The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-01
A GREAT PHILANTHROPIsT.
Sketch of the Woman Who Gave
Away Millions.

Z
If at any time in the future his
tory of philanthropy In Anerlcs a1'
should be written. the name OF Mrs
Leland Stanford would have a promi-
nent place in that history. To hel
would belong the distinction of haV-
ing given more to the great cause OF
education than any other woman OF
her day and generation The great
Leland Stanford Junior university in
California would bear testimony TO TINS
fact. Mrs. Stanford not only freely
signed with her husband the deeds
that transferred property valued at
twenty millions of dollars to the trus-
tees Of the university, but since the
death of her husband she has added
ten millions of dollars to their joint
gift and it is said that she had plans
for still further gifts to the university
after her death.
Mrs. Stanford has also given nearly
two hundred thousand dollars to es-
tab1ish kindergartens in San Fran
cisco. and she built in her native city,
Albany, n. Y, a free hospital for chill
dren at a cost of one hundred thous-
and dollars, and endowed it with an
other Gift of one hundred thousand
dollars. Her private benefactionS will
never be known, but they have been
many and large She takes first rank
in the amount she has given to educa-
tional, charitable and other institu-
tions-
a
throD and she was born in the year
1925. When she married Leland
Stanford he was a poor and struggling
young lawyer who had had hung out
his shingle in Port Washington, a
small town on Lake Michigan He
was the son of a poor farmer, and it
is doubtful if in his widest dreams he
had ever hoped to achieve the fame
and fortune that came to him in his
later years. When the great gold
mining fever broke out and the tide
of travel set in toward California Le-
land Stanford left his young wife be-
hind him and set out for the west. A
tire had destroyed his home and his
small library He had two brothers
VINO mad gone to the west and young
Leland followed them. He had a
business head" and from the first he
was successful. He gave up the law
and became a business man. In ten
years he was governor of California.
II was Leland Stanford who brought
about that great triumph of modern times
"a railroad across the Rocky mountains.
scope of its wonderful resO.l1 ces until it
was connected by bands of steel with the
Sast- ne best railroad engineers of that
DAY said that a railroad up and over the
roeky mountains was beyond the limit of
u ~ human achleVement Other engineers
though It possible and Leland Stanford
SAID that II should come to pass. He set
20 NOrk with lnvincible resolution to have
the road constructed and on the 10th dav
OF May IN the year 1869 the road from
the Atlantic coast and the road from the
Faclfc coast met at PrOmOntOrV. Utah, a
point $50 miles from San Francisco and a
nttle more than 1000 miles from Ona ha.
The last spikes that connected the two
mes OF road and made them one were
driven by Leland Stanford. The spikes
were three in number. One was of gold
from California, one of silver from Ne
yada and the other OF gold and silver
from Arizona 1t was the compleitno of
the most marvellous achievement in rail-
roadlng IN America. 1t was an achieve
ment that brought millions of dollars in
20 the coners of Leland Stanford. but he
and Mrs Stanford nave returned many
mlihons of it to California in the univer-
Slty they founded and in other WaVS
When he was but Is years old the only
Hhlld OF Mr.. and Mrs. Stanford died He
vas promising lad VINO was studiousIy
inclined and he had said that when he be-
came a man he intended to establish a
great university His father and mother
rsInennb bered his words and the university
tney have founded is their monument to
the memory of Leland Stanford. jr
MIS- Stanford has never cared verv
much for society an1 she has always sc
garded her wealth a trust to be admin
istered for the good of others Most of
her time IN the last years of her life was
spent IN planning for the university ana
IN considering how best to dispose of the
large fortune stin left in her nossessio5,
Glthouga she has already given avav 50
many millions. -