Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-02-08
From the Richmond Wing.
, Richest Man in Virginia.

!
! GENTLEMEN-l have thought, for some time | would
write to your paper something in relation to the richest
man in Virginia, and the largest stakeholder in the
Union, and perhaps, in the world unless the serE of
Russia be considered slaves and the wish in your pa
per- few days ago, to know whom it wealthy in
Virginia, induces me to write this now. Samuel Hair
ston, OF Pittsylvania, Is the gentleman. When
IN his section year or two ago. he was the OF
between sixteen and seventeen hundred slaves in his
own right, having but little while before taken CEN
| sus. He also has prospective right to about one
thousand slaves more, which now owned by his
mother-in-law, Mrs Ruth Hairston, he having married
her only child. He now has the management of them
which makes the number of his slaves reach three
thousand They increase at the rate OF near thou
sand every year, and he has purchase large panta
ton every year to settle them on. large number of
his plantations are in Henry and Patrick counties,
landed propertyn Stokes alone, is ed at six hum
dred thousand olars. His wealth differently esti-
mated at from three to five millions, and should think
it the latter. You think he has hard lot;
but assure you Mr. Hairston manages all his matters
as easy as most persons would an estate OF $1,000
lie has overseers who are compelled to give him a
written statement OF what made and spent each
plantation, and his negroes all clothed and fed from
his own domestic manufacture and raising, leaving his
Tobacco crop, which is immensely large, as SO much
clear gam every year. besides his increase in negroes,
which is fortune of itself.
And now for his residence | have travelled over
fifteen States of this Union, and have any
of them in the Mississippi Delta--and none OF them
equal it. Mrs. Hairston has been identifying it for
years--and good old Minister, in preaching
the place, and describing Paradise. said cit was as
beautiful as Mr. Hairstons;" or as friend who had
visited Washington city for the first time remarked
that the public grounds were nearly IS handsome as
Samuel Hairsons." Mr.. Ha irston is plain, unassu-
ming gentleman, and has never made any noise in the
world, though he could vie with the Bruces, tho Nc
Douoghs and the Asors; and it is strange, that while
their wealth il co-exensive with the Union, he is not
known 100 miles from home. believe he is the
wealthiest man in the Union, VIM. b. Asor isenly
worth about 81 100000 and the estates OF city people
vastly overrated, while Mr.. Hailston show the
property that will bring the cash at any moment
Mr.. Hairston was raised within lew miles OF where
he now lives, in Henry county. He hos several bro
theirs, DO are pretty well to do in the world One Of
them, Marshall Harston, of Henry, owns more than
700 negroes Robert Hairston, who now lives i'll
M Mississippi near 1000; and Hardin Harston, who has
also moved to Mississippi, about 600 slaves: George
of Henry has given most all of his property
70 his children reservng only about $50 for his own
use.
This believe, is correct statement OF the circum-
stances OF the Harston family and tor further partcu
lars and the truth Of the statement, refer you to the
present delegate iom Henry
COSMOPOLITE