Famous Givers and Their GiftsBolton, Sarah Knowles
History
Famous Givers and Their Gifts
Bolton, Sarah Knowles
Philanthropists
Mr. Pratt is now eighty-eight years old, and has not ceased to do good
works. In 1865 he founded the Pratt Free School at Middleborough,
Mass., where he was born. Ex-Mayor James Hodges tells this incident of
Mr. Pratt: "Some years ago he sold a farm in Virginia to a worthy but
poor young man for $20,000. The purchaser had paid from time to time
one-half the purchase money, when a series of bad seasons and failure of
crops made it impossible to meet the subsequent payments. Mr. Pratt sent
for him, and learned the facts.
"After expressing sympathy for the young man's misfortunes, and
encouraging him to persevere and hope, he cancelled his note for the
balance due,--$10,000,--and handed him a valid deed for the property.
Astonished and overwhelmed by this princely liberality, the recipient
uttered a few words, and retired from his benefactor's presence. Not
until he had reached his Virginia home was he able to find words to
express his gratitude."
The great gift of Enoch Pratt in his free library has stimulated like
gifts all over the country; and in his lifetime he is enjoying the
fruits of his generosity.
JAMES LENOX.
The founder of Lenox Library on Seventy-second Street, overlooking
Central Park, was born in New York City, Aug. 19, 1800, and died there
Feb. 17, 1880. His father, Robert, was a wealthy Scotch merchant of New
York, who left to his only son and seven daughters several million
dollars.
Robert purchased from the corporation of New York a farm of thirty acres
of land in Fourth and Fifth Avenues, near Seventy-second Street. For
twelve acres on one side he gave $500, and for the rest on the other
side, $10,700. He thought the land might "at no distant day be the site
of a village," and left it to his son on condition that it be kept from
sale for several years.
The son was educated at Princeton and Columbia Colleges, studied law,
but, being devoted to literary matters, spent much time abroad in
collecting valuable books and works of art. The only lady to whom he was
ever attached, it is stated, refused him, and both remained single.
He was a quiet, retiring man, a member of the Presbyterian Church, and a
most generous giver, though his benefactions were kept from publicity as
much as possible. He once sent $7,000 to a lady for a deserving charity,
and refused her second application because she had told of his former
gift.
He built Lenox Library of Lockport limestone, and gave to it $735,000 in
cash, and ten city lots of great value, on which the building stands.
The collection of books, marbles, pictures, etc., which he gave is
valued at a million dollars.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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