Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-08-21
CENTURY, .
IS STARTING ON
2 A new CAREER
A. Maynard Lyon, Possessor Of
Millions and of Mental vigor
and Ambition.
WOULD WRITE "THE" ANTHEM
Declares He Would Rather Win Fec
ignition as a Successful Author
Than Own All Of New
York City.

New York.-The average person
who. being ninety seven years old
owned real estatee and securities
worth several millions, besides a city
home In New York and country homes
in New York. Mermont and England
probably would feel that he had
earned a rest and would not be seek
Ing a new interest.
But that is not the way A. Maynard
Lyon looks at it, and he Is ninety.
seven years old and is the owner OF
an estate of the character indicated
above. In his ninety-seventh year he
aspires to be a writer, especially OF
serious songs.
81 am starting out fresh on a new
career" Mr.. Lyon said to a reporter
tor the New York World. ITO crown
my life by the composition of a Ma
tional hymn that will be accounted
great and accepted by the people OF
the United States and to write a book
is my present ambition. l intend to
put in this su1lmer in my country home
in striving for this great triumph Of
writing the anthem.
Never in my life have l felt as
much ambition or as much enthusi
asm as / do now, and never have ]
found it possible to get SO much Out
OF life. l have always had an ambi
ton to be a writer. l love to write
poems and to have them set to music
l would rather make a success as an
author than own all the real estats
and stocks and bonds in New York.
Full Of Verse.
II can write better now than we
before. 1t seems to me that more
thoughts that can be made into verse
crowd into my mind than when l wa;
q much younger man. l do not feel
that my work in this world is any
where nea completed. Living Is
sweeter to me than eve before.
"Sometimes when a thought has CO
Cured to me that I regarded as worth
while | have got out of bed at mid
night to make a memorandum Of it."
Among the songs Mr.. Lyon has al
ready had published are a Universal
Patriotic Anthem" for which War
rem R. Heddn and c. G. Petraske com.
posed the music, and Il Wandered
Here and There Among the Vales,"
which was adapted to the music Of
Beethoven's Funeral March," While
Mr.. Lyon has retired from active bust
ness, he takes time off from his lit
erary work to look after his material
affairs. He does not look a day ovel
sixty. He walks with agility and often
reads without the aid of glasses.
At a recent reception he was one oil
the liveliest Of the party and stayed i
out until the early morning.
A Green Mountain Boy.
Mr.. Lyon was born at Brandon, Vt,
in the shadow Of the Green mountains,
on August 20, 1918. After going
through high school he became a clerk
in the village store. A couple Of years
later he came to New York, reaching
here without a cent. "But l have
never been without a cent SINCE" he
said. He got employment with John
r. Pitkin, a realty dealer.
In 1S45 the legislature was consid.
ering the enactment of laws governing
manufacturing in New York. Mr.. Pit
kin called a meeting Of real estate men
and manufacturers to determine how
to work with the legislature to the
end that the proposed laws might aid
in the development Of the metropolis.
MI. Pitkin not only insisted upon
Lyon attending the meeting, but made
him chairman.
Lyon was then only twenty-seven
Furthermore, the meeting intrustcd
him with the ask Of keeping in touch
with the new legislation, and it is said
that his influence in its final shaping
was very great.
III BUSINESS ICr TtIInSer.
Mr.. Lyon went into business for him,
self in 1851. William B. Astor, ]. j,
Astor, John D. Wendell, Henry Bre,
WORT and men of that class highly
valued his judgment in real estate
matters.
Mr.. Lyon constructed the st. Angus
tine and Halifax River railroad be.
tween St. Augustine and Jacksonville,
Fla, and was its president and con.
trolling stakeholder for many years.
When the American Bible society in
1851 decided to- build, Mr.. Lyon was
made a member Of the building com.
mittee and he selected a site. and he
has been a director Of the society ave-
since.
He has been active for many years
In the Society for Improving the Con.
dition Of the Poor and for many years
was its manager. In 1854 he became
q director OF the Northwestern dis
pensary at Ninth avenue and Thirty.
sixth street and has served in that
capacity ever since and for many
years was its president. He was q
member Of the New York city union
defense committee te dlsburse Ss,5o0c