The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-01-18
SAMUEL TYLER.
Death of Pionetr i'm the South Ameri.
can Trade.

can Trade.
Samuel Tyler, venerable and respected
merchant of this city, died at his residence on
State street last evening, at the age of 81 years
While in South America Mr.. Tyler contracted
disease incident to the malarial regions Of
that country, from which he has suffered ever
since at times Some weeks a 20 he was attacked
BY cougestive chill accompanied with hemor-
rhage of the stomach. He rallied temporarily
ard there were hopes that he might get up
agaip, bat his strength was not Sufficient, and
be gradually sank until yesterday morning,
when he peacefully passed away.
Samuel Tyler was born in Heoniker, N. FL
FEBRUARY 70, 1897. His father was a soldier in
the Revolutionary war and member of WASH
ington's body guard. Soon after his birth his pa
rents removed to Brownfield, 10 Oxford county
in this state, AID there the subject of this no.
tice passed his youth, working on the farm and
picking up such knowledge as the district
schools afforded. During the war of 1872 he
served his country as soldier, enlisting when
he was only sixteen years old, and up to the
time OF his death he had drawn a pension
for this service. Mr.. Tyler remained in
Brown6eld until be was tweaty.eight wears
old, when he went to Sac3 and engaged in
business, remaining there but few years how
ever. lie next moved to Portland where he
engaged in the hotel business, and for time
Kept the old Patten hotel then standing on the
corner of Congress and Brown streets. But
this Occupation was not congenial to his tastes,
nor were It's pecuniary results satisfactory aud
consequently he soon abandoned it and decided
to seek his fortune in South America 1t ia
said that his attention was first drawn to this
country og reading scrap from an old geogra-
phy, In which the soil was described as ex-
tremely fertile and productive and the people
as exceedingly indolent. This undoubtedly
suggested to his mind that to an American of
energy and perseverance the country was full of
promise. The business of raising wool in Buenos
Ayres for export, which has since grown to such
Immense proportions, was then in its infancy.
MIR. Tyler was one of its pioneers, and to him be-
longs the honor OF having shipped the first car
go OF wool ever brought to this country from
Buenos Ayres. Mr.. Tyler sailed for South
America in 1929. Hs was poor and had not an
acquaintance south Of the Equator. His in
oomltable will, tireless energy and honesty of
character, however, more than made up for his
LACE OF pecuniary means. He entered business
at time when science had discovered few of
those agents on which the merchant of our ay
SO greatly relies Today sitting in his counting
room the merchant knows the existing condo
ton of all the markets of the world, so that he
can make his contracts and sales on exact
knowledge. Bat when Mr.. Tyler went to South
America the telegraph was undiscovered
and the steamship not in use. The
Judgment and foresight necessary for the
successful transaction of business ia 1929 was
incomparahly greater than that required at the
present day. All the knowledge that a mer-
chant IN Baenos Ayres at that time could have
OF the condition OF the marke: or the state OF
trade in other countries must have been at
least six months old, aud on this slender data
ne was compelled to calculate long iato ths fu =
ture. Obviously the merchant of that dsy. il
successful must necessarily have been a man
OF no common intellectual power. On his first
trip Mr.. Tyler remained 10 Buenos Ayres three
and half years, and laid the foundation of a
large and prosperous business. 10 after life he
realized what these first years gave promise of.
de became one of the moss conspicuous of the.
foreign Merchants in Buenos Ayres, amassed
large fortune and what was b5tter made his
name synonym for honesty and fair dealing
IN country where the temptations to trickery
were many aud where they might be yielded to
without serious consequences in case of detec.
ton. Brought in contact as he was largely
with an.uneducated class whose ignorance
made it easy to take advantage of thsm, bis
dealings with them were always characterized
by scrupulous honesty aud exaetness. Other
merchants might cheat them, NJ any osher mer.
chants did cheat them, but Mr. Tyler Inspired
them with perfect confidence. SIT is 80 because
Mr.. TSler says so" was the favorite way 10
With thelunlettersd natives expressed their
Implicit reliance on his statements of thu
weight and value of the commodity they had
for sale.
From the time of his first trip up to 1862 Mr..
Tyler made frequent voyages between this
country and South America. Bstween 1888
and 1859, he made nine voyages, ak with his
vile and three without Der. and Up 10 1862 he
mad made twelve voyages, six alone aud six
with his wife. 1t was through Mr. Tyler's in-
'huence that large number of young men (ths
number is stated as high as one hundred) from
this state were induced to engage ia the South
American trade. Notable among them were
the H)u. S. E. Spring and his deceased mart
ner, Mr.. Andrew Spring, whose business
house has become one of the largest and b,st
known in New England.
Up to May 1850 Mr.. Tylets residence IN this
country was lin Brownfield At that date his
family removed to this city and remained here
until 1Shh whap
La 1871 Mr.. Tyler again moved to this city
where he has sincs resided. Though too
busily engaged in mercantile pursuits to bs
active in politics Nj. Tyler took great interest
in public affairs aud was always deeply con-
cerned in matters which appert aimed TO tina
welfare Of the State or na.ioa The Rennbi.
cans OF Oxford equity honored him with an
eectioa to the State H)use of Representatives
in 1868 and to the Senate 10 1869. and thsss
were the only public positions he ever held
though his fellow citizens woald gladly have
conferred others upoa him had he bsen WILLING
to accept them.
Mr.. Tyler was married il 1924 to Eiiz.b,t,
Spring of Brownfel1. Shs died ia Portland
October IA, 1877. OF the seven children that
were Dorn 20 this uaion oo'y thres survive
1AioAanu0r 1yior, uoW IiVlog 10 Min0eapOlS,
Minn., Mrs. Charles P. Clark, resident of
Newtoc, Mass, and Mrs. Sarah Breslin.
widow of the late Dr.. Thomas Breslip, who
resides in this city.
Mr.. Tyler possessed to remarkable degree
those characteristics which We all admire in
manhood In physical stature he was over
Six feet 10 height and to the day of his death
his form was unb ant aud MS slap elastic, His
misn was dignified and his manners easy and
courteous. His uprigh. fgate aad snowy head
have been conspicuous upon QUE streets far
many years. His mind was marked BY tas
same strength which belonged to his physical
nature. 1t was enarkable for breadth of
view ana sound and quick jadgment-charac-
teristic, without which his great SUCCESS in his
mercantile pursuits could never have been
achieved He was benevolent, contributing
freely to charitable objects, bat shrinking from
publicity. Many men who are now successful
merchants sowa their first start to his en-.
couragement aud assistance HIS honesty
and uptightness in his dealings with his