The Washington herald., 1912-07-07
SPENT LAST CENT
BUYING APPLE SEED
Had Gideon Bought 0veralls There
Would Be No wealthy"

Excelsior, MINI. July s.-If Peter GID
con, Minnesota pioneer from the old Bay
State and Minnetonka farmer for hal
a century. had bought a pair Of overall,
instead OF sending money TO Massachu
sets for apple seed. there would hav'
been no Wealthy apple and no com.
memoration to honor his memory to-day
But he ignored neighbors' advice, disre
garded his personal needs ana sent fol
the seed.
So there was the formal expression Of
esteem yesterday on the Gideon Farm
near Excelsior, and there was more thar
speeches and other exercises to keeI
alive the memory OF this plain, simple
kind-hearted Yankee farmer. A bronze
tablet set on a short granite monument
was unveiled by his daughter, and a
tract of pastoral beauty. to be known
as Gideon Memorial Park, was presented
by o. ?. Briggs to the Native Sons OF
Minnesota, who arranged the commemo-
ration.
Original Tree in Sight.
In the sunshine Of a fine June after
noon, with Minnetonka seen through the
trees, and the original Wealthy orchard
with the original Wealthy tree, where
they who had known Peter Gideon's case
could hear. IL they had ears, and winding
country roads and June roses all through
the wood, the kind observance OF the
peaceful achievement of the unassuming
man seemed most fitting. 1t was a time
ly appreciation Of one OF the very Few
men who. ever guided by Providence
went along the infrequent apple avenue
to fame and service to the State. For
Mr.. Dahl, with the dahlia, or Mr.. Bur
t. rhap halter
claim to honor or spontaneous hearty
gratitude than plain. patched Peter Gid.
con planting the seed and growing the
original Wealthy apple tree. Besides
there's a bit of poetry in this romance
OF a delicious apple not in the story OF
the dahlia or the Burbank Mr.. Gideon
named this peerless apple after his wife,
WHO was Wealthy.
No Mercennry Motive.
There was nothing sordid. no common
mercenary motive in the incidents which
led to the apple which has made Mime
sofa famous and brought thousands OF
dollars to nurserymen and fruit raisers,
but very few to Peter Gideon. 1t was his
habit on hearing appreciation Of his fine
apple from callers at his farm not to sell
but to give away scions and gratis, and
II is related that at least one man, see
ing the commercial possibilities. made a
fortune selling little Wealthy trees as
soon as they could be grown So history
of Gideon differs from that Of Edison.
Morse, and Marconi. The spiritual ele-
ment prevails. Mr.. Gideon was. in fact,
a Spiritualist. and so strong in his be-
lief that he would not permit the mounds
on his farms to be dug into for fear of
disturbing the rest or happiness OF those
whose graves he thought they were.
Many Knew Him Personally.
Scores Of the hundreds Of men and wom-
en- who attended the commemoration and
unwilling had known Mr.. Gideon person
ally, even intimately. for many years be-
fore his death. about a dozen years fol-
lowing that Of his wife. They were graf
flied to know he lived long after his great
apple became famous and deeply enjoyed
its popularity. Probably these old
friends and neighbors most Of all appre-
ciated the words of the memorial tablet:
This Tablet commemorates
PETER NJ. GIDEON,
Who Grew the Original Wealthy Apple Tree
From Seed on This Homestead in 1854.
Erected by the Native Sons OF Minnesota,
June, lsl2
Probably most Of the old neighoors Of
Mr.. Gideon In and about Excelsior, In
the picturesque south shore fruit belt Of
Lake Minnetonka, were ready to tell how
he went to Neighbor Lyman. also from
Massachusetts, and a pioneer at Excel
sior back in the sos, to tell him he was
going to, send home for apple seed; and
to be told in good, plain fashion that
he had better take the money and buy
pants and overalls. Oliver Gibbs. now
of Florida, but formerly Of the State
horticultural Society, related many remi-
niscences In his talk to the audience on
personal recoliections Of the grower Of
the Wealthy.