The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-03-15
new NEWS Of YESTERDAY
Humiliation That Death Spare.
Allen Thorndike Rice.
Appointed Minister to Russia. He
Could Not Have Maintained That
Position. for His Once Large
Fortune Was Dissipated.
BY e. J. EDWARDS.

Very few persons probably now re
member the late Allen Thorndfke
Rice. and to the younger generation
the name means absolutely nothing
Yet twenty-five years ago Allen Thorn
dixie Rice was thought to have the
most promising future Of any young
Republican of New York state and
was deemed a more interesting and
piquant character than even Theo'
dbre Roosevelt, with whom Rice was
intimately associated in politics of
the late eighties.
He was Boston sborn, but lived for
many years in Europe and was a
graduate of one of the English uni
versities. He returned to the United
States about 1876 when he was only
23 years of age. He was reported to
be the of a very large for.
tune, and of a scholarly as we'll as a
practical turn of mind, a reputation
that he justified by buying the North
American Review, the Oldest and
staidest of American periodicals. and
by entering upon a career Of prac-
tical politics. He vas a candidate for
congress in 1856, in a New York city
district, but was defeated. and he
gained national notoriety by his adj
vocacy Of the Australian ballot. Ise
was, in fact, the first to bring that
form Of ballot to the attention Of the
American people.
BENJAMIN Harrison was one of Mr..
Rice's intimate friends and after Har-
rison entered the presidency he nomi-
mated MIR. Rice minister to Russia
and the nomination was promptly n
firmed. Rice, however, never went to
Russia. He was taken i'll three days
before the date fixed for his sailing
and died. from some acute intestinal
trouble. Mr.. Rice was a personal
friend of the late William r. Grace,
who was twice mayor of New York.
and 1t was from Mr.. Grace that I
learned the following incident Of Mr..
Rice's last hours.
Late one afternoon ! was in an
elevated railroad train on my way
home when l saw. across the aisle.
Oul SCIlS uiSiduCS JlOAl 1h'V
beckon to me-" said Mr.. Grace. I'm
an instant I realized that it was Allen
Thorndike Rice and that he seemed
to be in distress. | hurried to him
and saw that he was seriously i'll: He
was suffering intense pain. He told
that he had been stricken after
he entered the car and that he was
afraid he would not be able to reach
his hotel.
HE seemed grateful when l offered
to accompany him to the Fifth Ave
nue. hotel. where he lived. had to
support him upon my arm down the
elevated station stairs and lift him
into the carriage which l summoned.
l feared that he would lapse into I'M
consciousness before he reached the
hotel. After we got him to his room
and put him On his bed he seemed "A
little easier. and when the physician
came Rice frightened up a little. 80
that I felt justified in saying to him
that l hoped he would recover from
the attack by the next day SO that he
would be in good shape to sail for
Russia.
HE looked at me with a pathetic
and metioned me to bend
over him; and when l had done so
he told me in a whisper that he never
would get to Russia, and that 1t was
probably just as well.
"After 1 left. him l thought there
something unusually significant
in his remark that 1t would probably !
be just as well If he did not 60 to Rus
STA. l did not. however. fathom the
meaning until two or three weeks aft.
er Rice's death. Then every one Of /
his friends was surprised at the reve-
which were made when the
of his estate was finish
ed. We had all supposed that Rice
was a very rich man: we found that
there was little or nothing left of his
He had some personal belong
and brica-brac-and he
owned the North American Review, !
] think cost him more to run
than he received from 1t in the way
Of income. He must have realized.
therefore. that as minister to Russia
he would not be able to maintain him
self in the style to which he was ac-
customed and which was necessary
at the Russian court. for he was not
the kind of man who could live upon
his salary. So / have always believed
that when he realized that he was
with a mortal illness he also
felt that he would by It. be spared
the humiliation of being unable to
maintain the luxury and. entertain
ment at the Russian court which his
manner Of life and his reputation as
man Of wealth would have exacted
from him.
I'VE were never able to tell how
great a fortune he brought to tho
United States or how he had used
whatever wealth be had obtained
1911, by r.. J. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved
The Old Kick.
IS 49, rs-GS-...--a-uaa lkfA l.sI 4fahfIet