Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-02-05
ARHAa MAN,

6uW10 ~. oteptcuss VAtsvNS"
va
4 nxNARHABLE MAN,
and has . rory remarkable history.
Whether u tho pioneer Of oil the
early improvements Of Eastern Now
Jersey or aaa man Of vast practical
ability, his genius .hone forth In
every relation OF business life. Ills
father, Col. John A. Stephens, in
vested nearly all his wealth in Hobo
ken lands, and he oon became the
preseason. or tho vast tract that
stretches fro,n the Elysian Fields TO
apoint beyond the line Of tho ter
minus of the Morris aud Essex road,
aud from tho river TO the Palisades.
From . village tho tract became a
town, and from a town o city; and
lots that in the aggregate were pur-
chased by the Colonel at less than
one dollar each were soon worth
FIVE HUNDRED TIMES THAT AMOUNT
The Colonel did not retire on his
golden laurcls. He projected the
Camden sud Amboy mud Now Jcr-
sey Railroads, aud lived 10 sec both
on o fair way 10 completion. His
hand and fortune were visible in
every improvement, and his genius
and disposition descended to his son,
the late Edwin A. Stephens. The
latter, when of age was engaged in
the transportation business between
New York aud Philadelphia. lie
was the principal manager Of tho
Camden and Amboy Railroads, and
he applied steam, then comparatively
in It's infancy, to all the various uses
and projects which emanated from
his busy brain. Forty years ago.
Edwin A. Stephens was regarded as
the most active business man In the
United States, and, making duo al
lewance for age, he preserved his
reputation up to within two or three
years of his death. The great iron
battery, which was the embodiment
OF his genius, was the forerunner of
q monitors, and inaugurated q new
era in our naval warfare.
Edwin A. Stephens left two sous.
The eldestis called after himself. He
A BRIGHT LAD OF SEVENTEEN,
unaffected III his manners, and win.
ming in the last degree. The mother.
who 10 still . young woman, resides
with her children in the ''castle"
above the banks Of the Hudson, near
tho heart Of Hoboken. The boy
does not seem to realize the fact thai
he 10 heir to an estate worth S5O,OO0,-
600, and that in four years he will
prsbablyS be the richest man in the
world, assuming of course, that the
estate will be productive of ordinary
net interest.
When he reaches his majority the
interest on his fortune will q larger
sum than the salary Of any crowned
head in Europe. 1t would be really
difdcult to compute what the Stevens
estate will be worth in five years
mere.
A LARGE NUMBER OF LEASES
Of valuable houses and lots, HOW
held at nominal rents, viii; then re-
vert to young Stephens; and he will
be sole possessor of II and other |
securities which r now valued at
1T q, O0). 900. Should he live to the
age Of his father, and be as lucky i'll
his commercial ventures and specu'a-
tions in lands, his wealth will be
create rthan Rothschild's and he may
b able to take the place of the latter
NJ . Cresus, to whom bankrupt gov
srnments or nations impoverished by
war must come for loans. The lau
however, seems to be u%ncousciou
Of his destiny. lie may be seen daily
playing on the lawn in front of the
castle where his father passed H.
niAturer life.