MissScarlett: The American Israelite, July 25th 1901, p.5:
<ANNUITIES FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS OF PHILADELPHIA.
Princely Gift of a Quaker City Jew.
By the will of the late Lewis Elkin of Philadelphia a fund is created to be known as "The Lewis Elkin fund for the relief of disabled female school teachers in the employ of the city of Philadelphia." From this fund any unmarried female teacher who shall have taught in any of the public schools of the city for a period of twenty-five years, and has at the time of her application no means of support, shall receive from the income of the estate the sum of $400 to be paid quarterly, clear of all taxes, during the term of her natural life, if she should continue without means of support for that period.
The sum thus bequeathed is over one million dollars. It is one of the most notable and best advised public gifts ever made.
The Ladies' Hebrew Benevolent Society and the Philadelphia Athenaeum receive $3,000 each under the will.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
Lewis Elkin's family was well known in Jewish circles a half century ago. His father acquired considerable wealth and it was his desire that neither of his sons should enter business. When they entered manhood he gave them a sufficient allowance to enable them to be independent and to adequately provide for themselves. Lewis was given a good education at a first-class preparatory school and then at the University of Pennsylvania. His mother was a woman of attractive appearance, with whom he lived until the time of her death and to whom he was much devoted, as is shown even in his last will, wherein he gives $3,000 to the Female Hebrew Benevolent Society, of which she was one of the founders. It was only some ten years ago that he married the lady, a former school teacher, who is now his relict.
Mr. Elkin never was obliged, therefore, and never did enter into business, but husbanded his inheritance to good advantage. He was noted for his engaging and distinguished manners, those of a gentleman of the old school. During his many years' association with the Board of Education, which has now borne such splendid fruit, he became known to younger generations through his distribution of tickets for the commencement of the High Schools, which were then perquisites of the controllers. He was celebrated for his skill as a chess player, an art in which Jews have furnished many of the leaders, such as Lasker and Steintz. Mr. Elkin is called by Reichhelm in his work on "Chess in Philadelphia," "the Perigal of America." He says (p. 68): "Mr. Lewis Elkin and Dr. Samuel Lewis were in the galaxy of the old athenaeum chess magnates. An old English critic divided play into three styles. He said Staunton's was the sledge-hammer style, Cochrane's the brilliant style, and Perigal's the elegant style. Phil. Montgomery resembled Cochrane, but Lewis Elkin was the Perigal of America." In this book a photograph of Mr. Elkin engaged in a game of chess with the celebrated Paul C. Morphy serves as the frontispiece.
At one time in his early manhood Mr. Elkin was a regular attendant at the Mickve Israel Synagog and took an active interest in the contest that led to the failure to re-elect Isaac Leeser as "Chasan" of the congregation.
Kibitzing
