The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-02

/ Appeals, was considerable, and II all came
out Of that $4,000 a month. The UNI
varsity fell behind. Inside and outside it
was freely said that Stanford would have
/ TO be closed for a year or two, because il
/ could never pull through long siege in
7 the courts. Some of the trustees even
urged that course upon Mrs Stanford.
1 She refused and organized at once lobby,
/ which she directed from California, to
/ hurry up the case.
1t had passed in 1895 through the Circuit
/ Court, where "A verdict was returned favora-
| BILE TO the Stanford interests II was hurried
! through the Court of Appeals, where also
} the decision was favorable. but IL fingered
IN the Supreme Court
In the spring of 1895 the faculty, living
already on half rntions. was two months
behind in salaries. They were even cur
failing the science courses because there
was no money TO pay salaries,
II was then that Mrs. Stanford decided
TO sell her jewels and. if necessary the
furniture Of her houses IN Palo Alto and
San Francisco. She had been contem-
plating this from the beginning Of the
trouble. She had disposed Of few to raise
the money for trip To Paris. where the
rest could be sold to better advantage.
when a temporary eXpedient was dis
covered.
On the vina ranch which includes the
biggest vineyard in the world, was a lot Of
wine held to age. 1t was found that this
did not come under the Jurisdiction of the
court II was sold and the university
worried along The Jewels were held as
a last reserve, since the price OF gems ives
low In the hard times.
Before the university common cement
in the spring OF 1890 the period of real
danger had passed, for the Supreme Court
had decided in favor of the Stanford estate
There were however very ticklish times
for year, while the requests to relatives
were being paid from the estate All this
Mrs. Stanford managed herself.
She showed the most remarkable eK-
known" said President Jordan years
later, and when the whole story ia told 1t
will be ono OF the greatest in the annals Of
heroic womRnhood"
From that time on there was little doubt
that the whole Stanford fortune would be-
long to the university eventually Mrs.
Stanford added TO it, endowment from
time 10 time. and in 1901 she turned over
practically the whole Stanford estate,
giving Stanford an endowment aside from
campus and buildings, Of about sos 900 coo.
Even her houses were included in the gift,
with special trust clause which permitted
her to use them during her life. Much Of
the property in this endowment will increase
in value.
The next year came the Ross affair Prof
f A. Ross was dropped from the Stanford
faculty. II was charged that he was ex-
PEELED for expressing views on trusts and
property rights hostile to Mrs Stanford.
This was followed by the resignation Of
several professors The case was c,iriously |
twisted. and the full truth never came out.
Last year, just before her departure for a
long trip abroad Mrs. Stanford published !
the correspondence in the case 1t tended |
10 place the onus of Prof, Ross dismissal |
not on her. but on tho active scholastic |
management Of the university
Jane Lathrop Stanford was born in the |
State of New York in the early 30s of |
Puritan stock. She married Leland Stan
ford at the age OF 20, accompanied him 10 |
California and was with him in his rise from |
small stopkeeper to railway builder. Gov |
ernor and United States Senator.
Their only son, Leland Stanford, Jr., was |
born TO them rather late. He died Rome in |
1894 at the age off. His death changed the !
whole current Of Mrs. Stanfords life. From |
a woman of society she became a mOurner. |
a deyotee, something Of an eccentric. She
began To devote herself 10 charity. In 1885,
while Stanford was in the senate the plan
OF great free university was formed.
Work was begun in 1857 and the university
was opened in 1891
There was a strong trace Of mysticism
In Mrs Stanford. A Methodist in the be-
ginning. she drifted later toward the High
Church wing OF Episoopaliansm. AT one
time it was believed that she was about
TO enter the Roman Catholic Church. TO
which her brother was a convert
At the same time she had leaning tow
ard spritualism. Her absolute devotion
to the memory OF her husband and son
was her most prominent trait in her later
years. II was this devotion which held her
TO the fight for the university in the hard |
times. The Jewels which she once offered
she sold three wears ago ~ a gratuitous
sacrifice to build the university church,
the largest and most costly building Of
the kind on the Pacific Coast, II was dpdi-
Gated to Senator Stanford Every object
which her husband and son had used or
touched was sacred 20 her.
just how much was left to Mrs Stanford
from the estate after the gift Of 1901 is un
certain. The nearest surviving relative
IS her brother Charles Lathrop, who lives
AT Palo Alto Cal Her relatives in the
East are Mrs DAME! S. Lathrop Of Sara
foga. her sister-in-law and two neces
Mrs. George Parker Iawton Of New York
and Saratoga and Mrs. Walter Hendrick
Hanson OF Brooklyn. both daughters Of
Mr.. Lathrop.
Mrs. Stanford's death will probably not
Increase the funds of Stanford University,
street, San Francisco. IS now free to the
Uses OF the university and will be turned
either into museum or an allied college.
The government Of the university is in the
hands of n board OF trustees. This has
30 far been hardly more than a nominal
governing body since Mrs. Stanford was
acitly permitted TO have the final say IN
most matters and especially in exUendi-
ures. II had been her wish to live to see
he building scheme completed. She nearly
achieved this, for the foundations of the
asst building in the plan were laid last