Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-18
SETH Low, EX-MAYOR
OF NEW YORK CITY AND
FRIEND OF LABOR, DIES
Former President of Columbia
University and Advocate of
Business Government, Sue
cumbs After Breakdown
FOUGHT RAILROAD STRIKE

NEW YORK. Sept ls.-Seth Low, for
mer Mayor OF New York. twice Mayor of
Brooklyn and for eleven years prcsiden. OF
Columbia University. is dead at his country
home, Broad Brock Farm, Bedford Hills,
N Y, at the age of siNty-siX years. He
had been III several months of complica-
tion of diseases.
Mr. Lows most recent activities were
In an effort to find solution OF the
differences between the railroad brother
hoods and the railroads. He had long been
consulted by heads OF the brotherhoods.
Friends attributed Mr. Lows Illness TO
a general breakdown. Since the outbreak of
the war he had been especially active as
president OF the New York Chamber OF Corn
merce and president OF the National Civic
Federation. He was chairman of the ex-
ecutive committee OF Tuskegee Institute.
delegate-at-large to the recent New York
State constitutional convention and a mem
Der OF n Government commission appointed
to investigate labor troubles in Colorado.
Even after he was stricken Mr.. Low
kept In touch with brotherhood heads. Sam
uel Gompers president of the American
Federation OF Labor and other union lead
ers with whom he was on terms OF intimate
friendship.
Mrs. Low and other members OF the
household were with him when he died.
Born In Brooklyn on January IS. 1850,
Mr.. Low came of n long line of merchant
princes and men OF culture. Young Low
was educated at the Polytechnic Institute
in Brooklyn and then at Columbia. from
which he graduated in 1870. In college
he had been distinguished both as a student
and an athlete. He exceled in tennis and
football. bowling and billiards. and on the
gridlron he often lined up against the her.
cuean form of Hamilton Fish. on leaving
Columbia, Mr.. Low went TO his fathers
business house, entering as n clerk and
| traversing all the grades until he was finally
| head OF the Arm. In the meantime he became
| greatly interested in public life. particularly
| in Brooklyn charities. In 1873 he organized
| and became the first president OF the Brook
| lyn Bureau OF Charities.
IL was during the campaign of Garfield
| for President in 1880. that Mr. Low first
| became prominent In politics. A Young Re-
| publican Club" was organized In Brooklyn
| to promote the Garfield campaign and Mr.,
| Low was selected as president. He and his
| club insisted that the Improvement Of civic
government could he accomplished only by
| disregarding party lines and national Is
| sues. so far as municipal affairs were con-
| cerned. The principle at that time was
| new and Mr. Lows leadership In the move
| ment resulted in his election as Mayor OF
| Brooklyn by the regular Republican and
| Independent forces. In 1888 he was re-
| elected for a second term. He stood insist
| entity for business principles in local AFFAIRS
and carried the municipal administration
in Brooklyn TO such high point Of efh-
cheney that he was highly praised.
He married. In 1880, Miss Annie wroe
| Scollay Curtis. of Bostoa, daughter of JUS
| tice Benjamin Robins Curtis, of the United
| States Supreme Court.