The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-03
NICHOLAS LoNGwoRrH's REVENGE.
How the Splitting of Few Casks of Wine
Gave Cincinnati a Boom.

Gave Cincinnati Boom.
New York Times
Coming over from Newark the other day 1
met a descendant of the late Nicholas Long
worth, the man who made Cincinnati The
young man told me the story of how the spiliing
of asfew casks of wine by irate Philadelphians
pushed an insignificant Ohio village into conse
quence as Western city. Old Nicholas Long
worth, who by the way, was the father-inlaw of
the late Gov. Ward of New Jersey. was so queer
that many people thought him crazy, but with
all his cranky notions he was smart enough to
amass estate valued at $l5, 600 000 At the
times of his DEATH in 1863 he was one of the
richest men in America. He was born in New
ark, In 1882 and the old homestead which shell
tered his youth still stands at the corner of High
street and the thoroughfare bearing his name
and interesting the home lot OF the old Long
worth farm. In early life he ran away from
home and hired out to an Ohio farmer.
But he soon tired of existence on a Buckeye
farm. Agriculture in Ohio reminded him too
much of the New Jersey scenes he bad Quilted.
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 few years he was recognized 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 noticed
the little village laid out by Colonel Ludlow in
in 1850. This miniature Cincinnati Ludlow had
fondly hoped would loom up as rival to staid
Philadelphia. Eventually it did loom but it's
first start was the result of peculiar circum-
stance. In an excess of fanaticism Quaker
City mob seized cargo of LongworthS wine,
broke open the cask heads and allowed the ruby
burden to flood the cutters. Nicholas Long
worth wasn't the man to stand such an affront
His heart was in the magnificent industry he
had reared as anxiously as parent watches
child. He determined to have his revenge.
With population of l. 200 souls at that time,
it offered about much inducement to investors
as the average New England country town of
to-day. Nicholas. AS have said, was a strong
minded crochetty old chap. He had noticed
the fine position OF the Ohio town. Without
further ado, carried completely away by his de-
sire to get square, with Philadelphia, he pIr-
chased 200 acres within the boundaries of the
future Cincinnati. This he cut up into
streets and lots, built houses and improved his
purchase in all possible ways With Nicholas
went his Philadelphia wine stock. He erected
warehouses in the Western town and calmly
turned ovc- to its authorities half Of the 500 600
remaining to him for the purpose of establishing
a court house ami otherwise embelllshing the
center of mush- room Porkopolis.
In less than twelve years Cincinnati had GO. coo
people around Long worth's warehouses Real
estate ran UP to enormous figures for those
days. Nicholas Longworths investment of
800, 900 had swollen TO colossal proportions.
Before he had reached his fftieth year
he was one of the twenty misionaires
of the land, and the old Philadelphia
Nicholas became careless, and his slovenly
habits were famed ali over the country. | am
told a rather good story about him at this stage
of his life The old Asior was his favorite New
York hotel One day, after partakine of one of
the meals for which the hostelry was even then
famous, the millionaire perched himself out on
the stone steps in the sunshine After hopping
his brow with big red handanna, he careiessly
placed the handkerchief in his dilapidated old
hat lying beside him. and then calmly went TO
sleep. Passing out of the MOTEL, a gentleman
noticed what he took for tired out beggar one
of the fraternity freqneEtns, every public place.
He charitably dropped coin into the old fell
lows hat, and others followed the example.
Nicholas, in waking up. discovered the pennies.
A grim smile stole over his features. and he
quietly picked up die hat with its burden of
pence and walked in to the clerks desk "Oh,
ho!" quoth he so they took me for of yonr
beggars Well. as this ontiihution was intend
ed for beggars, beggars 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 as his coins
lasted he wrapped them up one by one in dollar
bills and distributed them. But that wasn't
much for the owner of half of Cincinnati was til