The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 15, 1901, Page 4

Y the recent passing away Of Mrs Margaret Eleanor Crocker, widow of the late Judge E. B. Crocker, the suffering and unfortunate lost a friend and California is deprived of {he presence of onc of her most hon- cred and charitable women. In her heart “true charity, a plant divinely nursed,”’ grew and-blossomed, and she scattered abroad the flowers always with sweel and beneficent impulse. And In return she was honored in “her own country’’ to an extent to which even few sovereigns have attained, and which makes one have a greater faith in the gratitude of human- ity. Sacramentans, always noted for their pride in thejr prominent cit'zens and their beautiful city, remember as a day ever memorable! May ¢, 1885, -On that day took place a floral festival in celebration of the gift by Mrs. Crocker to the city of Sacramento of the magnificent Crocker Art Gallery. This gallery was built by her husband, Judge Crocker, on his re- turn from Europe, and was just in the rear of their elegant home at Third and O streets, which was formerly the old Hastings place. It is full of art treasures comprised in the gift of Mrs. Crocker, consisting of 700 oil paintings selccted by the Judge abroad and some 33} selected studies in portfolies and steel plate col- lections of .the most famous galleries of the world. The richly adorned art school- room and library are now considered as the center of or2 of the best art schools of the United States. It has been of un- told clevating and educational advantage to the city of Sacramento. As a gift it represented a value of $750,000 and was for the free use of the people for all time. The floral festival which thie-gift called forth from the warm-hearted Sacramen- tans lasted two days and has probably never been equaled 'as a season of per- fume and blossom anywhere in the world. The schools, factorics and business housos of the city closed and all the churches and’ fraternal societies participated in the event. The floral reception to Mra. Crccker and many of the ceremonies were held in the great Agricultural building of the State Exposition, which with its glass walis and cruciform shape lent itself ad- mirably to the bewilderingly beautiful en- semble of the affair. Flowers came not only from the gardens of Sacramento in unrivaled profusion, but from all over the State in tons of quantity and made into every conceivable design. When Mrs. Crocker, in company with a picked escort of ladies, drove to the crystal reception hall the air was literally filled with roses and blossoms thrown by double lines of school children dressed in white. The hall itself was divided into aisles of flowers broken by kiosks, bowers and temples, all made of flowers and capable of holding many guests. In the center was a gay Maypole, around which danced merrily a hundred or more children, winding it with gay ribbons as ‘they danced and sang. Upon'a dais sat Mis Crocker, surrounded by a retinue of prominent women, and as 8000 school children passed In review be- fore lier each one laid a bouquet before the dais, until the honored guest, she who al- ways wished to be “plain without pomp and rich without show,’”’ sdat enthroned above a solid bank of blossoms that over- lowed and’entirely surrounded the plat- form. ° Fully 15,000 persons fiiled the pavilion and joined in the homage to a benevolent and kim]l;’ woman. A lady of San Fran- cisco ,who was present describes the scene as * and Saly:; that tears came into many eyes ‘an ovation worihy of a queen,” besides these of the recipient of so much honor. In the evening a grand ball was given, and the Sacrumento Society of California . Ploneers presented Mrs. Crocker with four tablets of solid gold and silver, representing epochs in the his- tory of California, Mrs. Crocker before her marriage was & Miss Rhodes. She was born in Akron, Ohle, on February 2, 1822, Her parents were of German' descent and she wae one of a lerge family of brothers and sisters. IHer parents died when she was quite young and her girlhood was spent with a married sister, Mrs. Anna L. Bender, in South Bend, Ind. Here she is rg- membered by friends as *“‘a stately, ftine- looking girl, kindly always, a regular sweet,, old-fashioned girl,”” She was a good vocalist and a prominent member of tha choral soclety of the town, as was also E. B. Crocker, then a prominent yourg attorney of South Bend. He was mart.cd and Margaret Rhodes was his wifcls [riend and assisted in nursing hfr in iliness. . The wife died leaving a young daughtcr, and then the two singers found their hearts drifting together. In 1852, with blessings following her, Margaret Rhodes left her home 1n South Bend to Join Mr. Crocker in New York, wwhere the two were married by the Rev. Flenry \‘\‘;wd Beecher andg immediately took ship for California via Panama, Then began some of the best and hap- piest years in Mrs. Crocker's long and useful life, They went where [, the 1 to Sacramento, B. Crocker took a partner, and aw firm of Crocker & Robertson was ;:T\rfliig '11:1;: ,\lm'] ups and downs, but : T petence. The Judge was a 5 on 4 1at time in California, Fotke otvite: Snic r. Crocker as St e :’-‘ 1;1.21!):1(-!“8 Court of Califor- 363, ¢ ositicn in which he is said to have rendered more decisions than any other Judge before or since. Then he be- c:lm.o~ the early counsel for the Central Pacific Railroad, of which his brother, Charles Crocker, was one of the organ- izers, and was closely identified with the building of the road. He made out the incorporation papers and later gave much time and study to the affairs of the road. Mrs. Crocker always had a loving re- membrance of Sac amento on account of those days of stress, as so many of the other railrcad people have. By the death of Mrs. Crocker Mrs. Jane Stan- ford is left as the only remaining woman who was the wife of a muan who was one of the original group of Central Pacitic organizers. Vith the improvement in liis fortunés Judge Crocker -bought a large block &4f land at the corner of Third and O streets ir. S mento, containing the home of Hu a well-known banker of the time. This locality was well known as a great social center. Ile haad the house entircly remodeled and made more lhan_ elggant, and Mrs. Crocker -enter- taired most lavishly there, particularly when her daughter, Amy, was just grow- ing into womanhocd. At the rear he built his art gallery, and on the other side of his house he built a Handsome house for Mrs. Charles Scudder, his daughter Mary, of whom her stepmother was always very fond. She is now Mrs. Walker of Cennecticut. Through study and overwork Judge Crocker was attacked with brain trouble and for ten years or thereaboiuts he was .. o 03 (3 Was e 0 e Mos nore and artable |- Women 0 difornia. £ TIIE SURDA