The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1874-11-18
"A MtrLroyAIaEpAUPER.
A letter q lie New York Tribune, dated


Orleans Just now in the old ocioraon
Francois Lacrnix, last week a niilionaire,
Ip>,iay friendless beggar, sold out for tax
! es wliich he eouid but would not pay.
lie was owner OF properties In the city
and adjoining parishes, stores, dwellings,
and plantations. paying two months ago
an aggregate monthly rental of more than
si.ooa- Yesterday 4 saw i,i:n sitting ON
the steps OF the auciioneer's n'strasIs
snmkinga vile cigar an,i wagging lis
vacant Oh head while tile last Remains ~
his fortune was being waited away onthe
echo of ille crier's voice.
I.acroix'- history Is siDSulsrly inter-
ealing. a quarter of q century ago lie
MAS The fashionable tailorOf New Orleans.
The popular shopof cordieville q La
efoix' was on ST Charles street, oile or two
.,lnnrs heIow the present site OF the st.
Charles Hotel. Both were c0loreh men.
Cordiev:llr, MA iashy, snowy fellow,
quite an exquisite, prone To brawls and
,iuel-. lat a polished ariist Ia his line. lie
affected France very greatly; had = cha
t.au near Paris. where, during the greater
part of tile yeaI, be used to maintain AN
establishment OF great lIxury and srleiis
dor. Finally he Withdrew from New o.
leans - r,end the remainder Of his life IN
Iii. layOiilr country. Lacroix was man
Of iil,, rent tas,e and habilS An ociorUon
liz. cordievilIr. be was, unlike him,
penurious, frugal. pIodding. Once ayear
lie went 10 La Belle france for five Or SIX
weeks. and Wild stories are tnld of his ex-
irasagaaee aud dcLauchery on ticse ne
casions; bal here nj honie ile liyed In pos
iIiye ineanness Ills house on Dunaine
street. In tile French quarter, where i'y
the way he still lives. Il IN old colonial
STRUCTURE, built Of wOuI. with high roof
aud hong dofmur windows ricktIty. in-
! firm and uniuy;ling. Il : scarcely better
than The average plantation ciiins, cet-
taialy iiot half - cheerful and attfac-
tive,
! Making Immense sums ani spending
noillIng, pattIng his accumaiations into
properly thai ro-e every day la value, hs
i. asss rich by almos. magical advances. 4
tailor's sI,.p sould scarcely -een, the
cradle Of n Crossus, YET Ia ls9l Lacroix
Va. more than wealthy mali. lie ii''d
prnper,ir, Ia every growing guaF;e: " the
city, arigags,s an a scoTs ~ I'iantatioi.a,
and rentals Of prIucely magnitude. tie
was i.acroix tile millIoHairc.
Iio~ hi, lax trnuLIe cDmmenccd no une
seem, exactly u understand. fancy lie
lars always been n tax reEisiri!h The
/ city backs Shows some very ald delin>
qurncr-. The rhrnnicle al the ciiy's
ll.isalions rgcnrJ a thousand hardEalsllt
battles wherein III. Victories. like those II
porscnne, were barely short of ruin. Ar
parenlly he meyer pslI until lhe very Las,
mo aeni. nor without blliereoniliet. Three
years ngo, hnwever, his case assumed
pnmIurnce. At that time the LaeroiS
city tax l,iil~ had mounted up 10 soue $50
on. lie lris.l ~ usual 10 eva'ie it, hut
Warmvtii's flee lanccrs were rough and
hungry aud they drove him hard.--At
Iast. he gathered together The required a
mount. aud, 80 run,or says. gave Tito his
son 10 make the settlement with. Here
cpnIes Ia the secret Of the drama. They
Say the young man lost tIas anoney o. was
cheated out u Ii Ia some way. and weeks
aiirrward tile old man was made suddenly
aware tIsat the S5o,Dl was still unpaid
and Ilis property trembling IN the balance.
Then l,e hruks down. II Was hard enough
far him 10 part with unl,ry NJ the best %
times, aud this disaster filled his cup.
Report hath u that he casl the prpligal
Torth v ~ith curses. and from that moment
fell inta 4 slolisl. obstinate inaciion which
nulhing cauId arouse.--Nunerous NJ
teinpis were made To induce him into snne
measure Of self-protectlou. Bankers, aud
brokers, VIM liked min asa relic % the
gaoi nld times. wishing. perhaps. 10 make
reasonable prDiit on the jul'. offered the
flnds necessary 10 release bis property. II
was of no avail. Al the beginning ~ The
present year the bills. State and city,
reached over So, ,OO0. and at last. ahrr n,osc
than three years of fori,rsrsnce. The au-
thorilies moved, the hammer was uplifled,
aud Francois Lacroix's colossal fortune
began lucruDbIs.
.-s-sas ass,sss
A man ahnnt two thitd- drunk. and hi.
back severed viii, nui. siopPcda police.
man o. the street anll asked TO be locked
up. Why. you are able 10 walk homo.
aren't yopg asked the oihcer 'yes. |
coald get hume all right. hut [ don't wan I
10. aud you wouldn't Il you had my wife J
Take mo dawn. ole fellsr, ami II shc
cones inqainwr 'rouid just say I've rono
10 r'ledo aa 'p.Htant business. - Detroit
Free Press
| A fashionable but illi,eratc New York
I.lV sg...ltnW ett the Cnafif4eof wrifaa 4 4