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A LONELY LIFE.Miss Elizabeth L. Van Lew, the Noted Federal Spy.Brief Skrtrh of Her Kv.hatful l.lfu - A 1tr*i-thftii nf lilcliuioiiil nmB hii Kuemy «»t* iho Southern Confederacy*The Richmond Leader published the following sketch of ex-PofctttnlatreSH Van Lew, who tiled In that city lust Tuesday morning:Elizabeth Van Low was .-.e oldest daughter of John Van Low, a native of Now York, a man of sterling qualities, and oi good old Dutch descent. Her mother. Allan Eliza linker, of l'hll.ultM-phla, wan a daughter of miliary Baker, mayor of that city, who died or yellow fever during the terrible epidemic of 170x.John Van Lew was one of the leading hardware merchants of KlelunoiiU lor many years, lie accumulated large and valuable property In and around the city, which lias aluce been sold and divided among Ids heirs. The only remaining piece is the old homestead that In its magnificence and stateliness carries a reminder of its former luxury and sumptuousnosu. Tlt; this couplew ere burn three children —Miss Kllr.u •both V'nn Lew, Mr. John N. Van Lew and Mrs. Louisa Klapp, wife of In. Joseph Kin pp. of Philadelphia. Miss Elizabeth Van l,ew Is the only surviving member of the family.The story of her life reads like •* ro-ninncc. Iitsired In the lap • • I hivur; her early life was that of u.e lavot'-d child of a merchant prince. In the grand oltl mansion, noted far nml w id • for the InvlHlmess of Its hospitality ami for its own ersti 1-tir, KllzaheUi V. n Lew lived her lifetime. She ; iw in Mm events that ninth* epochs In the historyof the nation. The nlloled Hire..- score ycai h and ten were hem, ami added was a decade and a half again. Those who knew her in the days wlmn llm t -.t iva-ganeo of the Southern aristocracy was noictl upenk yet of Mm loveltness and eclat tlini t hatacteri'/d all her innve-nii ids. They tell to-day how tin* neighbors craned their recks wlom n chaise drawn by six white hoires drove m the door, nnd the little princess with her father nnd mother, siart.-d 011 their Jeurney to the Whim Sulphur Springs.Ml. s '*nii l.r-n wii.i a young woman v ith a Strong petsonallty. 11 ml on 11 will that dominated all who tame within lu-r k*-n.Not n 11 LBN s Y .M PATH I FS.She received her education at Philadelphia, and with II imbibed much of the nenlhrmnt that caused her to tust her sympathies with the North.The mansion, at which before the war wen- cntertalnol many noted men and women, among whom wen- Fred' 1 ikn Ihciner, the distinguished Swedish authoress. became during those dreadful years that followed the Mecca for Northern soldiers.The late John Minor Polls, Franklin Ft ear us and ox-Fonnlnr John F. L«-wls were among In 1 most esteemed fie nds Flic was a great admirer of Wendell Phillips nnd Horace Oic.dey, nnd, like them, an larnchl ln.dlev.-r m nntl-shiv-cry doctrine nf the pet led. whh It scnll-menl was so strong—!•«» mm h 11 pai l ofb* r nature that all prim Iplcs. .-ill feeling Of loyally 10 the city 111 which Mm was born and raised was entirely lost sight of. She was honestly opposed 1..slavery; she declared the institution wrong, nml. like Messrs. Potts and Sterna, her friends, was violently opposed to the* war.LOVED THE NEC?HO.Her greatest hobby, however, was lmr love for tie.' negro. They have bl.c klaces, but white principle*,” «ho wasoften heard to comment, and she lost no effort to try to uplift those around her. treating them almost as equal . and striving to educate tlicm. This education of one of her favorites was 1 means of accomplishing u. purpose with dire results to the cause sic- oldmnv 1. That site befriended northern soldlct ■ was known, hut Just how far hoc sym-I uthy extended was never even mi.-;-1 ected.Through the lustallailmi of a trusted ilgeut In the serv ice of l'ti sllt;l id Davis, Miss Van I.ew was . hie to furnish the Federal foi-eos with 1 he mc*q valuable information. Her Mtil-tarhto tin* enemy's camp were many and tru-Jcd. Her Ingenuity 1 ouhl de-.l.v means for the putting of the n- ruin possession of the desired hiTPfma-tlon. as wa ll as plans for Mr cut log ii That Iter : ■ rvli os to llm cause Inal she0: pous. d were applet luted was attest ed by the acts of lt;b-nei.il lirnnl, who. after his army hud entered the cltv. paid lengthy visits to her at the lt;•! I home, and gave her services materialrecognition by appointing lmr pw.-d-nilstreus of this city on the lltth day of March, 1SKP. only fifteen days after his own Inauguration, nnd re-ttppoinP l her In 18711, In which oupa».*ltv she K'-i V'-il until May IP, 1*77, when t'ulotnl \Y. W. Forbes sncceoih-d her In oflice. Miss Van Lew was of Inestimable aid to the Federal ollleers who escaped from Libby Prison, and In making theottoonuo #»r iltt.li* 1 lit nc ■ nnaulhill I p (1.former poHlmiatress, who every year protests against taxation without the right to vote. As certain a hlt; r tuxes were paid the mutual protest was filed along with them. She wax a strong believer In woman's rights*. but refused to ventilate her views on th-subject.For years It hnd been a constant ectffilo to maintain the ohl home*, and In her declining years It wa 1 offered for sale to the highest bidder, to whom the storied walls will have lltth* to t il of tho plottings ond doings of . up r daws.rOR. PIERCESCSCDiLl^OyMEDICALL-C‘:FOR THEBfXOD.ILIYEft.aJUMGS.1 Pay Enons Pricesfor your cool.Inf? etOVo or ranife. wti^n you can buy illritt from Hit* factory and tivvo one-third or tho coat?•Wrlto for catalo^uo and full particulars.Manufacturers or tho celebratedFIT? LEE CIU1K STOVE.ADDRESS OH CALL ONmrnnnrc!?!5 (o 827 Nortli Saverilesotli StRICHMOND VA.A. WRENN SONS24 to 40 Union Street.NORFOLK, - VIRGINIA.M A Nil ’A lt;r t: It KRS O FUP-TO-DATE^Pleasure Vehicles^AND BUSINESS WAHONS or ALTKINDS.Our Wire AVlvvI. R ihhcr Tiro Hur.n trouts and ^unv mo tbo ILttuLcir. «:.*»♦anti HrM.,Larg^t variety over shown in theseJ*il3 L-.I'lUCKS LOW1 QUALITY HIGH! - LAL-Oi: STOCK OF—... HAWXKSSand or menIlorst. (loodH,eh LariJ PlastersAUGUST 12. NOW LANDING.COAL TABPINE TARin oil, pork and pine barrelsShell LimeHo. 1 Hock Limein mm n r.nwmr.FV;OODSIDE’S WHARFITo bo great m a neccps most co;Our va lit any c IsfuclurySilver1CellulN.Specialjusting29tSomwill •'It swr r»n: v. !il«'h w ul'jmbfr jnlci ^ w 1 ha I co;w.k anKilty.North ‘ivcN w PhHAV R pcr-Colo InCOOKTUMPL.cbirft Vtxw»t obi » Orel c Uiotf fnmi:Tin* f A. M .can . i; ti KU'UM,:44 lid NlM. V.Not Ult;\% ..14^.1.9 ;4KJ a 111 I'M.* :i i;i v: « • ntp inn.u.) p in t | II; r ■--wit.V : in'».»■ • j» ir• Puffy'I.th 11T.unr-i ’a* in., 11:11st t1 • r#I *c-» • Iflit Nm 141 nt at: IK N i-J p Itrdu tl(d h J la upas to ;» iyTO Rlc’ VSC H E D IS:10 awur was ovor. This net nf Kindness was highly appreciated by the old Admiral up to Ids death.FRIliNDLKSa AND A 1*0X13*Yet M,Ibs Van Lew died friendless and alone* She wns MisiH^cted hy i 1m- iui-thorlHes, hill was not molester!. One by ono the friends of her youth. f» I lug thr mstlvts an*l their edtintryrnged, dwindled away, ttild left hoi* with only her thoughts f*r company.Tho very doors nf St. JnhvCs * *hureh, of which she was a. regular attendant.were closed upon her. Children shrunkfrom her and even the servants who**.-cause she had espoused looked on her with distrust.Kocentrlc ns she was and as full as had boon her life with plots and plans against her own people, she. no doubt worked for the thltiff she believer] to be right. Full of humanity, she hut; interested herself all through life in the sorrows nnd anileUaiis or others, visiting the jails and prisons for the last f^rty years, aiding In some way or an* other some unfortunate creature.rp to tho last year. In which her strength had perceptibly failed, although her mind was as Active find her v* id as strgiitf as ever. Alb?* Van Lew had been a familiar figure on the tdrcfttsf of ilii Ituiotid. Hut hor« slm was point ml out, not as the Federal spy— which fact Is little known and even lens remembered, nor as n friend of ttio your—but ua “Alisa Van Lew, thePRESSED O^iGiCSin popular shades, in stock, under covsr.— TED. Git AY, ItFFF and TERRACOTTA.iiuur.i, Kxcc.ufor, vu-OrUtc. A.oruk?Blalnj in Col ora.MRS. WINSLOW'SSOOTHING SYRUPbn* bora V.«Plt;I by Milllnnn r.f!;AIciJheiM f**r th U* ihiah’t-it n'hde Tmftidng tlt;*r ovr** Fifty Venn1. It ^roth' ii Use (llilil, Kuftahs th ?U'Uie . :UI.iyw nil pula* i i n , win 1 and ih th * l»% t I'MUeuy lori.1 i.i rr hnCa.TWKXTY-t n 1! tl.Ms A IWM I I - II*rrevcnllvo rn ! su:e cur*' for allMALARIALDisease*, *ui h oi c'ltlllr, Fever and Ague*.Loss of Apjjtum*. Ltlifbii* and I^ytpepUc ll»onJlt;fr». U«-4dach«\ Cains in tho Hack, Side, or Louie. Colds. Ln C.rlppo. NVii-raluia. etc. At all druggist*. Me.S:20 p.C. ^ 12:13 p.7:03 p. fFor fui Pullmanto C. l\ IV. CCKNorfolk*TheLcavca tfreight aah Jumlt;3every ir a m. I lower i):11: st-c.!Petitbbu to iVter clasiti 1I« trip. ;l-
Newspaper Details
Norfolk Virginian Pilot
Norfolk, Virginia, US
Fri, Oct 12, 1900
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Dorothy B.
PA, USA 19 Jan 2019
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