The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-09

He was devoted to his church. he
was the prime mover and main con
tributor to the erection of Main Street
Methodist church in Durham, and as
long as his health would permit he
was always present at services. He
was liberal to all the enterprises of his
church. In addition to the steady and
large gifts to the support of the min
istry, missions and other objects, for
which collections are Systematically
taken, Mr.. Duke was generous toward
other causes. His unostentatious per-
sonal gifts will be sadly missed in
many quarters.
Mr.. Dukes chief benefactions were
to education. Some years ago he pur-
which was financially involved, and ii
has since been conducted in way to
do much good. But it was to Trinity
College that he gave most largely, and
in which he was chiefly interested.
Under the presidency of DR.. Crowell
it was determined to move the college
to Raleigh. Before the transfer had
gone beyond a resolution of the trus-
tees, Mr.. Duke offered to give $4,000
in cash to have it located in Durham
and Gen. Julian S. Carr offered to do
nate the site upon which it is located.
The people of Raleigh. not wishing to
stand in the way of the largest sue
cess of the college agreed to the suB-
gestion that the college should be
moved to Durham. Mr.. Duke has
ings and to its endowment, his total
gifts probably reaching 100000. His
deep interest in the college interested
his sons, and Mr.. B. n. Duke has reg
ularly given large sums to it's mainten-
ance, while last year Mr.. James Blu
chanan Duke gave handsome library
and equipped it with the best books.
Father and sons have probably given
half Il million dollars to the institu-
ton. Every year the institution sets
apart Founders Day" upon which
some prominent North Carolinian
voices the appreciation of the col
lege and it's friends. The many evil
dences of appreciation of his gifts to
and interest in Trinity College have
been most grateful to Mr.. Duke and
have cheered him in his declining
years, particularly since his confine-
ment by reason of an accident sustain
ed about year ago. The money he
has invested in Trinity College will re-
turn a large yield every year of its
existence, and unborn generations will
be benefited by the instruction inn
parted there While giving literally
to endow Trinity College, he did not
believe that young man needed much
help to secure an education. Scholar
ships did not appeal to him. He Of
ten said that If young man really
wanted an education, he would find a
way to get it. aHe believed that men
ought to struggle for education and
that only those who would practice
self-denial to secure education ought
to be helped
Ins politics Mr.. Duke was an un-
swerving Republican. He rarely at
tended political conventions, but was
deeply interested in politics and re-
joiced in every victory won by his par
ty. He never ran for office but once,
when he was the Republican candi-
date for the Constitutional~C Convention.
His political associates often urged
him to lend the use of his name for
some positions of honor, but he always
refused. except in the one instance
above mentioned. He held tenaciously
to his political views and loved to talk
politics. with his Democratic neigh
bors.
Mr.. Duke believed that large sue
cess was possible to any man who
would work hard and live economical
ly. He hated lazy man-rather he
justice to the dead man to say that he
hated any fellow-man. He loved to
see men work and struggle, and help
ed many who showed they were indus
trious and saving He lived simply
himself. Though he1built an elegant
house and had every comfort, he al
ways held his simple tastes. He never
Effected to be what he was not, and
toward the friends of his youth he was
the same man in wealth that he H.is in
the early days before he had rubbed
Aladdins lamp and amassed a for
tune. He loved to have money be-
cause he could do good with it and
for the power il gave, but he was not Il
worshipper OF money and knew chat
wisdom and honesty were above dol
lars.
The career of Mr. Duke shows what
is possible in America. He had sound
ed all the shoals and depths of poverty
and riches. He had, except his farm,
only flfry cents in cash when he re-
turned from the war in 1865. He lived
to see the time when his check for a
million dollars would have been hon