The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-05-17
LEVI P. MORTON
DEAD ON HIS 9GTH
ANNIVERSARY
Former Vice-President and New
York Governor
WAS NATIVE OF VERMONT
Began Banking Career at 20 with
Father Of the Late J. Pierpont
Morgan.
WAS NATIVE OF VERMONT

OF New York, and Vice President OF
the United States under President
Benjamin Harrison, died at his hons
at Ellerslie, Rhinebeck, tonight at
$50 o'clock on the Goth anniversary
of his birth.
Mr. Morton was taken i'll with
Fslight cold three or four days ago,
but his condition did not become ser
ious until this morning, when bron-
chial pneumonia developed. He
lapsed into Inconsistencies soon af
ter and the end came peacefully at
$50 o'clock
With him a (. his bedside when he
died were his daughter Mrs. Helen
Morton, who had made her home
with him at Ellerslie, his country es-
tate, since the death of Mrs. Morton
in August, 1918; his daughter and
sonin-law, MI and Mrs. William
lC Nustic of Washington, D. G., and
his nephew, Merton Minot. Another
daughter, Miss Mary Morton Of Ger
mauiowu, Pa, will arrive tomorrow
morning, having been unable to reach
RhineDeck tonight. Mr. Morton's
96th birthday was formally celsbrat-
ed yesterday, when the children OF
the Rhinebeck school held a teld day
at his country estate. He had re-
turned to leilefslie lrcm Washington,
where he made his residence, on May
is and had been in apparently good
lhfslth npsl the middle Of lasi week
Arrangements for the funeral which
vii, be he | at Ellersle, nave not
ileen completed. lnternent VIII be
in the family plot at Rhinebeck.
1 Levi Parsons Morton was the I'D
We President of the Unitel States
the running mate of Benjamin Har-
'ison in 1885 At II years o. age ne
Rounded ont his political life as gov.
ernor OF New York state,
( Although born the son of clergy
Il man in poor circumstances at Shore
ham, VT. in 1924, he forced his way
/ TO the front in the business and
financial world until he became one
OF the money powers of the countir.
He had the blood of a financier in his
iveins-descendan as he was OF
George Morton of York, England, who
raised funds to send the Pilgrims to
/ America on the Mayfower
/ Clerk in country store at IA pro-
prietor OF his own little drygoods
store at 21, he started his banking
career at 2S as a partner of Junius
Is. Morgan, father of the late ]. Pier
pont Morgan. and 10 years later
1 founded mis- own house of L, P. Nor
ton & Co., which became the fiscal
agent of the government. Under his
guidance. it conducted some of the
largest negotiations in the history of
American finance. It's London branch
hoated the per cent. can, with
other European bankers, which en-
abled the United States government
TO resume specie payment in 1871.
saving $70,000,000 in interest. This
payment had been suspended during
and after the Civil war.
/ Morton's financial operations
brought him into political promi'
nence. He entered Congress in
1878 and established reputation In
this fight over unlimited free coinage
of silver He was urged to accept
nomination fer Vice President with
President Garfield, but declined. He
was offered a portfolio in the cabi.
net as secretary of the navy, and re-
fused again.
The offer to become minister to
France appealed to him, He accept
ed and remained during Garfield 8
and Arthurs administrations. He sc.
cured the legal status Of American
corporations in France, He drove
the first nail in the construction OF
the Statue Of Liberty, and publicly
accepted 1t in behalf of the United
States. He established himself so
firmly in the hearts of the French
people that the square in which his
legation stood in Paris was named
place des Etats tlnis'
When a New York man was de.
sired in 1883 to stand on the Repub
lican national ticket with Benjamin
Harrison, Mr. Morton was the choice
of the convention by large major.
,ity AS presiding officer in the SEN
ate he gained the praise of beth par
ties for the yigor and the fairness OF
his policy Mr. Morton concluded
his political career as governor OF
his state, taking Office in 1895 and
serving two years. He signed the
bill which abolished the ward.trustee
system of school government in New
York, city and the sccalled Raines
liquor law
After leaving Office In his vigorous
old age he still was active in the Gi.
reetorcte of many corporations. He
was rated millionaire many times
over.
Mr.. Morton was twice married.
His first wife was Lucy Kimball, who
died in 1871 His second was Anna
Livingston, member OF an old Man.