Washington Correspondence

Special Cupitol News Co. Correspondente. Washington, D. C, May 8, l-'.U. It is not telling the people of Michigan any news to say that in the sudden and unexpected death of he late Senator Francis B. Stockmdge, that state met with a loss rom which she cannot recover for many a day. While Michigan's senior senator made no speeches in the senate, he was a useful an influential representative of bis state, and had long since mads for himself a warm place in the hearts and confidences of his fellow-senators. He was popular and well liked by all with whom he was associated,and it is no wonder that Senator McMil lan was visibly affected when he rose in his place to make announcement of the death of one they all loved and respected. The words the Senator said were few, but they were feeling and appropriate, and came from his heart: "I am called upon this morning," he said, "to perform the saddest duty that ever falls to the lot of a member of this body, o announce to the senate the death of a collegue." Then he proceeded very briefly to say how much the State of Michigan, as well as the senate, would miss and mourn the dead Senator. A little later Senaor McMiHan will arrange for the setting apart of a day when the senate will pay tribute to the worth and memory of its dead member. Mr. Burrows will also arrange for similar memorial services to be held in the house at an early day. The late senator had been for many years a near neighbor and warm personal, as well as close political friend of Congressman Burrows, and it is therefore not strange that Mr. Burrows could hardly keep back the tears as he made eloquent announcement to the House of the loss to the Senate and his State of tiis dear friend, the dead Senator. When a wealthy man dies the first question to be asked is: "How much was he worth, and how much good had he done with his money during his life-time?" Senator Stockbridge had long been counted as a millionaire, many considering him as worth several million dollars, and so a few words on that subject, coming second handed from the late senator himself, may not be uninteresting to Michigan readers just at this time. He was well known to be a liberal and judicious giver, not alone for the advancement of the interests of the political party he loved so well, but also for religious, educational and charitable objects of every name or kind, public or private. In announcing the death, Congessman Burrows said on this Doint. "Possessing in the later years of his life an abundant fortune, yet he was prodigal in his private charities; and the city of his home is adorned today with enduring monuments of his benefactions." Many of the kindly deeds the possession of wealth enabled Senator Stockbridge to perform, have not been, and never will be, known except to those who shared in the gifts he found so much pleasure in making to those less favored than himself, for his charities and kindly gifts were never paraded before the public, and many times his riarht hand hardlv knew what his left hand did with his money. On one occasion a few months ago, he departed from his usual custom, and spoke somewhat freely to the writer hereof of his wealth and the manner in which he and his wife were using their income. Sitting at his desk in the senate chamber after most of the members had left for the day, he had just finished the writing of quite a long letter, and was proceeding to seal it up with a $300 New York draft as an enclosure. Modestly exhibiting the draft he said: "I just remembered that it iacks only three days of the birthday of my half sister, who lives in New York state and I waited to write her this letter and send this draft, so she would receive it on that occasion. I have for several years done myself the pleasure of sending her and my two other sisters a little. gift of this same amount every three months. My wife and I take more real pleasure in sending these quarterly reminders than they do in receiving them." Then in answer to a question Mr. Stockbridge admitted that he had daily and almost innumerable calis for gifts, subscriptions and charitable donations all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and that it was simply impossible for him to respond to all. Then he added in a quiet way: "I have, all told just about a million dollars' worth of property of various kinds, but much of it is not very productive, and so ray income is not very large. My wife and I decided several years ago to use all of our income as it came to us, in doing what good we could, and this we are trying to do, and find much satisfaction in the attempt." It is known that Mr. Stockbridge had invested a half million dollars or more in California red wood, in connection with Messrs. Alger and ' Johnson, vvho each had an equal interest with him, but that owing .to the stringency of the times that enterprise had not yet come to be a profit-paying investment. He had also large lumbering interests in the upper península of Michigan and in Wisconsin, was largely engaged ia the raising of fine horses, owned stock, bonds, etc., so that his net income was beheved to be nearly if not quite $50,000 per year. While the expenses of keeping up his home both here and at Kalamazoo were enormous, he yet had a large I sum to annually give away.