St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-25


Pictures, have passed into the unseen land
since we commenced our series, little over
year ago.
HENRY M'KENTY.
An odd genius was Henry McKenty
Small, wiry, active, genial, persevering
pushing, public spirited, generous, sensitive
proud, everlastingly quick at a bargain, he
seemed TO be driven by forty-horse steam
power engine, and in the prime of his life
he used the capacity of the machine for al
it was worth. His ideas were broad and lib
eral, and he had nerve and courage
to carry them to completion.
He came to Saint Paul just at a time when
his genius as a real estate man had ample
opportunity for free scope, and he led off in
this special department as the great warrior
OF his profession. He was pre-eminently
king! He was an original, bold, startling,
aggressive land operator, not confined to the
limits of city, or village, but reaching out
for broad acres" on broad platform, with
broad and liberal views of business, and he
headed the column, until he went down in
the trying times of 1878. McKenty was
truly character! In early life little wild,
he came west not only to retrieve what he
had lost, but to gain in the affection of one
he subsequently called-wife. He won both,
but the end, oh, how sad how bitter!
INCIDENTS.
'Mac! / have no money, but I'll take a
lot of you for watch!'' said the writer in
1858. agreed" said the smiling land OPP
orator. 81 have lot in Mankato; give me
your watch and will give you your deed !''
And the bargain was closed. The watch
was worth $50, the lot $40. We
held the property for about twenty-five years,
when We found it was part of an uncouth
stone quarry, and some way or other we had
lost sight of the matter, until recently, when
we discovered the identical lot to be valu-
able piece of real estate We guess we have
Macs deed get; we are going to look it upl
Possibly we've struck oil.
GIVE PER CENT. PER MONTH"
In 1858 little brisk-appearing citizen
asked DR.. Mann if he had come to the city
to loan money, if so he could get him five
per cent THAT'S nothing" said the Doc
tor; ~ can get five per cent. In Philadel-
phia.' ''Oh !" said the little
gentleman, II mean five per cent pei
month, and good paper ct that!" ooh no!
ana! Yes!'' said the Doctor, and a few days
after he loaned a number Of little sums and
they were all paid back with the liberal five
per cent. interest. One morning this little
risky mau wanted to sell the Doctor lot,
and succeeded in doing 50, when, towards
night he came back and said
''See here, DR.. l will give you one hun
bred dollars advance on that lot
sold you,'' and of course the
Doctor took 1t, aud repeated the transac-
action several times after. This little, active,
ousy, pleasant man, was Henry McKenty.
CONSCIENTIOUS INTEREST.
Pennock Pusey was brought up under
Quaker influences, and when McKenty told
him he would give him three and half per
cent. per month for the use of his money, he
declined the offer, honestly believing IN those
days that it would be wrong for him to do so,
but before the end of the war Pussy
got bravely over this twinge OF con-
science and we should now be afraid to offer
him two and onehalf per cent. per month /!
Mac compromised on less rate of interest
received the money; bought "broad acres"
for st.25 per acre, and In less than year
after Pussy purchased some of this same
property at So. so per acre, and Mac made So
per cent on his investment That cured
Pusey of any further conscieD tious scruples
respecting the loaning of mouey on a good
rate Of interest! and especially as he sold
this same land afterwards to Dalrymple for
SIS per acre.
MCKENTY's PROFITS.
In 1854 Mac entered several thousand
acres of prairie land IN Washington county,
at 81 .25 per acre; in 1855 he sold the same
land for SIS per acre, and cleared 300 per
cent, or 1913, 000l He immediately entered
again, and again, other land, always in
''broad acres,n and came out with tremen-
dous profits. The great depression of 1878
carried land down, and with it many honest,
sagacious, honorable men, and they never
recovered from the disaster.
THAT BROKEN GLASS.
year or two after the financial crash Of
Of 1857, MeKenty began TO feel the effects Of
bard times, and occasionally would not be in
condition TO pay his little debts as promptly
and literally as formerly. On this point he
was extremely sensitive. Coming down Third
street one day, the writer observed both OF
the large glasses in his Office door broken all
TO pieces. Entering we found the smiling
land operator. and looking around, inquired
what was the matterl "Ohl nothing, nothing
much, sir: only big dog, sir, went through
that window, sirl Bad dog sir! bad dlg
STRIP and Mac smiled as serencly as though
he had just come in possession OF great
fortune. We left him smiling, when we
learned few doors below. that sort Of pug
natious individual by the name Of II. f. Ba-
ker, generally called He Baker, had dunned
Mac for little bill and in seeking to press
his claims in a somewhat aggravated man
ncr. Mac seized him quickly in the founda-
ton Of his paDtaloons, and pitched
him headlong through the window on the
sidewalk, and eyer after that when any allu-
sion was made to the broken window, be
would curl his lip aud exclsim-"a dog, sir!
nothing but dog, sir d-o-gv"
THAT ROCKING CHART
Times continued bad. McKenty still kept
his Office on the corner Of Cedar and Third
streets, but one could see that be was fnan-
cislly worried. The same old pleasant smile
played about his features, and the same old
hopeful tone Of voice greeted his acquaint-
ances. yet 70 one who knew him well, there was a
tinge OF sadness which elected the secret
sympathy Of all bis old and well tried friends.
Knowing that he must be in need Of money.
we said To bin one day,-''Mac! j Will give
you IS for that ancient rocking chair. - point
ing to an old-fashiOned rocker, With the hair
seat all out and the springs considerably
smashed. "No, sir; you can't have It, sir,
at that price, sir; too much, sir; too much,
sir; will take 81. sir, for that chair, SIR, a.,
sir" and we paid him the money, and we
shall never forget the tear as il gathered in
BIS eye and shone through the sweet smile
which radiated bis face! OF course the chair
vas repaired. and while seated IN II one
evening Mac came into our house and in
gloziBZ terms pictured TO us what could be