The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-09-18

HldutllR.
AS she sat in her room and looked
down on the business of Pennysl-
vania street. she grasped the handle
of a cane, the one of her hus-
bands collection which she kept for
herself. She gave a hundred of
these to her daughter, Mrs. Fred
eric Krull, and another $50 to her
son, Douglas Pierce, and some $50
more are in the hands of friends
and relatives.
Every country her world-traveling
husband visited meant another cane.
He accumulated them as souvenirs
of interesting acquaintance and of
out-of-the-way places he explored.
One, for instance, was given to
Mr.. Pierce by Ebert Hubbard, writer
and maker Of fine books It was
made by a prisoner at Fl. Leaven-
worth from torn bits of the pages of
Hubbard's "Phillistine," shrewd and
kindly philosophy. The pieces we're
rolled, pressed and shaped into a
walking stick by the admiring pris-
oner.
Fascinated by Boats
Mrs. Pierce's cane is of natural
colored ebony. a brownish shade.
and its handle is of the polished
black finish banded with ivory. Mr..
Pierce brought it with him from a
trip to South America.
Mrs. Pierce has kept no record of
the places to which she has dis
tributed her husbands valuable COL
lection of boat ana snip prints He
was fascinated by boats, particu-
larry those which sailed the Mis-
sissippi and Ohio. He liked the Mis-
sisSippi because of its shifting dis
position. Like Samuel Clemens he
liked the pilots post. So well did
Clements cherish his experiences as
a real pilot that he chose one of the
soundings. mark twain, as his pen
name.
AS Mrs Pierce tells the story of
her home. she recalls that she has
seen the rise of all the buildings of
Meridian street. except Christ church
and her own. ct was here to see
my own built, but I was too young
to have any recollection of it" she
explained.
Moved Nearer Downtown
William R. Henderson built the
huge Victorian home, and his wife
objected to living so far in the
country" So he traded the home
for one owned by Mrs. Pierce's IA
Their. Almus E. Vinton, nearer to the
center of town. Later, Mr.. Hender-
son reproduced the house, directly
across the street from the original.
The house as the Vinton and
Pierce home resounded with the
activities of prominent organiZa-
tons. The stock books of the Propy-
laeum Club were opened in Mrs.
Pierce's home. and many of the
early organization meetings were
held in its library
The five members of the first
graduating class of Shortridge high
school met there in 1872 with Mrs.
Pierce's brother. Merrick Vinton,
and organized the alumni asSocia-
ton. The Social Science Club, and
the Industrial Union, later the
Womans Exchange. had their be-
ginnings in the house.
Prominent Are Entertained
When the Indiana VasSar gradu-
ates met in 1900 with Mrs. Pierce, a
graduate. they elected her daugh-
ter, Mrs. Krull. as the first preSi-
dent and decided that all presidents
must be graduates.
The Pierce home has had we'll
known visitors entertained in it.
Henry van Dyke. John Fiske, Maria
Mitchell and Elizabeth Cady STAN
ton enjoyed its hospitality.
The homes destiny is uncertain,
but Mrs. Pierce has ideas. if devel-
oped, will mean the homes preSer-
walton and continuation of cultural
activities.