Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-10-21
A COiOred Millionaire and Miser.

The New Orleans Tunes, in recouutiog nu-
merous instances Of wealthy delinquent tax
payers in that city who make money by not
paying. gives the following interesting sketch
of colored millionaire and miser:
We have in the Second District II notable OK
qualification of what we have been saying in
the person of co!ored millionaire, who has
fought off the payment of his city taxes until his
indebte mess on that account now amounts to
about fifty thousand dollars and probably about
the same sum to the State. He is an historical
character. His abstemious-not to say misery
life makes him man with whom to accumu-
late filthy lucre is the song that burdens the ton
que by day and dlsturbs the mind with titful
dreams by night Disdaining rest his activity
is wonderlul emulating poverty, he lives and
traDsacts his enormous business in little, old
and obscure one story house far removed from
any OF the business centres. The reader might
pass his house q thousand times and never for a
moment imagine that within it are to be found
the evidences Of princey fortune. The house
begins to take on worn and dllapidated sp-
pearsnce. The paint hangs in scales on the
doors and window shutters. But look within
The first room, which constitutes ''the Office"
appears to have been q kind Of lobby, six or
eis hit feet wide, pa,titioned off from the main
room. This is the rich mans office. First in
view is desk with pigeon holes full of old mus
ty papers, looking as If they had been tanned by
the dust and moisture OF d hundred years. An
iron safe and chair or two complete the pic
ture Beyond 'thc office" are the rooms which
constitute the residence Of this remarkable man
and his aged mother, now in her ninety ninth
year, and yet looking scarcely q day older than
her son.
Such is the residence of the man who has from
seventy. to one hundred tenants occupying
hous;s scattered ION the vicinity of the ST.
Charles Hotel to the EXTREMIST suburbs of
the city, and bringing him in rents ranging from
twenty dollars to two and three hundred dollars
q month. 1t is hard to place an estimate on his
wealth Altogether he owns over two hundred
and fifty different properties, certainly worth
$4,000, besides bonds and cash funds to an
amount of which probably he alone is aware
Yet this man never pays any taxes except when
he sells particular property, and then he pays
the amount due on that particular property.
Y ear after year be has managed by means of ex-
ceptions appeals or other methods, to ''stay"
proceedings until the aggregate of his taxes due
to the city approximate the enormous sum of
fifty thousand dollars We noticed in the sher-
it7s office tax writs against him dating back to
1861. To one Of these withstand there was q
huge pile Of them-and to the notice of seizure
accompanying it was attached more than six
yards of foolscap paper, filled to the last line
with closely written descriptions Of his prop
critics.
Does the reader ask why he does not pay his
taxes? There is but one answer which bars the
sembancc of reason: The city charges him ten
per cent interest and he can readily make from
eighteen to twenty -four per cent on his money.
He rever loans his money except on mortgage,
and every year he adds more or less to the mum
Der of his city lots by purch at sheriff sales.
vi course as long as he can do this the little bal
ance of fifty Thousand dollars due to the city for
taxes will never be paid. Every tenth year pre-
scription wipes out the taxes for one year with
out payment and that is another reason for de.
ferred payments.