Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-06
MRS, SAGE AS PATRIOT
Nav Give Constitution Island
to West Point.
FOR PREPARATORY SCHOOL
Where Would-Be Cadets Could Be
Given Free Training.
PRICE IS NEARLY $500, 900
President Said to Favor Project In
View Of Many Lost In Recent
Years to Army.
PRICE IS NEARLY 100000

NEW YORK, August cit was learned
yesterday from a New York friend OF Mrs.
Russell Sage that she Is thinking serious
ly of purchasing Constitution Island. In
the upper Hudson opposite West Point,
and presenting 1t to the United states
government as a site on which to erect
the worlds greatest military preparatory
school. a school that will be to West
Point what Elton is to oxford and Law
renceville Is to Princeton.
According to Mrs. Sage's friend, she Is
much In earnest about this project She
Will send representative to West Point
within few days to look into the matter
and put her in possession of all the facts
concerning Constitution Island, the at
titude of the West Point authorities to-
ward the idea, and whether or not Con-
gress is likely to give its sanction in the
event Of Mrs. Sage's obtaining title to the
property.
Mrs. Sage would like to give to West
Point preparatory school. 1t is said.
where boys. particularly those from re-
mote places where the public schools are
not the best can receive the preparatory
education necessary to pass the rigid ex-
animation required of all candidates for
cadetships at the United States Military
Academy.
President Favors Plan.
In recent years the percentage of cadets
who have been lost to the army as a re-
cult of their inability to pass the West
Point examinations, both entrance and
terminal. has been very large, particularly
in the mathematical branches 1t is to
remedy this that Col Scott, superintend-
ent at West Point, and the higher officials
or the War Department are anxious to
acquire Constitution Island and utilize it
1or the location of training school for
West Point candidates.
President Roosevelt is said to be in
FAVOR OF the plan to establish such a
school. and 1t Is certain that even II Mrs
Sage does not present the island to the
government a determined effort will he
made in the next Congress to get an ap-
preparation through to purchase It,
The island. can be had for q sum be-
tween $4,000 and 100000. Whether Mrs.
sage Is considering also the ACCESSIBILITY
OF giving the money with which to build
such school, the friend who told of the
Constitution Island project yesterday
said he did not know.
This friend also said that Mrs Sage
interest in West Point and the proposed
preparatory school began with the read
Ing by her, week ago last Sunday. OF
an illustrated story on Constitution Is
land. in which. for the first time, the
natural relationship of the island to West
Point and the almost imperative necessity
OF the government buying the property
was told.
Col. Scott's Views.
He said that there was ample reason
why the government should purchase the
island. not the least Of which Is it's
strtegic value. Col. Scott reported that
the 2SO acres could be bought for con-
siderably less than $1,000 an acre.
THE present owner Of the island" said
Col. Scott, lone Of the Warner sisters.
is well known to all Of the older gradu-
her desire that the island, which is her
home. should pass into the hands of the
government. An investigation made a
year ago into the value Of property in
vantages for most purposes than does
Constitution Island showed that $1.OOO
per acre is the minimum price at which
sales Of such property have been made
within the last few years: yet the owner
of the island offers it to the govern
81, 600 per acre"
AS for its history. Constitution Island is
rich with revolutionary memories, and
the library at West Point is full Of these
records. They show that Benjamin Frank
lin. Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Wash
ington. Lafayette and numerous other
persons whose names are immortal in the
republics history visited the island, which
for natural beauty Of Surroundings is
hardly surpassed on the American CONT
nent.
The island Is now the property of Miss
Anna Bartlett Warner. she and her Sis
ter, the late Susan Warner. who was we'll
known under the pen name Of Elizabeth
Wetherell, having purchased the island in
1860. Miss Anna Warner is one of West
Points best friends. and numbers among
her friends practically every army officer
of prominence in the country She is
deeply interested in the welfare of the
academy.