The Lamar register., 1906-07-04

Day in and day out she sits and
knits and knits and knits, with a
steadfastness of purpose that ruled
the fingers of Nine. Jacobin. But the
stitches she takes are not the record
of evil destinies. They mean succor
for the sick and heavy-laden. work
for idle hands. bread for the hungry.
eulIghtenment for the untutOreu
Gentle sympathetic. intensely pions.
a home-Iover and a home maker, Is
this woman-this mother In the old
fashioned meaning of the word, the
wife of Thomas Fortune Ryan.
The characteristics of Thomas Ryan,
money making prince and Wall street
baron, in way also rule In the life
OF Mrs. Ryan. builder of churches.
hospitals and schools. and the little
known but enthusiastic cooperator In
every move making for the betterment
of the human kind. 1t has been said
e of her husband that he has had a I'm
ger in every big financial pie in the
last decade. She has had hand in
nearly every philanthropical work in
New York. Virginia, the District OF
Columbia and the southwest In that
time. She is now giving away more
than 81 .0o0. 900 a year.
This woman. of whom the world
knows practically nothing. has built
more churches. hospitals and schools
and endowed more places for the wor-
ship of God than perhaps any other
living person. She gave $1.OOO.OOO
last year alone to the churches and
schools of Virginia. her native state.
Publicity Is Mrs. Ryan's bette noir.
To give without ostentation is the only
way to give. according to her belief.
There is no difference between Mrs.
Ryan of 80 years ago and the Mrs.
Ryan of to-day. 1t was of no moment
to the public then what she did or did
not do. She cannot understand why
1t should be interested now. She
counts herself as doing no more than
the wife of a poor man who gives oi
slim purse to others. She gives
from richer purse. that's ALL
Old-fashioned as Mrs. Ryan is. she
Is a woman combining all the business
qualities and foresight demanded by
the times. She Is woman of affairs,
yet her home life comes first.
A glimpse into the favorite residence
of Mrs Ryan-the old Minturn house
on the northwest corner of Fifth ave
nue. and Twelfth streets a mental
bath after the glitter and glare and
garnishness one usually meets in the
homes of the rich, declares a writer
in the New York Times. You enter
through a high-ceilinged hall. draped
with soft garnet hangings. A paint
ing of the master of the house has a
nj of ha {
are a few good engravings. This hal
is like those found in all the fine
old southern mansions. On the frs
floor are the library. drawing-ro
and smoking hall.
But 1t is up a wide staircase to thu
second floor that one must go to fint
room about 20 feet square. furnished
with chintz-covered chairs. hung will
pictures. such as have long since beer
consigned to the fashionable ant
wealthy to dusty attic corners. ant
strewn with sewing tables. chests, /;
tea table and music box. Everything
Is old-fashioned. with one exception
and that is an up-to-date desk, with /;
telephone attachment. which stand!
unobtrusively in corner. This is th'
room. with its windows filled will
red geraniums the year round. wher,
Mrs. Ryan plans her good works
which the wealth of her husband exc
.cutes.
There is never an idle moment wher
Mrs. Ryan is in that sitting-room o
hers. No visitor is so important, nj
conversation so interesting. as to ab
sorb her entire attention. She ha
sympathy for the comfort and in
forests of the friends who go to he
there, but always begins the visi
with:
"You won't mind my going on witt
my knitting, will you?"
Not very long ago. when Cardina