Evening star., 1925-10-11

ment under the Sherman antitrust
law, was dissolved. Mr.. Duke, who
had been president of the American
Tobacco Co, became chairman OF the
board of the British American To-
bacco Co, one Of the subsidiaries. CON
tinuing in this office for number OF
years.
Interested in Water Power.
Meanwhile he had become more and
more interested in development OF
| water power and gradually severed his
active connection with the tobacco
business. His efforts resulted in the
orga niZation Of what Is now the South
ern power system In North and South
Carolina and the Harvesting of the
| Saguensy River in Canada. He was
a heavy investor In Southern cotton
mills. which made use OF the power
developed by his hydro electric plants
| and in electric railways serving the
| territory.
The development OF the water power
| OF the Saguenay River was part Of Mr.
| Dukes plan for the manufacture OF
| cheap fertilizer lie had hoped to
! work out a process for obtaining phos
phate from the rock by means OF cleo
| tricity method which he believed
would be much cheaper than the acid
method generally employed. To fur'
! ther his efforts along this line, Mr.
Duke acquired a Florida phosphate
| mine and also beca ame interested in
| the American Cyanamid Co. a sue
cessful nitrogen producing company
| While the whole scheme was not i'm
| media tely successful. due TO the fact
| that the process OF extracting phos
-phate by electricity was not CONNER
/ cially successful. Mr.. Duke had not
abandoned faith that It ultimately
! could be worked out.
Provision for Endowment.
In 1924 he established the Duke
| endowment. for which he set aside
/ $40 900 900 This was the crystal
lization of ideas which Mr.. Duke had
! had in mind for many years. The
! trustees were empowered to eXpend
! Sc, ,O00. 900 in acquiring lands, erecting
| buildings and otherwise extending the
| activities of Trinity College at Dur
| ham. y. c.. an institution in which
| the elder Duke had been much inter
| ested The trust deed provided that
| the name Of the institution should he
| changed to Duke University as a
| fitting memorial to the fath1o Wash
| lngtOn Duke, ana the 1amliN-
Thirty-two per cent of the income
! from the trust fund was given to the
| university, a like portion was set
! aside for maintaining and securing
| hospitals primarily in the States OF
| North and South Carolina. and other
| sums for the benefit of white and
| negro orphans in the two States, for
| aiding in the construction OF Method
| list Episcopal Churches in rural sec
| tiOns of North Carolina, for pension
| ing supera nnuated preachers; for the
| use OF Da wilson College at Da wilson
| y. c.. Presbyterian institution; for
| Furman University, A Baptist insti
| tuition at Greenvilie. s. c., and for the
! John C. Smith University for negroes
at Charlotte, y. G.
For many years Mr.. Duke made his
home at Somerville, \. j.. where he
/ ma intained an estate of some 5000
! acres which until recently was open
to the public. The estate was adorned
with massive bridges, more than 40
| fountains and numerous statues. Trees
and shrubs, were brought from al
parts of the world and placed about
| the grounds. He also had a residence
| in New York City. one at Newport
| X. l.. known as Rough Point and
still another at Charlotte, \. G, where
| he often spent the Winters.
| Always an ardent Republican and
believer in high tariff. Mr.. Duke was
! a great admirer of President Mckinley
A mammoth bronze statue of Nc
kinley stands in a conspicuous posi-
! tion on, Duke farms, the Somerville
| n. j., estate.