arrested for debt and placed in the Walnut Street Prison, the debtors' department on the corner of Sixth and Prune streets. While confined here his family furniture, silver, and prized familiar objects were sold. The yellow fever of 1798 also raged, but he escaped it.

Though the bankrupt law was passed April 4, 1800, and took effect in July, Mr. Morris and his partner, John Nicholson, for some reason, did not at once take the benefit of it, and Nicholson died in prison, and Mr. Morris did not get his certificate until December 4, 1801. Debts to the amount of nearly three million dollars were proved against him, though many did not press claims. I have now his note for ten thousand dollars, endorsed by John Nicholson, which my grandfather held at the time, and of course lost.

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The Hills were sold by the sheriff at the suit of the Pennsylvania Insurance Company in March, 1799. The estate was sold in two parcels, Henry Pratt buying the southern portion. He improved the place very much, and it was kept in very elegant order, to which admittance was gained only by tickets. Many availed themselves of them to witness the improvements and enjoy the grounds. Mr. Pratt tore down the Morris house and built the one at present standing. Later in life he did not reside there, but visited it occasionally, though he kept up the gardens, conservatories, and grounds in the best manner. He was a shipping-merchant, and very successful. He died Feb. 6, 1838, in his seventy-seventh year.

After his death Lemon Hill was bought by the Bank of the United States for two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. After its failure all property sank in value, purchasers at any price were scarce, and it was finally sold in 1844 to the city for seventy-five thousand dollars. The city bought it to prevent any nuisances being created which would spoil the water. There were at this time but fifty-two acres. In September, 1855, it was dedicated as a public park, and through the aid and exertions of a number of public-spirited gentlemen the Park has been gradually increased to its present dimensions; Sedgley was annexed in 1856, the Lansdowne estate in 1866, and others by the act of 1867; to which was added the superb gift of Jesse George and his sister, in whose memory George's Hill was named.

By his wife Mary, sister to Bishop White, Robert Morris had seven children. Henry, a fine, portly man like his father, was elected sheriff in 1841, but died of heart disease in 1842. Maria, the second daughter, married Henry Nixon.

It is evident to those who trace Mr. Morris's character that he was a man of liberal mind, great vigor, and of such energy that he dared to grasp and carry through schemes from which men of smaller calibre would shrink. His education as a merchant in one of the largest and most successful houses would tend to foster

this, and the position toward the government in which he was placed, carrying out schemes of great magnitude for those times. When the liberty of the country was assured and the tide of emigration began to pour in, Mr. Morris foresaw a great future for this country and this city. He was interested in several schemes of land speculation, and he must perhaps at one time have had an interest in some twenty millions acres of land. He also owned a number of valuable pieces of property in the city which he had bought on speculation. His credit, which had carried the government through financially when its own had failed to accomplish it, was so good that it must have led him into transactions that more sober judgment would have forbidden. In addition to his other purchases, he was part owner of three-fourths of the new city of Washington, anticipating that as the future seat of a great government lots must rise greatly and rapidly. He had made some large sales of lands at good profit, and of course felt encouraged to go on more largely. With John Nicholson and James Greenleaf as partners in his schemes, the notes of Morris, endorsed by Nicholson or Greenleaf, became very plenty on the market. Anticipating perhaps his large profits, he entered into building "Morris's Folly" on a grand scale, which proved too much for him at times when his reverses began to come back on him. And from that time it was the usual story of all such widespread schemes on credit. How widely spread he was is shown by debts proved against him in the bankrupt court amounting to nearly three millions of dollars, and there must have been many more. Judgments were placed upon him in rapid succession, which he fought off for several years, but which were at last executed and swept away everything, even to his household treasures.

What was intended as the finest private mansion in the country was situated on nearly the whole of the square of ground from Seventh to Eighth on Chestnut and Walnut streets, which, though it had been only a pasture-lot of the Norrises, he gave ten thousand pounds for. The house was built of brick in the main walls, but with marble around the windows, doors, and in columns and piazzas, and perhaps, judging from its appearance in Birch's picture, nearly the whole of the ends were of marble, many parts of it beautifully sculptured. The foundations were extensive, and the superstructure was two stories of good height, with a roof somewhat resembling the present style of Mansard roof. It had reached this state when, owing to some foreign houses failing, Morris was obliged to succumb. The Bank of Pennsylvania soon brought suit, and the sheriff levied on this property, and sold it in December, 1797, for twenty-five thousand six hundred dollars, subject to a mortgage of seven thousand pounds specie to Messrs. Willink of Amsterdam. His accounts show that he paid to the architect $9037.13, and for building material and work £6138 58. 10d. He had previously, in 1795,

sold the Washington house on Market street, forty-six feet front, for thirty-seven thousand dollars; and the remaining portions, a seventy-foot lot adjoining and the Sixth street corner house, were worth nearly fifty thousand dollars more. His original estimate of the amount to be expended upon the Chestnut street palace was sixty thousand dollars. William Sansom and others bought this property at sheriff's sale, and Sansom built rows of houses on Walnut and Sansom streets, which were a novelty at that time. The palace was torn down for the materials, which became scattered; some of them are to be seen to this day in dwellings in the city; the bas-reliefs of Tragedy and Comedy in the Old Drury Theatre on Chestnut street were from this house. Of the abundance of their promissory notes, Morris in writing to Nicholson said, if writing notes to each other would pay "those which bear promise of payments," "you would want more copying-presses and half a dozen paper-mills." "Two hundred thousand acres of my land in North Carolina, which cost me twenty-seven thousand dollars, are sold for one year's taxes."

Robert Morris in the Account of his Property, published in pamphlet form by his heirs about 1854, says: "The large lot on Chestnut street, upon which Major L'Enfant was erecting for me a much more magnificent house than I ever intended to have built, became subject to sundry judgments that were obtained against me, and it was also included in a mortgage dated December, 1796, to secure a debt due to Messrs. Willink of Amsterdam, but the judgments being of prior date, that estate was sold in execution by the sheriff. The purchasers, Messrs. W. Sansom, Joseph Ball, and Reed & Ford, are under promise to account with me for any surplus that may arise upon a re-sale beyond their respective debts, and I did hope and expect that something handsome would have arisen out of this property toward the payment of Messrs. Willink, whose claim is just and fair; but the purchasers now say that they shall not be able to raise anything beyond their own dues, if so much."

After Mr. Morris got out of Walnut Street Prison he lived in the house in Twelfth street below Market, as appears from the Directory of 1805, which was compiled in 1804, and has the name of "Robert Morris, 2 South Twelfth street." He is also in the Directory of 1806 at the same place. In that house Mr. Morris died May 7, 1806, and was buried in the family vault in Christ Church, where his brother-in-law, Bishop White, also lies. In 1809 his widow lived next to No. 151 Walnut street, where she remained for some years. In 1813 the Directory locates "Morris, Mrs., widow of Robert, gentleman, corner of Eleventh and Chestnut." In 1814, ditto. The Directory for 1824 does not contain Mrs. Morris's name. It has, however, "Morris, Anna, Mrs., widow of Robert, Jr., 282 Chestnut."