Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-21
- RAnpwIN oUTDoNE.
.,..tmr. John H. Inman Has Done IN
hhA' Twenty Years.
From the Nashville American

,,. ,,rasence in Nashville, the caplI@i
a+iva state, OF Mr. John I'll. lnman
u.s. II otportune to publish something
lS "ts career. inasmuch as 1t is without
.oIlel in any man Of his age.
.avad life and health from the wreck
be s" and in 1863 went to New York
"@'i uis family were of East Tennessee,
# ar. iva Mace being cambridge. his
ls Ia" an rpcle and two brothers estao-
s.Ie5i' . Gotten business in Atlanta, and
M isLe" arm known as 5. Nj. ln-
lle e Co. has been very successful.
~ sos perhaps, eXcelled any otner III
mo south. His uncle, -" 1lIlan e n, IL
lAo III hovho0d friend, James swami,
nan Oardridgo, and ne established the
sso ~ ~ 1S5s OF Inman, swami ~ Co. Pre-
b. ~ that Mr. John lnman was occu-
'o15 ,yi+h n clerkship of $1,000. Having
te ! tLe ontset he saved the first year of
~ ,aaiorv 81. 600. The next year ne lost
III .6y going outside to speculate"
u. hon determined to do one thing and
ne n we'll. This resOlution-and with
% rosolution was acti0n-saved him
nm losses, no doubt, atterWard.
man an the house Of lnman, Swami ~
Il ~ - ,naieurated plan OF conducting the
~ ot,nn business which, could they have
Co.ton a natent on it, would have made
a,sm money kings indeed. Happily, they
nv nonopOlv OF il for several years,
a'5 are still largely beyond competition.
T5e man is as follows: They buy tor cash,
anf the cotton in their warehouses during
IA ss months Of November, December, and
,4.,,orv and at the same time sell 1t to
Se denyered in June. July and August.
7, seemed a large business TO them when
IA 0oo bales were so bought and sold, but
,,as increased until they had IN few
oors so 600 bales. They were about TO
Nj yssolve on letting that be the limit, but
~ house grew stronger, and again its
.rnnIv was l02 GOO bales. Last year its
FL bnsiness grew to the amazing proportions
IA g. 100000. The house actually had IN
nossassion 100000 bales OF cotton--a
II much larger quantity than mas ever oeen
IA handled bv any business firm IN TINS or
any other country. No one will miscon-
sfrne this plan Of doing business. 1t Is
pot only legitimate, but in the strictest
ssnse honorable and lust. There is no
M rsk Sufficient guarantee is had nom
hose TO whom the cotton is sold, and
nv working seven months of each year
he firm has made on an average S3OO,0OO.
Ry wise investments and accumula-
lions il must possess vast fortune. Inc
senior Mr.. Inman made on his 60th ami
yorsary Sl16667. Mr.. Swami, grateful in
his good fortune, lives in elegance and
Injury in New York. The chief orna-
ment in the parlors of his palatial home is
the little old fax wheel used by his
mother near old cambridge, and cOnspic-
nous on the walls are Oil portraits OF bis
aged father and mother, also landscape
views of the old home and its hills that
overlook the Tennessee river. Mr.. Swami
largely interested in Atlanta, and is
President of bank there. His partial
residence there is prOpitiOus to his deli
..afo "a IG nj hpfnU
The old home of his wife, daughter of the
late Gen. Austell.
But it was my purpose in this article to
write esneoially OF MIR. John Il. Inman.
On Monday afternoon was surprised and
delighted at seeing him on a sidewalk in
Chattanooga. He was in search Of an old
friend who had gone in business there.
Besides this loyalty to old friends, he is
I0yal to his native Tennessee, and inter-
es,ed in its every section. He spent the
afternoon there and Tuesday in Nashville.
Wednesday and Thursday he journeyed by
s. Especial train rendered by President j.
VI, Thomas, of the Nashville, Chattanooga
and st. Louis road, with party of friends
"a 10 the extensive coal and iron properties
which he is interested at Tracy,
south Pttsburg and lnman and inter-
Mediate points. 1t gave me much pleasure
"a 10 hear him tell the story of his career
j
# pee 1t. | would not impose on his friend
& snip to ask how many millions of dollars
it was his good fortune to own, but he
talked fondly of his domestic life and how
pleasant it had been. His wife, who was
y Mss Maggie Coffin, of his own East Ten
1essee, has borne for them six bright,
healthy children, and his happiness is in
bis home. In the half of his life Of 40
X years he has never joined New York
club, ana has no club mem bership except
the Hermitage here-anOther proof of his
loyalty to Tennessee.
BE is a member of DR.. John Halls
church, New York, in which he owns
outright a pew. 1t cost him $4,000.
Wherever he goes for the summer be hires
pew TOR the season. He don't believe in
csrelessness or irregularity in church re-
lauons. He began { i learned this from
anolner) TO ask blessings at the table
nom the first eating in his own home.
All along In this story have tried to
respect his wish that nothing Of eXtrava-
sSnt character be written, but I must
3 praise his physical appearance. He is Of
me size, perhaps 200 pounds weight. HIS
4auly, kindly face actually inspires
llose who come IN contact with him. The
muck 10 the man is clearly confined in
lls ace. 1t is no wonder all men have
.oaAdence in him. This is illustrated in
sue many enormous properties with which
le Is Identified. Heis a director in the
rol'th National Bank, New York,
niA capital Of S4,000000; the Home
Insurance Company, capital, $4,000, 900;
i'lA Engand) J, capital, S3.000.000; the
LgllsVAle and Nashville railroad system,
4,th bond and stock debt of $95. 000, 900;
No Hichmond and Danville system. with
4 a go1Q and stock debt of $4,000, 900; the
,e.1Niile, Chattanooga and st. Louis
%etn With a bond and stock debt OF
@uut @I2,OOO,OOO. Besides, he is inter-
N1 10 one way or another, in many
,Wali railroad properties in the South. in
t vi winch ways he has to do with a
ise number Of capitalists.
~ w mas done his State some service.
.uo tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad
npany IS indebted TO him largely for
means whereby it has so extended its
1es7 "a The last few years. Nashville
~ VuNe Well 90 the matter by furnishing
-e quarter OF a million OF dollars,
Svul YET million was furnished from New
as,-4l through him. He Is largely inter-
v6.e 10 Georgia also he owns about
y worth Of real estate In Atlanta,
N" largely interested in Georgia cot
r ManuiactOries. All Of his invest
nus nave been in Southern securi-
amy he has never so far made
cte.' .,i"Ae. he helped the Georgia Pa
on, I'h Atlanta west, taking one and
vs.lloli 1l The 3,O00,O09 Of bonds. Again.
Va. que OWensborO and Nashville road
bor5l.l crisis, he said: "pll take your
Yul8,' and did H. Re uakaa thia rulo