New-York tribune., 1907-01-06

be saw the opportunities presented for making
& beautiful park. In the mist Of the falls he
saw & seven-colored band. and il Immediately
suggested the name, Glen Iris which appears
on the national surveys to-day.
Mr.. Jetchworth. who is q bachelor had been
Obliged to give UP his mercantile business In
Buffalo owing to Ill health He set about max
ing the development Of the scenery Of his estate
one of the chief works of his life He reforested
the land. He planted vines everywhere to serve
as frames 1or the views Of the falls and of the
gorge. he added TO his holdings from time 10
time in order TO control the most beautiful part
of the twenty mile canyon the region containing
the cataracts The houses which he constructed
IN different parts for the OF the superin-
tendents. ETC., were designed to resemble Swiss
cllaletS, IN order to make them fit in with the
rugged character OF the scenery. He had walks
ana arbors provided for visitors. who were well
coined so long as they did not abuse their priHi
leges. Last year between fifteen thousand and
twenty thousand persons visited Glen Iris
Mr. Letchworth added to the attractiVeness OF
the place for visitors by constructing fire.
proof museum. IN which he placed thousands of
Indian relics. Among them IS q fossil mastodon
head found IN the neighborhood. said TO be ono
of the best preserved which have ever been dis
covered He also caused TO be transported to
and re-erected on his place the old Indian coun-
ell house which formerly stood in Caneadea and
was threatened with destruction In 1872
vivorS of the Iroquois Confederacy met on Mr.
Letchworth's place and held in this old log
house the last Indian council in the Genesee
Valley. In recognition Of his devotion to the
Indians, Mr.. Letchworth was then adopted into
the Seneca Nation. and the name of Hai-va-
ye-is-tah. which signifies 'the man who always
does the right thing" was bestowed upon him.
SIR. Le6chworth also gave burial on the coun-
ell house grounds TO the ashes of Mary Jeni-
(the famous "Old White Woman" of the
Genesee. who lived many years among the
Indians), when her grave in Buffalo was obit-
Grated by a street opening. Ee erected monu-
rnent over her grave, and near by 1t re-erected
her old log cabin-an interesting object lesson of
pioneer days
All in ali, Mr. Letchworth has spent nearly
half million dollars on the park, large pro-
portion Of the earnings OF his relatively few
years Of mercantile life
Born about eighty-three years ago, Mr. Letch-
worth has always taken a great interest in char
1ty. For twenty-five years beginning with 1873
he devoted much time to state charitable work.
being for that period commissioner of the
State Board Of Charities, most of the time presi-
dent. He gave his time, services and incidental
expenses without ever presenting o blu to tho
state. Hi. efforts resulted IN many improve
ylenrs n the arrangement Of mo charitable fnst-
tutions OF the state, and he has published books
and monographs the care of the insane and
of epileptics and kindred subjects. His library
the subject of charities, which IS included in
best private collection Of its kind in the United
States
Glen Iris lies along either side of the Genesee
River. extending northward from Portage Bridge
for more than three miles. II includes the three
falls, which. therefore, can never be stripped Of
their water for power purposes. The well known
Portage Bridge on the Erie Railroad 500 feet
long and 234 feet high, spans the gorge on the
property.
Not all of the $50 foot gorge through which
the river runs in passing from the southern to
the northern part Of the western end of the
Empire State, and IN the course of which it
changes its name from Upper to Lower Genesee
River, Is In Mr.. Letchworth's possession. The
canyon is about twenty miles long. 1t extends
from Portage north through an almost horizon
tai series of layers of rock, which once appar-
emily lay beneath the surface OF tho ocean and