The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-26
A SUCCESSFUL MERCHANT.
REMA RKABLE CAREER or AUGUs-
rus HLMENUtT or BOSTON.
Thirteen Years SeIf-Cou nncnicut In n Private
Asylum-A startling Despatch-A Man
who was Determined not TO be Insane.

Thirteen Years SeIf-t ounncncut In n Private
AsyIum-A startling Despatch-A Man
who was Determined not TO be Insane.
DosToN, Dec. 22.-Fifty years ago or
moro. lad named Augustus Hemenway was en-
gagged "a "A shop hoy In dry goods store In
Charlestuwn, Mass His extraordinary aptitude
for business attracted the notice IT n Boston
merchant, who was heavily engaged In the
South American trade lie took the hoy to his
counting house ON Central Wharf, IN Boston,
and when the latter grew to manhood sent him
TO Valparaiso to look after his large interests In
that city. In short time the young man left
his employer and struck out for himself. This
South American trade was a comprehensive one.
II embraced the buying of all kinds Of South
American products, hides. wool, copper, Sc,
sending them to the United states, and bringing
back an assortment ~ American manufactures.
The business established by IIemenway adj
vanccd with giant strides. The wealthy English
houses In Valparaiso having confidence In the
remarkable ability Of the young American. lent
him their credit. 4 singular feature in this
mans career was that he never gave note. His
business in n few years had become great that
he found II necessary to return to Boston and
establish house IN that city lie sent his
brother. Charles +. Hcmcnway, to South Amer
lea to manage the house there, and. remaining
himself In Boston, enlarged his operations until
the magnitude ~ them demanded every mo-
ment Of his time. He even built his own ships
and made additional profits 10y carrying his own
goods. lie owned sugar plantations In cuba,
copper mines In South America. and had bust
ness relations with the Earrings uf such magui-
tude ~ tu astonish even that colossal house and
the whole of this immense business hc managed
himself.
ANXIOUS ABOUT rAyMENr.
Now comes strange change In his career.
About fifteen YEAR ago. ono morning lie walked
into the thtna Insurance tompany'S unicc. aud
expressed ~nme anxiety about a payment which
he was obliged {" make Of u comparatively
triliug amount. saNiug that lc was afraid lac
should moi he able to meet 1t. Mr.. Bacon the
President of the company, was astonished. and
after some talk with Mr.. Hcmenway was con
WINGED that the latter wa n little out ~ his
mind. Mr.; llemcnway, hlmsclf, came to the
| same cone lIsiOii lie sent for his lawyer. and
ordered him to draw up power II attorney
coniding the management of his business to his
brother Francis bacon. and Mr. Tileston. hi.
hrother-in-law, ~ the firm II SponOrd Tiles
ton. Associated with them was his chief clerk
a Mr.. brown, also man 81 great business saga
! Lit,hhcld. Conn, and put himself In charge Of
! an eminent medical man who resides there. In
! this house h, remained thirteen years watching
and nursing hi- brain. lie had satisfied himself
| that without perfect rest aid quiet the machine
So terribly tried would give out. and the result
would Ice softcniug OF the brain. lie passed his
| time In quiet amusement. glanced at the daily
newspapers. hut would never allow the word
business toh, mentioned IN his presence, during
| this long period of -eclusion the great civil war
broke out and was cXtingui-hed specie disap-
| pearrd new currency was born, new channels
of trade were opened and new methods of bust
ness we're evolved. The great whirlwiud swept
! 10y him unnuiiccd. To HE friends Hemenway
| appeared To- he hUpelcssly insane.
! About eighteen months ago. like a clap ~
! thunder from clear sAy. telegram came to
| Charles llomrnway wurdcd thus Bring on
! Your trial balance Augustus ITemenway.
! The brother telcgraphed To- the physician: The
answer came " Patient perfectly recoN "red." Mir.
! IIrncnwav received his brother aud the trial
| balance and looked over II. \ few days after
! ward he walked into his countins-room ON
Lcwi-s wharf, hungup his hat ON the accust omcd
| ~, = and sat down To business quietly. lie WAS
| trying his brain. In few days more he looked
over the entire transactions 81 the house for the
! past thirteen year,. and generally approved Of
| what had been done. Among the itcms in the
| statement was one for Sltr, charged to Mrs Hem
! rnway "What II thi-f r. he asked MIR brown
| did not remember. Look II up II you please.
| was the request. The books were referred to
and the hin was a dentists hill. This was in
! stanced as o specimen ~ his minute mcthodrn
ways. \ singular change had come over the
| man. Formerly he was brusque and stern. Now
| hc had become uihane and polite. lie went TO
| church. a new custom. and ON hospital sunday
button box: "lnl 4. IL The wardens we're
puzzled to know whether II meant ten dollars or
| one Thousand. ON calling upon him the neAt
day, they received one thousand dollars.
REsUMIN0 BUSINESS
Mr. Hemenway resumed the charge ~ his
business; II had been ennrm9usl, ENLARGED 10y
| the entire profits 81 the thirteen v"ars. Now
| this extraordinary man has resumed his some
time suspended business. His FIRST step was to
=" Ia England In purchase Mt swansea the ma
| chiucry for the thorough smelling 81 his copper
u had been coming 10 the country III an iiNner-
| fcctly smelted form a. an article known Ia the
| commercial world as regulus' His friends
/ on hearing that he was going to sail In the Adj
riatic. one 81 the White star Line. strongly adj
yised him to GO instead In tunarder. His
| reply wac characteristics. lie said " have eX-
amined the ship thoroughly. and have talk ed
| with the engineer | am atished.' lie sailed
| In that ship aud came back In her. II gave him
a week In Swansea. time to- complete his pur-
chases. when he landed he had been absent
Just twenty-three days His voyage embraced
the Adriatic's two remarkably quick trips. lie
then went To Cuba to look after his sugar plan
tattuns. He sold his whole crop 10 a London
house on a strong market. acting with his usual
thing which he had fore~ocn. From Cuba Mr.
Hcmenway went 10 Valparaiso. and from there
to London, where, In connection with the liar-
iugs, he Is now engaged I'm some huge operate ion
which will, no doubt. prove successful. rs II T.
asserted that during his long career he never
made business mistake. Mr.. Hemenway T.
probably the wcalthiest man In America. lie
owns good deal of property In New York city
Seeing that the dry goods trade was drifting
over to Church street, he bought some old
houses there, and pulling them down, erected
stores. He received a. much for one years rent
a. the ground and old hoIses cost During The
whole long self-imprisOnment 81 this remark
able man, his wife was an angel Of mercy To- the
poor. going about aud visiting them, aud spend.
I ing money to the extent 81 n princes revenue
All this she did IN the most transformations man
ner, and a. secretly a. II detection would brins
Ina f.st.s Al .tl hstfts