Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1919-04-18

possessed great business capacity. No
sharper, nor, for that matter. any 9th
er person was ever able to pull the
wool over her eyes in a business tran
saction. She was of the greatest aid
20 her husband in the. acquisition of
the fortune from which this benefac-
ton came.
To my mind the old merchant was
right in his view that every woman
should understand. business My ex-
psrience as praeticIng lawyer and Il
Judge has taught me that more family
Indebtedness comes from the want of
such knowledge than from any other
cause. Far too many American wo-
men, even among families of sub
stance. are utterly without business
experience or training. and from that
want comes extravaganza and waste :
and in case of the untimely death of
the head of the family, leaving a
modest competence. perhaps the fruit
Of life insurance, that competence rs
too otter lost through improvident in
vestments. 1t is a curious thing that
people in quite moderate eireun-
stances, spurred on by their needs,
real or fancied, and especially women
without business experience, are the
chief prey of the get rich quick
sehemer Every girl should be taught
at least the rudiments eff business, so
that she may reasonably protect her
interests People who have long been
engaged in settlement work III New
i IL and Boston tell me that one of
the greatest disadvantages under
which poor families labor is the want
If business sense ia their women, who
from that want fail to get for the
family the worth Of their seanty mon
eys. Harriet Arnold Tourtellotte
frcm the day She left her fathers
counting room until the end, was a
.eeu. shreWa. intelligent and master
ful busieess woman | doubt not that
tn the construction Of this building
na in is management. which was
her special individual care, she fully
exhibited that capacity
Shortly after this school here was
dedicated | visited her at Putnam, at
her invitation She brought me here
and showed ME over the school. Be
ing advised Of its memorial character,
rs memorial Of her two deceased
children. ! ventured to inquire how
DR. Tourtelette and she had come to
found a school for such a purpose.
In reply she explained the matter in
this way: She SAID. in substance
We felt that our children had by
cruel fate or hard fortune been de
prived of their natural right of Inv
ing, just as they were reaching an age
where they were beginning to under
stand. appreciate and enjoy that
right, and we wished to establish some
memorial 10 them which would give to
other young people, as far as possible,
that of which they had been so de-
prived-th is, something which
would make life for those others bet
ter. more useful and enjoyable; and
we concluded that nothing else could
SO well accomplish that purpose as
school where such young people could
obtain higher education without eN-
pense to them. She seemed TO look
upon this school as a means whereby
her children had given their lives that
other children might live, or at least
live better and happier lives | was
at once most strongly impressed with
the subhmity of the conception, an
impression which remains With me
still. Ii seemed to me-and | say 1t
with all reverence be somewhat
akin to that sentiment which forms
the fundamental basis Of the great re-
hgion to which all of Us. certainly the
great majority of US, own at least a
theoretical loyalty
Although it is not my purpose to
attempt any appreciation Of the vat
&c TO this community of tins lnstitu-
ton. vet | must permit myself To say
that 70 my mind no greater boon can
he bestowed upon Municipality thah
by the establishment and permanent
adequate endowment Of such school.
Ii must tend TO crafty what, At least
in my hoyhood, was and for many
years back even to the original set