Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-03-19
Well-to-Do Colored Men.


Frank Carpenter In Mail and Exprcss.l
The Hon. George W. Williams, ,ex member
Of the Ohio Legislature and author Of the
History of the Colored Race in America"
is light skinned, well dressed mulatto Of
perhaps 81. He is now engaged here lin
Washingtonl on his second volume Of the
"Hisiory of Reconstruction" | asked him
| tonight to give me some facts as to the rich
negroes of the United States. He replied
The coiored people are amassing fortunes
very rapidly, aud | know Of grea, many
who are worth from hundred thousand 10
million dollars. Here at Washington
there are one hundred negroes wIrlh over
S2j 900, at least 30 worth $1,000. and
should say nearly 900 worth 5000. Fred
Douglass is worth about $500. 900. and he
has beautiful home surrounded by large
grounds on the other side Of the Potomac.
overlooking Washington. II is the old Van
Hook mansion, the home of a noted negro
hater, who. when he divided up his lands for
sale, pat into every deed stipulation that
the purchaser should in no case sell TO
negro. Fred Douglass owns il to-day, and
the whole Of the estate, so divided, is dotted
with the houses of colored men. Dougla
was, yoa know. slave. and he fought
boy with the dogs for the crumbs that fell
from his masters table. He has made his
money chiefly by occurring and BY paper
called the North Star, which he used to edit.
He got 800 night lecturing. and hs in
vested his money in government bonds and
real estate. There is no pleasanter home in
Washington than his. and his rev white
wife is beautiful and accomplished lady.
i,h rNAi # lts
irici OF Columbia. is wealthy coIored man.
He is worth aboct S2jD0Oo. lie has held
his present office for II years. lie is a man
of great ability. and j, we'll educated. Then
there Is broker here named Matthews.
vho did business of more than 100000
la, wear. lie Is graduate of the law de-
parlmeni of Harvard university, and got his
stat IS clerk IN The posi-oihce department
He saved ms money. and lent II out IN
drih,eis a; exorhlgant rates of interest 10 his
more impravIdent white fellow clerks His
pile soon grew large enough to enable him
10 Withdraw from the department. and he
nov does a legitimate brokerage business.
john NJ. l.angston. our minister 70 liayti,
mas a good deal Of property in " ashlnglon,
and he i rich man lie is the son of
rich Nlrgintan Of Louisa county. Va, BY
beautiful c3iored mother. His father freed
hum al hss death and provided funds for his
education. lie was sent 10 Ohcrlin. ami he
studied ilw. after graduating there. al CieSe-
land. When the VAR Vas over he was gwen
a place on the FreeImaa's bureau. and final
j, became ,ige-prosi,lsnt of the Frecdman's
SAVING hauA. Tht, had capital Of S9j,-
$50 .01D. and Il iailr!. Il vas not due 10
I4ngsion ihat u did - though he did not
fllI @,ih l., lie next became sice- e-presiieat
of Howard university. ard was then i mem
bcr Of tie national board Of health. All
th., time be va. getting VIZ salaries, and
was making more and spending less than
ANY ieadias coIorcd man IN the country.
When 'Hayes vas elected. l.lngsion wanted
20 be commissioner Of agriculture. Hayes
camprom .e,l the matter by sending him As
minister 10 linyti. place then worth -,
500. lie unw s,;, - 900 yeAr