Arizona republican., 1909-05-23

land who placed the first tree in the
 ground. Instead of following the
 usual custom of distinguished men
 and contending himself with merely
 throwing on a spadeful of earth, MT.
 Cleveland with characteristic thor
 oughness insisted on. doing the job
 completely and finished 1t up by
 stamping the earth down solidiy around the stem of the young tree. On the following day MT. Wilson planted his tree, selecting like his former chief a chestnue and on the second day
 MT. Carlisle set out the third mem Der of the grove. He declined to be remembered by a chestnut, however, but picked upon a rock maple as a finer and more enduring kind of tree. These three original members of the grove are all in flOurishing condition today, although two of the three men
 who placed them there have passed away. The Cleveland tree especially has grown rapidly and has put out broad-spreading branches which sug- gest that it's famous sponsor must have imparted to it some of his own tireless energy.
 Shortly after the founding of the
 grove, in May. 1897, Andrew Carnegie was a visitor at Mir. Benedict's home and added a tree to the group al ready planted. Following the ma jority precedent, MT. Carnegie selected a chestnut. During the same year Mir. Benedict invited his close business friend, Charles Stewart Smith, who as president of the New York chamber of commerce and in other positions ideE- tified with commercial and municipal affairs had long been one of the lead ing business men of the city, to add a tree to his collection.
 As Mir. BenedicIs S many friendships have not been confined to men in business and public life but have in- cluded also large numoer of men of literary and professional eminence, so his group of friendly trees commence rates also some of these acquaintance ships. One of these is a linden plant ed by Thomas Bailey Aldrich, the poet. in 1898. Another is a pine which Joseph Jefferson added to the grove in 1899. Mir. Jefferson accompanied his act with a witty speech of pre- sentatiOn which he delivered with the SiiONtl shNAOSS HIS onDuihtI anu III tllt attitude familiar to all those who knew the actor in his celebrated part of Rip Van Wrinkle -
 A younger, but no less flourishing member of the frienship grove Is a spruce tree planted by Charles War ren Fairbanks in 1907, while he was vice president of the United States. Whether MT. Fairbanks was moved by touch of humor to select d tree known especially by it's adaptability to frigid climates in view of the charac- teristic which the cartoonists insisted upon attributing to him. he did not say, but it probably was merely a coincidence.
 The very newest member of the grove is a young oak planted by MT. Benedict himself Tn 1908. Urged by his friends to add his own representa- tives to the collection of leafv memo rials, the famous banker finally de- cided to do SO Several months ago. just prior to his departure for an ex- tended trip to Europe, in the presence of his sons-in-law and daughters. MT. and Mrs. Clifford B. Harmon and NIT. and Mrs. Ramsey Turnbull, he planted AA RehN NAtt III Ailt SiONts liltTtDA completing it as it stands today The group as a whole, both from it's senti- mental features and it's picturesque ness, forms a unique testimonial to the enduring character of friendship.
 Mir. Benedict is Tot only famous host but is also an ardent lover of outdoor life and it was doubtless the of these two characteris- tics that caused him to create his friendship grove. His Connecticut es- tate includes sixty acres of woodland in which nearly all the trees that flourish in this climate are to be found and are assiduously cared for. In addition there are dozens of green houses sheltering rare tropical plants and flowers. This love of outdoor life is shared by all the members Of his family. Mrs. Clifford E. Harmon. one of his daughters, is a keen SportswOman with a particular fond ness for yachting and fishing. while another daughter. Mrs. Thomas Hast ngs. wife of a well-known architect. is noted woman whip and is presi- lent of the Four-in- Hand club of New York.