Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1911-02-20
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Wendell Phillips Of
the Hotels
BY @HolIand"

The late William H. Moseley of New
Haven, Connecticut, was personal
friend Of Wendell Phillips, as he was,
in fact, Of many Of the distinguished
men Of letters who visited Yale Uni
versity between 1855 and 1880. Dur
ing that period Mr.. Moseley was the
proprietor of the hotel in New Haven
which was regarded as almost an in
stitution of Yale, and as he was a
scholarly man, as we'll as a most con-
siderate host, he made and retained
these literary friendships.
Wendell Phillips came to New Ha-
ven I'm the early seventies 10 deliver
his lecture on Daniel O'Connell." The
night was stormy, but the great mu-
sic hall was filled. A few days later,
while in conversation with Mr.. Nose
ley, he told me some Of the detils Of
Mr.. Phillips's personal life, especially
when he was upon a lecture tour.
Il wouldn't want to say that Mr..
Phillips is eccentric" said Mr.. Nose
ley, but he has queer little fads
which, / presume, every hotel pro-
prletor in the cities Of the country
which Mr. Phillips has visited as a
lecturer has learned about. For In
stance, he will not sleep between the
sheets of a bed. We early knew of that
popularity here, and we always fur
nish him soft wool blankets to sleep
between. Mr. Phillips has told me that
If he can not get clean blankets wher-
ever he happens to be stopping, he
places his shawl between the sheets of
the bed assigned him and then turns
IN. This shawl he takes with him
upon all of his winter lecture trips.
II is very soft, very warm, and I'M
derstand. was given to him by a friend
at Boston.
Another of Mr.. Phillips peculiar
tiles Is his habit of making a cup of
tea for himself after he has lectured
He caused to be made a little iron
frame which would fit over a gas jet;
he also always carries a cup, and he
makes his cup of tea by heating the
water over the gas fame. Once, when
he was engaged in making his brew. |
asked him what he did when he was a
guest at a hotel where there was no
gas, and he replied that for just such
an emergency he carried an alcohol
lamp.
Il should think that Mr.. Phillips has
accumulated a comfortable fortune, "
Mr.. Moseley continued. His earnings
from his lectures average about five
hundred dollars a week. I have been
Informed authoritatively that he can
count OH from ten thousand to fifteen
THOUSAND dollars for a seasons lee
lures. and that he has delivered his
lecture on ''The Lost Arts little over
two hundred times"
! was reminded Of this conversation
with Mr.. Moseley a few weeks after
the death of Wendell Phillips. I'm 1884.
when / saw it reported in one of the
Boston newspapers that the executors
OF the estate had found that he had
left very little property. He had in
herited about one hundred thousand
dollars, and it was upon the income of
that that he relied when beginning his
career as lawyer
II remained a mystery to all of Mr..
Phillips friends as TO what had be-
come of his property. He lived very
simply. His chief expense was en-
tailed by the care of his invalid wife
He bought few books. But he was
probably the greatest reader of news
papers OF MS time. However, his news
paper purchases could not have made
a very serious drain upon his purse
In the thirty years Of his lechiring
career he must have earned a larger
amount of money than any other
American lecturer. save. possibly. John
b. Cough. But what had become of Il
and his inheritance? Was most of It.
as his friends came generally to sur
mise, given back to the people in the
form of private benefactions, and
especially IN the cause of freedom Of
the slaves. which Mr.. Phillips had 90
earnestly advocated?
Copyright. 1911. by e. J. Edwards. All
rights reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell of
"The Only Man for Whom n Great
Senator Ever Asked Patronage.