Omaha daily bee., 1884-06-05
AMOS ENO'S BIG RESIDUE.
A Man Who Gave Up Millions to Save
His Honor.
A Fortune Made In the Good Old Days
of Proud Merchants-Hard strug.
gle That Led to Wealth.

gle That Led to Wealth.
ESQ YOU would like to know something
of the life, wealth and present standing
of Mr.. Amos. II. Eno2" queried a mild,
hammered old gentleman who was reclin.
ing comfortably in q velvet cushioned
armchair in the Fifth Avenue hotel last
evening. "Let me say first that it nearly
broke old Amos's heart when his only son
John @. wrecked the Second National
bank two weeks ago and fed from the
land OF his birth to escape incarceration
in the Ludlow street jail and possibly
Sing Sing. The more n dwells upon
his transactions the greater the sorrow
and consideration which should be ex-
tended to his father.
But let me tell you, young man" and
here the good old gentleman became EN-.
phatic, 'the rascality of a hundred sons
could not iniure John II. one jot or title
with the old merchants of New York.
He ranks as high as Ex-Governor Morgan
ever did. His name is on a plane with
Charles and Augustus Storrs and Simeon
b. C~hittenden and q score more of the
old-time merchants"
Amos II. Emo, in company with j. j.,
Phelps, two o Hartford lads, came to
this city in 1881. They each carried
their wardrobe in q bandanna handker-
chief and thoy.had no use for bank books.
They were two poor struggling clerks.
After q short time they found employ
ment, and after several years of most la
bored economy they went into partner
ship in the dry.goods business in Elk.
change place in the rear of the old Mer-
chants Exchange. Their store was
about 20x30 feet and was situated on the
site of the present bank building owned
by Mr.. Friedrich w. Stevens and next
door to the old Herald building, now oc-
cupied by the Mutual Life insurance
company.
Mr.. j.. j. Phelps, the partner of Mr.
Emo at that time, was the father of Will
liam Walter Phelps, the present member
of Congress from New Jersey. They
both boarded with old David Hale, who
had Just started the Journal of Com
merce, and lived at No. 81 John street.
Mr.. Hale eked out an existance by keep
ing boarders.
The firm had small means and small
credit, but big hopes. The principal
purchases they made were at auction and
they bought of all the great houses
John Hon Q 81 Sons, Hicks, Lawrence &
Co., Adee, Timpson & Co., Mills & Min
turn, John Haggarty 81 Sons, Boggs,
Thompson & Co., and Corlies, Mabbitt
& Co. In these days almost every pur-
chaser was required to give an indorsed
,oko Co., @hn on,n,,nk ,f HE p,,rnhoan
Emo 81 Phelps could not do this. Nobody
would indorse for them. So they pur-
chased for cash and went along slowly.
In less than a year from their start, by
strict attention to business, their in
domitable perseverance, and their Geo.
nomical habits, they gained a high po-
sition and became the leading dry goods
house in the city.
After a very successful business career
the firm dissolved and two dry-goods
houses grew out of 1t, being Emo,
Mahony e. Co. and the other tPhelps,
Chittenden 81 Bliss. OF the latter firm
Simeon B. C%hittenden is an ex-Congress.
man from Brooklyn and George Bliss is
q member now of the firm of Morton &
Bliss.
Mr. Emo retired in 1850 with q fortune
of $500, 000, which were fabulous figures
in those days. He then became engaged
In real estate speculations. He bought
many lots on Dsv, Barclay, Warran and
Chambers streets and subsequently the
plot of ground on Broadway, Fifth ave.
nue., Twenty-third and Twenty.fourth
streets, upon which a few years later he
built the Fifth Avenue Hotel at o cost OF
81, 900, 900. "9,t '2'e,' ~" i'''
At that time this location was regard.
cd as well out Of town, but Mr.. Emo with
great foresight began building operations
declaring that tho city would build up to
it and in d few years that section of New
York would be the most profitable to rea
estate owners
He had nearly completed the building
of the hotel when the panic Of 1856,
broke with force upon the country, para
lyzed business in New York and cause,
many deplorable financial disasters. Mr.
Emo at that time breasted the storm. blu
only after being very severely pinched
He was forced to give up the completion
of the enterprise and defer 1t until tn
panic had wasted its energy
His notes were freely offered on tn,
Street on high rates of discount. Afte
the panic had subsidized he began lookin,
about for O man to take charge of the
hotel after its completion. Mr.. Paral
Stevens had gained a great reputation il
Boston, where he had two houses, ant
in Mobile, where he had n. very success
full hotel, and he was known as the kim
pin in that particular line of business.
Nh. Emo communicated with Mr.
Stevens and invited him to come tn thi
city and take charge of the hotel. Ii
consideration of a contract to complet
the interior of the house Mr.. Emo mad
a favorable lease to- Mr.. Stevens, blu
connected himself with the establish
ment as one of the proprietors.
Mr.. Stevens maintained his connectio
with the house as a ailent partner unit
his death, leaving o share of it to hi
widow. Tho hotel was a success fror
the heur it was opened, in 1859, and |
caused an upward movement in real Ga
! tate in that locality as far up as Thirty
fourth street. Mr.. Emo then bough
property all along fifth avenue and, else
where, which proved to be very lueratiy
u - "