The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-07-20
AMuence in Rags.
[ New York orrespondence ST. Loui, Globe Demo
t.l.If

| New York correspondence st. Louis Gobe-Dcmo
crat.
In front of the St Nicholas Hotel he
went shambling along, with his eyes cast
down, dirty briar wood pipe in his
slo2uched hat on his hcaa pa pants & &sadv Tie
worse for wear, rolled up over dirty bro
suggestive. "liow much would you give
for what is on that old fellow? asked
my companions After he had turned and
surveyed him from head to loot the an
swer came "Weli, his old clothes might
bring So at 4 second hand shop; but why
do You ask that question:? "Because,n
responded, "that old specimen of hlmani-
ty is worth three or four millions, and he
| usually carries in those Old clothes from
so 900 to $40, 900 in United States scculi-
ties" And such are the facts The man
is named Connors Many Years AGO he
landed in Halifax from Ireland with but
SlS in his pockets. Strolling along Water
street he saw in Junk shop Il large guam
tity Of Old brass. An idea struck him
Cou Id he not make q successful deal in
old brass? He entered and inquired how
much per pound would be accepted for
the lunI. Ills next move was in the Ill
recton of the piers on the river front He
found II vessel about to sail for Boston in
| ballast, and sought IN interview with the
captain, who proved To be Il countrymen of
his From him he ascertained the price of
brass in Boston, and after Il little calcula-
ton they found that they could clear about
S4OO by buying out the junkman. The
| skipper advanced the money, the brass
was transferred to the schooner. They
set sail for the Hub, where they arrived
| in due time, and selling their cargo
| cleared SlJU by the transaction, which
| they divided between them. CoMnlrs re-
manned in Boston, where lie made Il few
| more lucky speculation5 OF this nature,
and then came to this city. He lived the
| life Of !; miser, in Il dilapidated tenement
house. cooking his own meals, and having
as his only companion Il little dog, with
whom he divided his frugal meals Every
speculation he entered into yielded him
gold, and finally, when he had accumu-
lated about $1,000 he began to operate i'll
real estate He wis remarkably shrewd
and everything he touched seemed to turn
into gold rs if by magic. All this time
his wife ard children remained in Ireland,
and rarely would he condescend to write
tneni, oWlno W INC hcccSSlly ol puIciitS-
ing the postage stamp that would be in
volved. His wealth doubled nearly every
year; lots purchased for a mere song en-
HANGED i'll value rapidly; and rs he pros
pered he placed much i'll tenement houses
that gave handsome profits. Some years
ago lie purchased the Park Hotel. corner
Of Beckman and Nassau streets. Later
the Central Park Hotel was erected by
him, and still later the Astor. Place Hotel
He now owns, it is said, five or six hotels
aud other real estate, valued in the aggrc-
gate at between $4,000, 600 and 81 ,0OO.-
600. Connors is q mlser in every sense OF
the word A few years ago he sent to
Ireland and brought out his eldest son to
aid him in the management of his large
estate. The young man toiled diligently
but the OF fellow did not give him sutli-
cient to pay his board, and the young man
left him and is now running q real estate
office in Brooklyn on his own account
During all this time Connors carefully
guarded from every one, including hi,
son, his place of abode None of his ten
ants know where to find him except or
rent day, when he calls promptly to The
hour and demands the uttermost farthing