Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-10

DEATH OF A RICH MAE.-We nave alfeaoy
noted the death of Simeon Jennings. The
Chicago Tribune gives some interesting
facts concerning this rich man. 1t says;
Simeon Jennings, of Wellsville, Ohio, died
suddenly, while sitting in his chair, last
week. He possessed enormous wealth,
mostly in the shape of real estate and mort
pages on the same. He also owned large
interests in a number of Ohio banks. He
was noted for his extreme pe-nuriousness
and intense devotion TO money-maklng.
Though worth millions, when travelling on
the cars he would carry a lunch in his
pocket to save the expense of a dinner at an
eating house. He bought a plain brick
residence below Wellsvlle, on the Virginia
side of the Ohio river, and made that his
home, to escape paying taxes in Ohio on his
mortgages, Judgment notes and money. He
always managed somehow to avoid paying
a large share of the taxes justly due from
him. The heavy federal income tax nearly
broke his heart. He was very obese and
gross looking, and for several years drank
| whisky in large quantities. He was prob
| ABLY the richest man in Ohio. He leaves
no direct ~issue-dying childless. He has
several collateral heirs, however, but leaves
property enough to bestoW a large fortune
on each of them. We have not heard that
he left any requests to benevolent objects.
The droll old gentleman who informed us
of the death of this rich man entertained
the party by giving some "reminiscences OF
Mr.. Jennings. One story was told him
with great relish by the real estate owner
himself, and is briefly as follows: A few
years since Mr.. j. took occasion to ride out
in q buggy to his extensive uncultiyated
lands in a certain county of Northern Ohio
His hundreds of acres there were covered
with virgin forest, and afforded the best
possible opportunity for making maple
sugar. On approaching his estate, one early
spring day, he saw a company of rough
looking men busily engaged in making su-
gar. They had not only tapped his fine
naples, but even girdled them, so as to be
sure to drain the last drop of saccharine.
Of course the girdling was fatal to the trees,
and the sight of the vandalism" stirred the
blood of the owner, but he smothered his
wrath, being intent on getting data for
prosecuting the robbers and destroyers.
He approached, snd, personal stranger that
he was, blandly told them they ought not
to girdle the trees, and inquired whose
property they were. "oh, they belong to
that --o old skinfint Sim. Jennings
haven't you heard of the ID old cut
throat" "No," he had never heard of him.
Whereupon they enlarged upon his "mer-
its" Misunderstanding the said s. J. all
over with scathing explosives, which we
would rather not repeat. The stranger hav-
ing heard them 60 over his own biography
enquired as to the amount of su-
gar they had made. They took
him into a rough, imProvised shed and
showed him some three or four hogsheads
and several barrels full of sugar. He also
ascertained the names and residence of the
parties, and then drove on TO the county
seat, and took immediate steps to prosecute
the whole gang. He made them sweat i'm
mensely, and to his last days he told with
glee the story of his sweet revenge.
Our informant said he had an interview
with Mr.. Jennings, a year or two since,
when the subject of the final disposition Of
his wealth came up. He had never made
MS WILL ne Sdlut Dul III ndu O4LcH NbuuoIGu
what he should do with his property. His
guest administered truth to him in rough,
electric shocks, telling him that every one
hated him, even his own relatives, who
longed to see the day of his death, when
they would seize on his effects. After his
death his memory would rot. He advised
him to make such a disposition of his riches
as to ensure him fame and immortality"
and cited the example of Girard. He seems
to nave urged the case with ~eloquence, for
~ Jennings was much taken with the
IDEA OF building himself Jpn SOME vuaIIua-
BILE institution, and said, "Well, really,
l never thought of that" and often, in sub
sequent conversation, REQUIRED to the sub
ject, as if the ashes had been suddenly
blown off from the embers of his shoulder
ing imagination, revealing that he had yet
a little warmth of human sympathy and
benevolence. But the old nature or wrap
ping of habit va sloughed; the glow
of mingled ambition and charity died out,
and the old man dropped dead off his chair,
the other Sabbath day, and lives in no
monumental Asylum, College or charitable
institution of any sort.