The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-11-19
Educational Congress O0SG 3
With Largely Attended Banquet

lQedl COlleSe.
when we located in Chicago and
I devoted myself to business enter
prises, it was with distinct purpose
of accommodating a fortune and giving
it to aid small colleges. The fortune
was gained and the purpose was car
ried out When 1 was 20 years old, l
stopped making money and began
giving it away. l first gave money at
home. I looked around Chicago. 1
helped build a hospital and assisted
two theological seminaries with three
or four hundred thousand dollars. l
helped the Y M. c. A and State Mis-
sionary society and other institutions.
Then I turned my attention especially
to colleges. For the last 19 years
have engaged in no other business
than hunting up poor colleges in des-
titute portions of our country. l have
assisted in all, AZ colleges, located in
"a different states In doing this my
special desire was to encourage the
poor boys and girls of our country. 1
wanted to provide funds on which tehy
might live while getting an education.
I had myself been deprived of a COL
lege education through poverty and
wanted to fix it SO these boys and
girls, sons and daughters of wage
earners could have the privilege Of a
college close to them where they
might secure liberal education.
Some Cheerful Givers.
'1n devoting money to education 1
felt that 1 was in good company. The
.iy~sf Of &11o
eating the coming American citizens.
In this connection / wish to ask your
attention to four prominent givers to
the cause of education. Among the
first, was George Peabody, a young
man who left Danvers, his native
town in Massachusetts, and went to
London and started a bank His bank
was great boon to American trav-
ellers. My wife and I met him in so
and obtained from him a letter of
credit by which We could travel any
any place. Mr. Peabody was one of
the finest men | ever met popular with
both English and Americans. Upon
his death. it was found that he had
left three and a half million dollars
to the benefit of southern colleges.
The income of that money has been
devoted to the betterment of poor
colleges in the south. Some of these l
have seen. Had it not been for George
Peabody they would not exist.
Take Cecil Rhodes as another ex-
ample of college benefactor. He left
Oxford and went to Africa on account
In civ
the head of the largest business es-
tabl1shment in the world. He died and
left ten millions Of money for the SUD-
port of young men at Oxford univer-
slty His beCuest enables the bright
est young men in Europe and
America to remain three years at
Oxford with the $500 which each re-
celVeS he can support himself at the
university and travel. Mark this i'm
portant additional feature. The gath
erlng together of the finest and bright
est young men of the whole world
must add much to the future friendly
relations of different countries, and
especially to our consular services for
many Of these young men will be fitted
to be American cOnSulS One of our
greatest deficiencies in American rep
resentation abroad has been good men
men for consuls. 1 have met such as
were disgrace to our country Now,
thanks to Cecil Rhodes, we may hope
to have some of another kind.
Next I wish to mention Mr.. Car
negie, one of the most beautiful
things Mr.. Carnegie ever did, or can
n tn rrnx-iHa
balance of their lives to teachers who
have been 25 years teaching. That is
the finest thing that any man has
ever done in this country-taking care
of the old teachers. Besides that look
at the hundreds and hundreds of Ii
braries which he has established all
over this country. He is certainly one
of the largest hearted men that ever
lived.
'The next great giver is Rockefeller.
He is one of the most lovable men I
ever met He has one of the worth
lest families in America, not a stain
upon them. His sons are all business
men Of the highest standing. Two Of
his daughters married honest young
men from Chicago. He never made
an effort to marry his daughters to
counts who were of no account what
ever. or to marry them to lords and
kings. and then spend his money set
Ting divorces. Mr.. Rockefeller has
done nothing of that kind He has a
genuine American family The ef-
forts you are making here to establish
the Greater Whitman are in exact line
with what Mr.. Rockefeller and his
wise secretary intend to do with the
great educational fund of $4,000. 900.
Mr.. Rockefeller has laid the founda-
ton of the grandest university in
America right in Chicago, and endowed
it with $23,0OO,OOO of money. Thus
property millions and millions more.
he added to the value of Chicago
I'm this connection We cannot re-
frain from mentioning Mrs. Russell
Sage. for we believe her equally en-
titled to a place among great bene-
factors. She is distributing the vast
fortune left her very wisely and very
literally.
But 1 have been telling you thus
far all about my work in other places
than Walla Walla, and your thoughts
now are centered entirely upon Wal
L. oil