The daily gazette., 1878-05-09
THIRD EDITION..
Chas. Morgan's Death.
WORTH sl3,OOO,OOO, AND THE OW'
NER OF q STEAMSHIPS.

HIS EXTENSIVE ENTERPRISE IN LOUISE
ANA AND TExAs-oNE OF THE FIRST IN
THE CALIFORNIA TRADE-THE SOLE
OWNER OF A RAILROAD.
From the ". Y. san to-day.
Mr.. Charles Morgan, one of the mer-
chant princes of New York, died in his
home, at East tTwenty-sixth street, yes
terday. He was S3 years of age. He was
the owner of the Morgan line of steam
ships running between New York and
New Orleans, and the other vessels,
mainly in the Texas trade, numbering
twenty-one in all. He was sole owner of
the railroad running from New Orleans
to Morgan Oity, so named after him by
the Legislature in Louisiana and also sole
owner of the railroad from Indianola to
Victoria, Texas. He had accumulated a
fortune of about Sl3,000,0O0 in seventy
years of his active life as merchant in
this city. He was born on April q, 1875
in Clinton, Conn, and when IA years of
age came to this city in search of employ
ment' He was first engaged as clerk in
q grocery, and his industry and frugality
ne soon accumulated enough W tSlhDHSll
"a store of his own in Peck slip, supplying
provisions and stores TO shipping. Then
he began to import fruit from the West
Indies, and it was not long before he
bought little brig and in a few years he
had a fleet of sailing vessels in the West
India fruit trade. The first steamship
between this city and Charleston, s. c.,
was started by Mr.. Morgan. 1t was the
David Brown, and from that grew the
n hlis hrnant of "a xraaE1y line nf sfa
ships.
One of the largest OF Mr.. Morgan's en-
terprises was the purchase of the New
Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western
Railroad The company had been brok-
en- down by the war and the road COM
pletely dlsmantled. Mr.. Morgan bought
the entire stock fer S2,050, 900 and eX-
pended as much more to put the road in
repair. He put on new rolling stock and
equipments and repaired the road bed
and raised it above the overflow of the
Mississippi. Recently he issued stock of
the road, distributing 1t among his family.
Before that he managed the road and
branches, extending in all 175 miles, en-
tirely alone. Mr.. Morgan's object in
purchasing the road was to avoid run
ning his Texas steamships down the
Mississippi. He carried his freight from
New Orlerns to Morgan City by railroad.
In order to make the line of communlca-
ton perfect, he dredged steamboat
channel through Atchafalaya bay, 13
miles in length, 200 feet in width, and 10
feet in depth. 1t cost 100000. He also
dredged channel from Galveston to
within seven miles of Houston, going
part OF the way through solid ground 80
feet in depth, to let his ships reach the
railroad centre of Texas at Houston. A
year ago he purchased a majority of the
stock of the Houston and Texas Rail-
road, 542 miles in length, for about $500,
600. He constructed at Indianola the
finest wharf in the Southern States, be
ing nearly $500 feet in length. 1t is es
timated by those most familiar with Mr.
Morgan's business that his employees
and their families numbered at least 3,
600 persons He was liberal employer
and there are not few who have beel
in his service over quarter of century
Among these may be mentioned Capt
Lawless, Capt. Forbes of the STEAMSHIP
Lone Star, Capt. Talbot of the HutchiI
son, Purser Da Costa, and James RiI
toul, for twenty-five years his confideI
tlal clerk.