIy. Not long ago he told me
that his friends on the East Side. in the Civic
and supported. gave back 10 him q nuPoTTG tiis s
| ,I,oroj no
| valued these friends individually. Ana he inspired
them with something of his spirit. Last autumn
| he wrote me: y know it will cheer you to hear
that the Civic Club mean to maze ma II ~ e-
for The want Of the necessities OF Ie orked for
his political party with dsint ereSteGhesI it' ",.a
| almost unique. The leaders he beleNeC IN were
SeTySd T n the riends of Clay and Webster Above
| all others the President most fully met his IDEAL e
ca he said To- me: Il want greater nspir
ffon TO pubic duty than the knowledge that Mr.
But even though none We're hle-mninded he. he
work to which he set himself; which was to make
his world better world for the PLAN bb"rrant
! criminals who were sapping the Hfeblood OF the
poor cdd eeat corporation when he believed had
| become Il partner in the gambling trust; IN TINS ms
Which he willingly sacrificed all that most men
| OF course, he was conscious that he stood in the
glare of publicity and this was one OF ms gTeaL-
trials Strange though it seems IT Is fpoI h
notoriey that his Pu9e f bir oca to Which he
deserved election he bitterly resented the llPiSa
ton that he aimed at such reward am sure re- una al
much of his brusqueness and lack o. Sa naran1ent
political affairs was due TO TINS bE ne Effort
Of public speaking was agony ny, to nun speec made
Der. when congratuIated nm ma 81 mo It had cost
him two sleepless nights; bic bor,e and
family he needed and craved close contact %lth
nature he had been educated IN I Ime do and he
| had ample TO fully gTatity eyer e III he
Al f ths 6 Tas c Re P HoT p that he has
may speak of that which ha1e deT ID his efforts
to save individuals from the ruin entae5 by ver
due d he S aga enrned through another
what It was costing him to save a Houns to the
asked eibt nm VT rsformation This was his reply
INV experience has taught me that ITr4 rer he
SHARP smdeny good or bad if San assist b
who ,re6 Cams he has done great thing
the books could he opened II o MoU nv him though
multitude tss %e will never know the friend who
never would give up hone In life as Mr. Cod
In me e u" Could hot last very long In the 1GS
Of the bis, Trqg ere f wH lest tension was toe toe
much for his strength II e mf' the costs or the
Pemnas entire sacrce of business and f2Iia in
forests needing hiS oGbtess these told him
But most of all he felt inc NJ. nave He knew
that in the complications one talsG a destrov the
part that of his suhordnaC "f NAN who begged
t surrender at least in part his reSRolSi
btes His answer was ch45ao(eF1SuTIf YOU con-
s h do the cry not of hf f md o
are peilis fnrtnipht ago | babe him goodby II was
oeaFIv evident that the end vas not far OF tc ht
i beautiful home he oT tber soGH
SET me ", AZ And nov he rests from his laporS
s work is wen done He certainly RANKS Son mf
1ba t+Teatest GOOD the greatest number IN eEeT
York PROBABLY more than his na'fe = .OhST tior
~ his spirit tells in their lives The World is
better world and New-fork Det'er CITY 0o'"'''
| he has lived
o others shall
,-aLo PATIENCE labor their heart and hand
80, Inv hand heart and thy brave chser'
A ron Gods grace fructify through thee 70 all
Nev-Yorlx City, May - 1905 j. r. D.