Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-08-06


sixty. He walks with agility and often
reads without the aid of glasses.
At recent reception he was one OF
the liveliest of the party and stayed it
out until the early morning.
A Green Mountain Boy.
Mr.. Lyon was born at Brandon, w.t.,
in the shadow Of the Green mountains,
on August 20, 1918. After going
through high school he became clerk
in the village store. A couple Of years
later he came to New York, reaching
here without cent. But ! have
never been without cent SINCE he
said. He got employment with John
r. Pitkin, a realty dealer.
In 1845 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.
Mr.. Pitkin not only insisted upon
Lyon attending the meeting, but made
him chairman.
Lyon was then only twenty-seven.
Furthermore, the meeting intrusted
him with the ask of keeping in touch
with the new legislation, and 1t Is said
that his influence in it's final shaping
was very great.
In Business for Himself.
Mr.. Lyon went into business for him.
self in 1851. William B. Aston, j. 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 it's president and con-
trolling stockholder 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 site, and he
has been a director of the society ever
since.
He has been active for many years
in the Society for Improving the Con-
dition of the Poor and for many years
was it's manager In 1854 he became
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 it's president. He was a
member of the New York city union
defense committee to disburse $780,
600 to families of Union soldiers. For
many years he was an officer Of the
Forty-second street Presbyterian
church. Later he was an underwater
in stocks, in which business he con-
tinued until his ninety-second year.
Although Mr.. Lyons wife is an ar
dent suffragist, he has not as yet been
converted to the cause. He believes,
with the antis, that "a Woman's place
is in the home" Nevertheless, he ad-
mitted while his wife looked on with
twinkling eyes that he has not yet
decided how to vote on the suffrage
amendment, but that he might vote
for it, after all"
No Hard and Fast Rules.
Mr.. Lyon has no hard and fast rules
for longevity H.,
II have just lived the normal life
that would suggest itself to any right
minded man." he said. 81 eat three
meals day; / don't smoke; I drink
little wine occasionally on my doc
tors orders: l don't chew tobacco and
never did, but | used to smoke mod.
erately up to the panic Of 1907. eat
always plain food, have drunk tea and
coffee, and like oatmeal for breakfast.
I was always fond Of coffee, and am
now, and though I have never been
troubled with indigestion the doctor
thought 1t was not good for me, and
now I am under orders to drink it but
once a week.
II walk at least half a mile every
day and feel better sor 1t. l am very
fond of the open air and country life,
as you may assume from the fact
that l have three country homes-one
at Nassau, N. y; one, Peterborough
house, at Harrow, England, and one
in my birthplace, Brandon, VT, where
l intend to spend the summer. Up
there mean to get down to work on
my national anthem.
ION my last trip abroad l was elect
ed a member of the Authors club In
London. While on that trip, lasting