Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-09-23
WORCESTER DAILY

Leuy6 VI yesterday nao lOngi OBITUARY nOuce
Of this millionaire, the wealthiest man in New
England, who died in Boston on Wednesday
morning, at the advanced age of eighty three
years, and whose career and character as money
getter were very remarkable. Mr.. Francis was
born in Beverley, in l775, and served his appren.
ticeship in the dry goods business with Jonathan
Harris, in Cornhill. He afterwards followed the
business for time on his own account, and in it,
being successful laid the foundation Of his great
wealth. Having accumulated sufficient property
to retire from all active pursuits Mr.. Francis set
up as money broker, occupying a small room
in the Suffolk Building. The brokers had free
access to his sarctum and were always welcomed
They knew that he always had plenty Of money
and always had pylce for it, lrom which he new
er swerved. Fortune smiled upon his career, and
he rapidly accumulated fortune This wealth
he used to the best advantage, and he has proba,
bly, within the last twenty five years discounted
more paper than any single bank and double or
treble that of many Of them. The Ledger says:
HIS desire of accumulation increased with his
advancing years, and followed him up to the clos
ing period OF his long life, and it was not until
within few years that he had any one to assist
him in taking care OF his accounts. He knew
how to cast interest as readily any one, and
seldom made mistake, either in the market
rates amount.
He tnol M interest :, Tho rnbEc ,velf,ro co
far as LENDING necnniarv aid IN the bnilding If
the numerous railroads which branch out in every
direction all over New England, and which
tributed SO much to his material wealth, as well
as that of Others
During the last severe nrsssnra he nnsbad his
notions Of the real vaIne If securities to sncb an
extent and became so sonred win everybody and
eyerything. mai he Absolutely refnsed 10 loan IN
the security of the State of Massachusetts or the
city of Boston SCRIP The result of this was. that
at The time of his death he had on denosit in
three or four banks in this city nearly three mil
lions of doll rs. and was stiI demanding nay,nent
of all his maturing assets What mis- ideas were
can only be Judged bv his actions. and those
would seem TO be 10 pile IN his money in gold
and silver
His gifts for charitable purposes were very few
and he always avoided them in such way as de-
tered people from asking him for contributions
His way of lodging them. sometimes alter he
had subscribed, was very noticeable, and was
seen in the fund which was raised for that noble
charity the &" Old Ladies' Home 1t was pro-
posed to purchase lot of land of the CITY at the
South End. and erect a suitable buildno. and
subscriptions were procured of $500 each. which
he sipned Ii was Afterwards ion,d that t,po es
tates could be purchased on Charles street. we'll
adapted for the purpose, which were fitted I'M
and thrown to the SubScrihprs and the
lie, when completed. He was called unon for
his substitution and refused to nav il on tho
ground that. as the locality was CHANGED. he was
mt resnonsible One Of ,Inr oIdest n1t,l;o sririt
ed mer hants, who had already maid his S5n0
Immediately on learning of Mr. Frapci.'s refusal
to pay. signed his check for the amount.
Another instance of hi, Denurionsness occurred
when the citizens of Boston extended their ne.
cuniary aid TO Montreal after the great FIRE which
belel them a few ,ears ago. When the book for
signatures for $3.50 aud 300 each was opened.
he renlied after lpoking ~ over tba+ tba ar,li
cant had made mistake in calling on him as he
resided in the eity of Roxbnrv ns IL that was a
valid excuse for not exereisino charity
His manner of ebi,LIng hjs9 sbara cf tho ,h,io
burden of the citv wherein he accommodated en-
much of his wealth. was another of his noticeable
traits. and it is we'll known no declined N nav,
taxes in Boston. where he lived and drove az
hard bargain as he eonld with the Assessors of
he might save large amount of taxes which he
ought eheerfuliy to have paid.
we IN in'sht multiply instances 20 any extent to
culiarities of his character Thai he was scrupu.
lousy honest in all his transactions, no one can
,sia but ne L had MS own way Of dong
would envv His tnnwn wpeI,b indmoaS ro Yw
many to make applications for aid. who thought
their case good one, and they spoke Ill Of him
sonIica,os lOod ~, u tnese
BY wean him from every exercise OF that oeneros
NY which so much wealth would have enabled
NM NJ ~ F SN1,oise no. h.o...,
liar man, and, in many resneets. was w,ib6nt a
counterpart in the history OF the past and present
ssnera..oh. " the amount OF ms property there
as six millions Others At less than ,hst snro h.
enough known to show that he has died eav-
ing the largest property of any man that ever de-
viii rasni, ;.,i anu ~ 9ncn snaPs as
the hard dollars. as any that conId he devised bv
the shrewdest and most sagacious citizen of any
cry ~. OF olate.
mense pTonertv-rwo dsne5tsrs@bo " vii vTi' we
suppose, inherit the largest amount of wealth of
any two persons that were ever heirs to one mans
~ NC" HN
The Christian Examiner for September fully
maintains its high character Massrs Hedge and
Hale evidently mean it shall he fit leader NJ the
denomination If represents The n.ner an ..Tife
and Art'' is thoughtful and suggestive that on
the "Chinese" has much information in regard to
people of whom we have herstofore really kro,yp
little. but with whom we are certain. now the war
has been ended BY such a treatv 70 have mncb
, -
nv ~ ~ snau We ever ye' nave hau' Inc Log,
iOai o'uei u 'he 0oSpei narratives oearSlnte
''ueHo0 u 'ue Juu'oI eul'ot' whose many lrends
- ''i'9 C''' WIN oe 9'au 10 ioilo" on SUBJECT
On "nion ne mas 'housht mucn' we nave been
i-uO" interested IN ms we" OF the question.
a m lu tfala