The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-09-18

among men have been Aptly carraturrd b.
7 Mr. Ihurrhill hut there " nothing el-e VI
, the vaTosr of ~Jethro HAS, certainly NJ
ono 81 the hasa and di-honorabls thlnRs
Nhtrh suggests Rusl burke" or ver" ans
part 81 his character ar conduct during his
long life ~ pruhlty aud high repuie.
few facts Will complete the vindb"aiion
Mr. DurkOa never held many mortgages
and died ~ Croydon Ina lSsS. comparatively
poor. pT Elisha NJ, kempton. Register oi
Probate tGT sullivan county. furnishes mo
the following statement OF hts personal
properly
Heaf s-taie. 1880; personal estate.
o. 7ao total. SIC. SsO.S7 Debts and expenses
of administration. 81. 49,. a. value Of real
eststs sold to pay debts. t1.t7s.ai. This
loft for Mrs. Durkeo ~. 72T u In an old house
ana farming lands.
Ruel Durkes hns no relatives now living
to Justify and praise him becauss Of the
! things hs did nor TO claim for him respect
and honor for the things which he did not do.
| but witch now and hen a modern politician
does do.
! In his pamphlet NJ Chandler reprinted
/ from the Uranits Monthly Of February.
! 1852. tho article already referred to, Inch
was accompanied by the portrait here
reprcduosd MIR Chambers word por-
| trait IL interesting. Whether u ~ fiattery
/ or not IL matter over which Mr.. Durkee =
/ friends and enemies may yet he lighting.
kuel Durkee's whole life was spent
| IN Croydon, the town which the novelist
painted a. Coniston. Croydon is ia Sulll-
van county In 1870 the population
OF the whole township was $40. II Is
doubtful II the reCent CensAIs shows any
notable increase. IL IL not unlikely that
when k,iel Durkee first russ To fame
there IL held almost a. great u number
| No railroad has vet penetrated II,
although II JsthrO Bass IL faithful
picture Of Ruel Durkee he grew great
through railroad rivalries
II was o. Croydon that kuel Durkee
brought his wife. Miss Polly y Barton,
In 1885 Readers Of -Conistpn- will recall
vaguely tn" Mrs BasS who figures -
little In its IEages but the expert identIfisTs
prUfe-s.'d u s.a.' a likeness u Ruel Durkee
In Jethru's fondnes- for clothing his
" ife IN expensive Il sometimes gay raj
ment When MIR Chandler described him
Rucl Durkes was SiN feet two and weighed
go poundS Milk. We are told, was his
favorite food He hates rum in all lite
forms as much a. he did slavery
DuTkee, like some other bosse- Il boss
he was. cared little for offiCehOldinR
Selectman and town treasurer he Was
for many years he was "a state Repre-
sentative IN 1915 and isi5. and helped to
send John p Hale - the senate as "A
straight ont anti-slaveTy man; he carried
the Lincoln electoral votes u Washin gtnn
ia 1894 and h. h"lped o. nominate Blaine
in Chicago Ia 1854. That was his Office
holdng record
Of his trip O. WashinRt IN IN 1884 Mr.
Chandler tells an incident which Mas u
New Hampshire Ipk. for years Mr..
Durkee started on the same train with
Gov Gilmore and his stan The Governor
and the boss Ialways with an 10 were. not
GA the best of terms, and the stan defer
mined - capture the electoral votes,
which Mr. Durkrc carried In the side
packet Of his long dr,s-e coat. a garment
which he wore until IN" time 81 his death
4. II.
sCrih.S
In New York The Governor and his frolic
some spirits WsuI into sumptuouS quarters
at the Itith Avenue Hotel. while Mr. Durk~e
and hi- crmp1uIuu moi"stly bTeakfasted
at IN" Nslor before Operating. however,
accepting an invitation from the on, iIl
per-rrngcs o.. visit WITH them a. a later
hour fl" New England soldiers head
quarters IN 'hargr of cot Prank l. Howe
while thus Inspecting col Howe rEtab-
li~hrneu' Mr Burke- ,pp"aref - ba taken
House. wh"r" the -yUg1' hiSing stan Officers I
promised 10 call Oh their way up town
Al the NstoT Hous" Mr. Dgrkce. con |
trlTy to hi usual frugal habits. indulged !
himself ~ large room. pro,urcd a huge |
yellow envelope. put within u an old news |
~ T..r placed o. IN hIs side dresS coat 20, ke' |
aud transferred the package of electoral
hardly time 90 become - oppressed bv his /
sickness - 60 throw his coat on hair :
aud fall into l'd befoTr the impatient offi,Al .
party arrived They found Mr. DUTkee |
90 great pain with hi- face very red and I
turned ~ nc vail 20 conceal hi- anguish /
Their drN o'tUu SNrDS-isc br uutrhius !
felt hr- pu' =. pr Dumas Iu--t~i rhs' 4 1
drop 81 -nmcthing stimulating was the
proU-r remedy Tor a." not unnatural uualm-
f - L. tai Ia
from 10" country unused go night travel ,
the ,hl"' - stan -trokcd h. forehead and /
eNVr"~sHt hI- tender -vmptthi"- for -
dear friend, Vhii" Mr. Gilmore examined /
th, dr'-- "nat tie speedily found a po. ke,
carefully closed bv tour pins and within .
pa' Sag" addressed 70 the Prc-ideut 81 the .
senate aud rushed 10 the hotel oiire took 4
= larg. yellow envelope directed u TO the /
Prs-Id"u' of the senate. putting within su .
old ueW ~paTer ard s1lelv pinned ~ inside
tho coat pocket all successfully done Iu.'
- IA" kind ministra'ionS ~ the stuf corps
had -uCcsc,icd Ia relry Ing Mr. Durke.'-
pains amt reNtying his activity After
few congratulations on his speedy recovery
and IN" expression Of hopes that he would
have no relapse the shrewd military heroes
and Rall,n' band Of practical iokerS with
drew TO the Fun Avenue Hotel the door
was closed and locked behind them and a
-miI- cam" over the features IL the gentle
man from croydon a. he said. Did those
damned gre~nhorn- think they could fool
Ruel Durkee'
To make matters worse. the Governors
party, who had put the supposedly
precious package IN the hotel safe forgot
II when they went Ola q Washington
wer" obliged q telegraph back for IL AZ !
= sacrlhc" of money and time. and wer~
for Will" badly frightened Of tn.
return of the stan Mr. Chandler says
Evsn after The laps" 81 seventeen vears
an eye witness ~ their -sgacity and brill
an"v hardly dsres rick their anger by max
ng IN" true narration ard will not IA ad
iition venture TO describe the escort Of
ao kasse~ and band "i music prepared nv
he hoys of Concord for tho returning
heroes. Whi'h was only abandoned for fear
hey would supplement their roaring comedy
~ a fearful traEedy
Even twenty eight years ago Mr.
Durkee was not without his detractors
hr Chandler implied as much when he
wrote