The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-24
HEIR TO NINE MILLIONS.
THE Y0UN0 NAN VINO CAME OF ACE
LAST CHRISTMAS DAY.
The Grandson Of an Honest CAPE Cod Fish
ermnn-Thc son of n Confirmed Bachelor
who MARRIED. at the L Ipe A 70 of ii xfx-f,xn.

BOSTON, Jan. Gilt Is n recognized fact
that In Massachusetts, every fourth person one
meets Is an old maid. You may imagine, there
lore, the sensation which was produced in the
Commonwealth when the 3GiST marriarcable
sp'nsters who live between Cape Cod and the
berkshire Hills read the following paragraph in
the Boston papers fortnight ago;
Joshua Montgomery Sears OF Boston. a member OF
ne large ei by his a,her Tie late JosSus sears
is young man Of intelligence and is said to Sc pos.
Whether the heir is 10 ever nave the sole msnseemrnt
AM DISPOSAL OF tho estate IL question upon which tie
now Is about nine million dollars
An account OF the youthful heir himself, and
OF the remarkable man VINO beqneathed all this
wealth, and who in his day did much to pro-
mote the prosperity OF New England and stay
the falling fortunes Of Boston, will, l am sure,
prove Interesting
First, let me give a sketch OF the Sears
family, which In its various branches Il one OF
the most prominent In Massachusetts,. The
branch OF the family which Is best known in this
country s tho sandisaeld branch. in which are
two distinguished scholars and dvnes, the
late Prof Barnas Sears, ID. d., LID, at one
time President Of Brown University at Provi-
dencc and now general agent OF the Peabody
Southern Educational Fund, and his brother,
the Rev. Edmund Hamilton Sears, an
eminent clergyman. poet and author An
other branch, which Is chiefly prominent
for its wealth. social position. and old-fashion-
ed Massachusetts, family pride. IL the Boston
Sears family, which has been one Of the Arlsto-
cratic families Ot Boston since carly colonial
days. and has never shown the sirhtest Interest
branch Is that To which Joshua Sears and the
young heir. above mentioned, belong. This
branch; which occupies much humber sphere
In life, has been for many generations a haif pas
tofal. hall nautical family, at Yarmouth. on
Cape Cod It's members dividing their time be-
tween farming aud fishing, as IL the custom OF
the honest, slmple, well-to-do inhabitants OF
the Cane. with the exception OF Joshua, who
abandoned the pursuits OF his foretathers and
went to Boston to seek his fortune eariv in the
present century, the Yarmouth Searses have
faithfully remained Mt Cape Cod, whore they
stu occupy themselves with their double call
Ing by land and sea.
TnE CAREER OF JOSHUA SEARS.
Joshua Montgomery SEARS was born on a Christ
mas Day with golden spoon in his mouth-two
and his family. His wealth did not descend to
him through a long line Of plethOric ancestors.
HIS grandfather was an honest fisherman at
Yarmouth. with several children. whom no
sought to bring up to habits Of industry. frugal
all good children. and pronted 10y their fathers
pre- repts; all except the youngest boy. Joshua,
the father OF the present her. Joshua, though
In childhood the pride Il the family circle. de-
veloped az he grew no an impatient, discon.
tented disposition. which was sore trial q his
fathers heart. In common with Charles and
Thomas, the older sons. Joshua was taught at
an early age all the mysteries Of the fisherman
calling. lie learned TO lure the transporting
lobster from his crystal depths, to bob for cells,
TO play the gamesome salmon, to take In the
hungry blue hsn and gentle cod; but. though he
was taught all these art-, his father observed
with pain that Joshua practised them In a de-
sultory manner, which showed that his heart
was not in the work. On the day when Joshua
reached the age Of seventeen. the honest asher-
man, taking two noes In his hand. and giving
I T., basket, invited MIN 70 m expediuon
little enthusiasm In the game, but Sc atChed
away with hs hoe In SO half-hsarted a manner
that the CT ms mad no difficulty IN evad-
ing his pursuit, and his father mai half hlled the
basket before Joshua had captured single clam.
Leaning upon his hoe the OH man watched his
sons efforts for a moment. and then Ia,
Joshua, fear YOU will never make great
fisherman" i an afraid not, father" sid
Joshua. "You have no energy, Joshua. and YOU
have no patience, said the old man. Without
energy and patience you can never expect to
am thus particular in mentioning the events
Of the claiming expedition. bee .use II was the
9ire' Ia the cnNercatlnn which Followed
j 'shuh e. sincci his fuher thar he had uspra
lions which might possibly lead TO frultion In
Cape cod err he made ~ poor llsure.
one week from that DAY green. awkward
lad formed Ia new SUIT Of home$pun, and
carving a long, narrow carpet bAg IN his hand.
was conducted 10y MS father to boston, and
tnere " OOunl out TO serve two years In the
employ Of a nrm with whom tge elder Seirs
had long mad dealings ia sailed nsh. Inc trlu
were Me--r-. Prince, HaNes * Co.,. de- ilers Ia
ropes, grind-tunes, warming pans, airy COOS =, ana
". L. goods" which last is the Boston name
for groceries. II IL needless TO follow the for
tunes OF Joshua through tue urduous DAYS OF
apprenticeship, clerkship. and subsequent en-
trance into business for himself We all know
the results OF energy, integrity, tnl wdtchiul.
hess. lie was pltrun2ei by hi. fathers neigh
hors at Yarmouth; ne extended his triIe To
aud 10 was not ma, 80 years before he was send
n- out shirs 81 hi. own and rlhing IN golden
ducats faster than he could ever have rAked IN
oysters mad lac RENAME AZ rm0uth.
JOSHUA's FIRST ROMANCE.
During the hrst forty years Of his life Joshua
seems 10 have ignored entlrely the continental
eide Of his nat IRE. II he mai such side.
As ne grow prosperous ana developed from
~ in JOSH INTO Nr. Scars in commercial Cur
terest by the female sex, which has nlw Us Oren
pretty strong element IN Boston socicty. But
all feminine blandishments bestowed upon
Josh sears fell upou barren ground, anu by de-
rrres he came Into the reyut tiou u peing an
incoruslbls woman hater. Many amusing an
ecdotcs are told OF the eff ,rts made by the fe-
male cohorts to tame and capture him, hut |
nave space only to mention "A case which was
crowned with partial success. The ciutain Of
one of his SHIPS having died, Joshua not only
made himself useful IN settling the estate. but
put graceful hnish upon the trans iction hv
making an offer OF his heart and hand to tho
widow, who accepted him on the spot. A no lse
was bought ana furnished and preuafdti ms were
made for quiet wedding, but AT the last mo-
ment Joshua's courage gave out, and the widow
retired in nigh dudgeon to her home on Cape
Cod, ana made preparations for war. The gre I
merchant prevented a breach OF lromise SUIT ny
derpitching his confidential nan t. Cope cot
with "A book Of blank cheeks under his arm and
instructions to make the best terms he could
with the indignant widow; but IL was ouly after
a stormy scene that her cerdted affections
were healed by the Application OF generous
pecuntary douceur. II was currently reported
that 1shua paid $4,000 for this hrst successful
love affair.
This episode occurred when he was s.. From
that IN mrnt Joshua became an tnyeterite enc
my OF the sex; II he mad failed TO admire women
before, he cordially hated them now, and there
seemed not to he the slightest chance OF his ever
meeting with another romance. Church curpO-
rdtipns, missionary societies, and charitable in
situations marked him for their own, and
watched with eugerness the steady growth Of
his large estate. The general surprise may be
Imagined when at the mature age Of siXtv-two
he won and welded a woman Of half ms age,
aud set up AZ married man on Cape Cod, the
scene of his early tshing exploits. HIS wife,
VINO was an anitble Lady. was Pnmue snow, the
daughter of Deacon snow of brewster, Mass.
an only child, Joshua MONTGOMERY sears, VINO
reached his twent, first birthday last Christmas
Day, as already mentioned The father lived
Two years longer and dled at the age OF Us.
the YOUTHFUL heir
passed the nrst eight or nine years ~ his life at
Yarmouth, In the charge of his fathers relatives,
lie then placed under the care of the Hon.
Alpheus Hardy Of Boston, who was ono Of The
executors, and has from tnat tine to the pres
ent had the SUPERVISION Ol the Young mans edu-
cation, Mr.. Hardy mad several sous VINO were
passing through the acadcmlc course 40 Andover,
a Massachusetts, town whose famous Old school
has given A. ne name u " the NdgDY OF