The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-01
The Last Relic of Boss Tweed

The mere fact that an energetic operator in real estate should have bought a house and an adjoining lot situated at the corner of Fifth ave- nue and Forty-third street, within a stone's throw of the public library and within pistol shot of the Grand Cen trai sation, also the center of the up town banking district, would be of no great consequence so far as the pub lie is concerned were 1t not that this property is associated not only with William M Tweed when he was the aulocrat of New York city. but also With R. T. Wilson, who gained a for tune and great influence after he came from Georgia, when the civil war was ended, to make a career. With all his lack of moral sense, Tweed possessed a keen and observant eye with respect to landscap and natural scenery. It was this in part which led him to buy, at a time when his power was su- preme, the brownstone dwelling house at Forty third street and Fifth avenue. From it he had vista of Bryant park and view along upper Fifth avenue as far as Central park. This became the home of his family. There was a va cant lot adjoining and the location was between the house and Forty third street. A persistent rumor prevailed tllat Tweed by reason of his authority in the city obtained that lot for noth- ing. The house was pointed out in the days when Tweed was notorious as tie city home of Boss Tweed.
 After his death the propery passed into other hands and the title at last vested in Mir. Wilson. In real estate circles there has always been the be- lief that the vacant lot was thrown in as a part of the bargain
 The purchase illustrates the almost ;t.,, ox~;a r. I.. For nf after he established himself in busi- ness in New York. It was said of him that he touched nothing in busin ess way without turning it into gold, and that is true of the vacant lot still un- occupied, for it is now assessed at a sum very much greater than the en- tire property cost MT. Wilson. Upon it and the land on which the house stand : is to be built a great building. part of which is to be occupied as branch of what is the greatest trust institution in the United States.
 There was one instance in the ca reer of MT Wilson-although he was in TO way responsible for it-which en- tailed considerable loss to others The late Cornelius Vanderbilt was for 20 years a director in one of the large trust institutions in New York. A va cancy occurred in the directorate and the president of the institution insist o,i that MT Wilson be elected to fill that vacancy. MT. Vanderbilt in dig uified. kindly way, protested, saying tfat for reasons which would be un derstood. his personal relations with MT. Wilson were strained.
 Notwithstanding MT Vanderbilt 8 protest, MT. Wilson was elected direct- or A few years later, when MT Van oerbi1t's will was offered for probate, it. was discovered that by a codicll he had named another trust company as the trustee for a fund amounting to several million dollars, although In the will as first drawn he had named the trust company as trustee with which he was so long associated. He changed the will after MT. Wilson was elected director and the considerable emolu- ments which that trust makes possible were gained by the other institution.