Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-02-08
LONGWORTR'S LUCK.
THE PECULIAR HISTORY OF THE
CINCINNATI MILLIONAIRE.
The Man Who Made Cincinnati-The Pc
cuIiar Circumstance Which Sent
Him to the Future Porkopolis
His Later Life.
I"Halston" In New York Times

I''Halst0l In New 1ork Times
Coming over from Newark the other day
met a descendant of the late Nicholas Long
worth, the man who made Cincinnati. The
Young man told me the story Of how the
| spilling Of a few casks of wine by irate
| Philadelphians pushed an Insignificant Ohio
village into consequence as a western city.
Old Nicholas Longworth who, by the way
was the father in-law OF the late Governor
Ward, Of New Jersey, was SO queer that
many people thought him crazy, hut with all
his cranky notions he was smart enough to
amass an estate valued at 1900, 600 At
the time Of his death. in 1863, he was one OF
the richest men in America He was born
in Newark in 1852, and the old Homestead
which sheltered his youth still stands at the
corner of High street and the thoroughfare
bearing his name and intersecting the home
lot Of the Longworth farm In early life be
ran away from home and hired out
to an Ohio farmer But he soon tired
of the existence on a Buckeye farm
Agriculture in Ohio reminded him too
much Of the New Jersey scenes he had quit
ted He therefore took summary leave Of
his patron When next heard from he was
making wine from wild grapes. His business
soon increased So that in a few years he was
recognized as the leading wine manufacturer
Of the country. He was the first man to put
Ohio wines on the market.
On one of his speculative trips he had no
ticcd the little village laid on; by Col Lud.
low in 1879. This miniature Cincinnati
Ludlow lad fondly hored would loom up as
a rival u staid Philadelphia. Eventually it
did loom, but its first start was the result OF
a peculiar circumst Ince. In an excess Of
fanaticism Quaker city mob seized q cargo
Of Longsworth's wine, broke open the cask
beads and allowed the ruby burden to flood
the CUTTERS Nicholas Longworth wasn't
the man to stand such an affront. His heart
was in the magnificent industry he had
reared as anxiously as a parent watches q
chill He determined to have his revenge
With population Of POO souls at that
tiue, it offered about a much inducement t.
investors as the average New England coun-
Try town Of to-day. Nicholas, as | have said,
vas a strong minded, crochetty old chap He
had noticed the fine position Of the Ohio
town. Without further ado, Carried COM
plete!y away by his desire TO get square
with Philadelphia, he purchased 200 acres
within the boundaries of the future Cincin-
natl This area he cut up into streets and
lots, built houses, and improved MS purchase
in all possible ways With Nicholas went
his Philadelphia wine stock He erected
warehouses in the western town and calmly
turned over TO its authorities half Of the
so, 900 remaining to him for the purpose Of
6 establishing u court house and otherwise en-
lellishing the center of mushroom Porkopolis
In less than twelve years Cincinnati had 90. 0N
people around Long warehouses.
Real estate ran up 10 enormous figures foi
those days. Nicholas LOngworth's invest.
ment of 500, 900 had swollen t. colossal pro-
portions Before he reached his 50th year
he was one of the twenty millionaires Of the
land, and the oil Philadelphia score wa
wiped out In his latter days old Nichola
became careless, and his slovenly habits
were famed all over the country. am told
a rather good story about him at this stage
of his life The old Astor was his favorite
New York hotel. One day, after partaking
OF one OF the meals for which the hostelery
was even then famous, the millionaire
perched himself out on the stone steps in the
sunshine After mopping his brow with a
big red bandanna, he carelessly placed the
handkerchief in his dilapidatei old hat lying
beside him, and then calmly went To sleep
Passing out of the hotel, a gentleman noticed
what be took for tired-out beggar, one
of the fraternity frequenting every public
place. He charitably dropped a coin into
the o.d fellows hat and Others followed the
example. Nicholas, in waking up discov-
cred the pennies. A grim smile stole over
his features. and he quietly picked up the
hat with its burden OF pence and walked in
to the clerks desk. "Oh, hol" quoth he, 80
they tool, me for one of your beggarS Well
a. this contribution was intended for beg
CARS heg-ars shall have it" So saying, he
dragged the astonished clerk out Of the hotel
and up broadway. At every turn almost
some unfortunate was met, and as long a
his coins lasted he wrapped them up one BY
one III dollar bill, and distributed them. Blu;
that wasn't much for the owner Of hajs at
Cincinnati was iti