The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-04-10
Nicholas LOngvvOrth..ApO costs of q
Dead Miser by the Atlantic Monthly.


Nicholas LOngworth-.Apoth costs of a
Dead Mfser by the Atlantic Monthly.
To the Editor Of the Pioneer:
We are told by the Psalmist that "char-
ity covereth multitude of sins,' and from
my experience of mankind l am inclined
to think that riches are no less eficacious
in concealing pecadlloes As an illustra-
ton refer you to an article in the last
Atlantic Monthly on the late Nicholas
Longworth, of Cincinnati. The ingenuity
of the hack who wrote it has been sorely
exercised to make his hero one "whom
the people would delight to honor"
The pages of the Atlantic have hitherto
been devoted to more worthy objects than
the apotheosis of dead miser, nor, indeed,
does the panegyrist claim that the sub
iect of his writing is an exemplar for 9TH
ers, but finds abundant material for praise
in his "humble garb," and very apochry-
phal benevolence.
In fact, the history of such men as Long
worth is an illustration of but one fact,
that by constant grasping and persistent
effort, directed to one purpose, much may
be done in money getting. and that by an
utter abnegation of human ties and SYM
pathies you may live hated, but respected,
and die with the consciousness that no hui
man being will regret that your place is
vacant.
And now for the man as l remember
him. When eighteen he might possible
have been handsome, but I doubt this
mean, sordid face and stony grey eyes,
could never have enabled him to be con-
sidered good looking man by any of the
canons of taste recognised by men-but 1
will appeal to a competent witness, one
who knew him when he was poor enough
my father says:-
''Nick Longworth was never young man
and l have know him since he was sixteen,
he was, to the measure, as crafty and par
simonious then as he was at siXty-he
never seemed 20 have any of the freshness
or geniality of youth-every thing he did
was carefully premeditated and directed
to one end, the acquisition of money; he
took no pleasure, he was very unsocial,
had no friends, and was profoundly ignor-
ant of literature or science. Gold was his
mistress and never had she a more devoted
wOrshiper.'
He was not liked, for there was some
thing eminent!y forbidding in his hard
features and stealthy crafty eyes-but it
was found that he attended to business,
and as he never joined in the convivial
excuses common amongst the lawyers in
those times, his cases were always called
and put through He took all kind of
cases and fees to correspond; every thing,
from a child's nightcap to a steamboat
boiler, was grist to his mill, and his office
not unfrequently looked like marine junk
shop.
Tcldtc Vic AOiiO"iiio AdSiuciI W oHO"
that in his practice he did not always
clean to mercy's side" and as illus
trating the state of things in those days.
A man named Mason came to Cincin-
natl and bought place. He paid part
down and gave mortgage for the re-
mainder of the purchase money. He
sickened and died, leaving his family in
great restitution, and in short time his
wife was taken with fever. The mort
gagee was great burly fellow named Ben
Rowan, with an arm like a steamboat
crank, and a heart as open and true as
ever beat. He owed Longworth small
sum and left the mortgage on the Mason
property with him as security. Rowan
was off in the woods buying peltry when
Mrs. Mason was taken sick, and Long
worth took the opportunity to commence
proceedings on the mortgage, and the
widow was warned to leave and was shortly
dispossessed in Gas it afterwards appeared
very heartless and illegal manner. She
was Immediately taken care of by her
sympathizing neighbors and much indig-
nant comment was made about the trans
action. .af-'tf ..'<
In due season Rowan returned home