Evening journal., 1915-09-29
New News Of Yesterday
A Notable Instance
of Personal Integrity
B, Holland

The late William B. Bacon. Of Bos-
ton, was for many years the repre-
sentative in New England of the great
English banking house of Barring
Brothers, London. He was the father
of Robert Bacon, who became a part
ner in the house of J. p. Morgan and
Company, Of New York, and after
ward Secretary Of State in the latter
part OF Theodore Roosevelt's second
administration and during the admin
istration of President Taft for three
years Ambassador to France
William B. Bacon gained in Boston
high renown. FIRST. for observing the
best standards Of business as well as
of personal integrity and second. be-
cause he maintained a, singular al
most eccentric modesty both in his
personal life and in his business asso-
Citations Although he was the Boston
representative of one of the worlds
greatest international banking houses.
/ he maintained a most unostentatious
office, making no display
Il was only through the revelation
made by a Boston banker that II be-
came known TO p few persons OF an
action performed by Mr. Bacon which
exemplfied his conception Of what in
tegrity and duty were. He hoped
| that there would be no public knowl-
edge that he had performed this act.
requesting those who were the bene-
| iciaries OF il to maintain silence
Mr.. Bacon's father was for years
one OF the prominent merchants Of
Boston, carrying on a trade with the
Tar East For a time he was pros
porous. but in one of the great panics
preceding the civil war he met with
misfortune and was compelled TO ask
the indulgence Of his creditors.
/ Thirty years afterward William r.
Bacon. the son, completed work
which he had voluntarily undertaken.
! He began as early as il was possible
/ for him to do II 10 discover who the
creditors OF his father we're. what was
the total amount due each OF them.
and what the interest upon that sum
was. Mr.. Bacon had a great deal OF
! diihculty perfecting a complete list.
Some Of the creditors were dead;
some had departed from Boston. the
whereabouts Of others We're unknown.
/ II was necessary. he believed. TO
learn who the next of kin were to
those who died and also TO discover
where other creditors who had left
Boston were then living II took
about thirty wears to obtain all the in
/ formation that was necessary. At
last he got together what he regarded
as a complete list of the creditors of
his father or the heirs Of those of the
creditors who had died Then he sent
a check for the full amount OF the in
debtedness, plus interest. to each Of
these creditors or to the next OF kin.
requesting that these payments be re-
garded as confidential.
Others who at one time we're un-
fortunate in business. as for instance
Levi P. Morton. Cyrus w. Field
James R. Keene. Deacon" White. af.
terward having recovered fortunes
recognized the moral obligation tc
pay debts which bankruptcy proceed
. ings had relieved them from paying
and sent. checks to all of their credit
ors. But the case Of Mr. Bacon ha,
= proved to be the only one in whicl
9 a son assumed voluntarily obligation
. created by his father who had beer
legally relieved of the payment o
these obligations.
Copyright. 1915. bv z. ]. Edwards