St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-01-06
Story of Henry L. Clapp.
The Romantic Career of a Most Brilliant
Man.


Man.
The romance of Henry L. CIapp's lii
: has followed him beyond the grave, say
, Julius Chambers in the Brooklyn Eagle
A letter from Valetta, Malta. announce
that 100000 bequeathed for the build
ing of hospital at that port by tn
American who dwelt in such rega
splendor at his beautiful palace at Pieta
overlooking the beautiful harbor anC
the turquoise blue Mediterranean be
yond, has been embezzled by the Maltese
bankers in whose custody it was placed
by the dead mans executors. Thus is
defeated cherished hope of Mr. Clapp
about which he talked with genuine
enthusiasm when he was last in this city,
as we chatted together at his hotel.
'Valetta is in the track of sailing vessels
and steamers between the two ends of
the Mediterranean, and it suffers dread
fully at times from contagious diseases.
1t was Mr.. Clapp's hope to establish a
hospital far out on Dracut point, COM
pletelv isolated from the city and from
the present British quarantine station,
to which passengers and visitors could
be taken and their lives saved. His wife.
now his widow, is very wealthy
woman, and she heartily concurred in
the form that this memorial to his name
was to take. When Mr. Clapp died last
year, the local newspapers had consider
able to say about the projected hospital,
which was to be built and managed on
American lines.
Few tales in the Thousand and One
Nights" are more curious than is plain.
simple narrative of the lite of Henry l..
Clapp. He was born in Chicopee, Mass,
and passed his boyhood among the roar
and clatter of paper and cotton mills.
After taking college course, he went to
ST. Johnsbury, VT, and became identified
with the scale mandatory of Fairbanks
K Co. He rose rapidly, and when a
New York office was established, he was
'ent here to take charge fit. He was a
driving man of So
One night, toward the end of the
seventies, B. B. Hotchkiss gave delight
ul dinner party at Delmonico's. The
pack OF my menu contains the names of
zen. S. V. Benet, Charles Stewart Smith,
Park Benjamin, Thomas w. Knox, VIC.
-hurch and H. l.. Clapp. Hotchkiss
md l had spent winter together-in
Madrid, his mission being to sell his then
lew revolving cannon to the Spaniards.
That accounted for my invitation. OF
III men present Mr.. Clapp was the most
ntertaining. He was the life of the
'arty; he told the best story, sang the
est song, and was ever ready with a
right answer that hit the mark. THUS
egan tor me an acquaintance that grew
ather than faded out.
He went to Italy and lived about
ear in pretty villa that he rented on
he hills overlooking Florence. Then he
rlfted to Spain, but drawn by the Lode
tone OF love, he sailed from Barcelona
} Malta
During the stay at Florence, he had
Jet the Madame Dammit, an heiress of
ne OF the oldest families on the historic
land OF Malta. She welcomed him and
ley made short work of the wooing.
e was widower, close to so; she was
arhaps 10 years his junior The lady
'oke several languages and was a liber
patron of art. {
The Villa Dammit was famous palace
lat had belonged to the lady's ances-
'rs as early as the days of Phillip II; the
ing that had been rebuilt was named a /
LA. One of the first visitors to the re-
,nerated place was the late oah Brooks, I
no was the guest Of his former club
lend Tor winter $
The feature of the exterior of the Villa
immit was splendid Carrara marble {
aircase OF 80 steps that led from the
Dat landing to the portico, the roof of 7
e latter supported by Cornthian
lumns OF alabaster. That stairway is $
dream. If it existed in the time of S
nilip IL, one may be sure that many a {
liant Knight of Malta died in its a
tense. never can think of it without d
calling that splendid bit of real Hag- Y
Ird writing in Allan Quartermain," in Ii
hlch is told Umslopagus' defense of the q
lcient stairway in Sheba's country. f
The gardens about this dream palace t
Pieta were fragrant with flowers a
roughout the year; whenever chill II
'rt1 winds came over the hills, the i,
rdeners covered the plants with tar c
lins. But bad weather was of short v
ration and when the bright sun, as it v
ines only upon the Mediterranean d
orld, burst forth again, the dream of c
uberant lite was renewed. Back of n
e house was sentinel row of cypress-
, Keeping watch, as one would think.
the teluccas and bat winged craft of
e piratlcal Turks, so that the Maltese a
light be warned in time to man the g
mparts. From the porch of the Villa i.
lmmlt, as upon a canvas, stretched the h
"a OF All Antiquity, with it's strange "
Ups from all parts of the Western or.
It.
What land of dreams in which TO
'ow old2
What charmed life this highly imagi-
ltlve American must have led? y
Make comparison, if you can, be-
veen memory revel at Pieta and sell
g scales in dingy Broadway office!
Easy TO Mix This.
what will appear very interesting to
DPnnla bpra .,