Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-26
FOR MEMORIAL FUND
FRIENDS OF LATE e. B. HAY IN
MASS MEETING.


tect, all the estate that his executors were
able to find was $4,000 in notes that ne had
Endorsed and paid for other people" That
was the summing up of q statement made
by Geo. w. Evans to the Hay mass meet
ing at the National Rifles Armory last
night.
1t was meeting of the friends of the
late Edwin B. Hay, and all who knew him
were his friends, who had gathered 10 see
what the state of his personal affairs was,
and what, IL anything, Is needle to be dono
for his family. There was a general kus-
picion that his finances would be found to
be in bad shape. 1t was said o: hir, that
he was man known and loved from coast
to coast. He could have numbered his
friends by the Thousand. and there were
hundreds of thousands who knew him ana
whom he did not know He had spent MS
life in doing good and helping others, ana
the party that assembled les. night sIs-
pected that his family might need help
when the affairs of the dead man were sift-
ed down But perhaps nobody was pre-
pared for the wreck that an investigation
OF his affairs disclosed.
Mr.. Evans spoke lovingly of ms memory,
but he said there was no use In mtncng
words. There was nothing left of good Ned
Hays estate, and 1t remains fo- his friends
TO provide in some way for those he had
left behind.
A&A10tSo W a4h HASlAOIy
Mr.. B. H. Warner presided over the meet
Ing and spoke tenderly of Ned Hays mem
DRY. He said he was man who made a
great deal Of money: but he was man who
could not say no to any one who seemed to
need dollar worse than he did. The notes
found in his papers, he said were an elo-
quent tribute to his open-handedness. They
represented a fair competency given away.
They showed, too. that the man who had
always gone about with smiling face.
helping Others was too honest to eyado a
moral obligation, too proud to ask help
from those who would have gladly given It,
His affairs would have come right had he
been spared a little longer, but stricken
down as he was with almost no warning,
he left but a cold hearth behind him.
Campbell Darlington spoke of his friend
ship for Ed Hay. reaching back to boyhood
to have occurred but yesterday and of his
kindness and sunny nature that was
known all over the country. Then he
spoke of the last parting Of the dead man
from his friends, but a few days ago, when
there were flowers, music and kind words.
But" he concluded. we cannot conceal
the ugly truth. Flowers. music and kind
words are beautiful But they do not keep
the wolf from the door. What is wanted
is money. and 1t is wanted now.
II believe among all his host of friends
that there are at least 100 men who loved
Ed Hay and love his memory enough to
contribute 500 apiece. This would be a
nucleus Of $40, 900, and with this to go on
the fund could be raised to proper proper
tons. l believe that there are the hundred
men. In fact, / am certain Of 1t" And re-
moving a 500 bill from the outside of
roll Mr. Darlington passed 1t up to the
chairman's table and retired from the hall.
Money the Best Orator.
Commissioner Mcfarland. who was pres
ent, was called upon for an address, and
said that he had not come to talk. but If
he spoke II could only be to pay a tribute
to Ned Hays memory However" he
said, this is time when money Is the
best orator, and at the proper time | am
prepared and shall be glad to subscribe to
fund for the widow and children.
VIM. F. GUIDE spoke briefly, indorsing Mr..
Carringtons suggestion, and Joseph A.
Burkart Of the Washington Lodge OF Elks,
said that he could answer for 1t that the
response from the 2Jo,0oQ Elks In the
United States would be such that the fund
in the end would be satisfactory. He said
he was going to Denver, where he had al
already arranged a meeting on the subject
with the grand exalted ruler, position
that Col Hay himself had held during the
most trying days of the order. 1t was
rule of the Elks to give without saying. let
ting no one know who or how much they
had helped. But he said. this much can
be said without improperly, that the re-
Spouse Of the Elks would certainly be the
largest sum raised by any order in the aid
of Col. Hays family.
There were a number of other speeches.
Chas. B. JIandford. Chaplin Brown and
John B. jeffrey all paid tribute to the mem
ory of the dead man.
The meeting then adjourned, with the I'M
derstanding that the executive committee
will attend to making personal canvas or
Col Hays friends and seeing to it that
the memorial fund Is raised to a proper
figure. There will be no further public
meetings.