The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-07-29

society. He married the daughter of
Commodore Matthew c. Perry (not Oh
iver Hazard Perry, his brother, as has
been often reportedD. who in 1852 COM
manded the Japan expedition, which
resulted in opening her ports to this
country. The union with distinguish
ed and historic family was of much ben
efit to him, and he has ever since occu-
pied the highest social position.
As banker his credit has always
been of the best. He does very con-
servative but lucrative business. and is
a complete American in feeling and
sympathy, having been since his natur-
alization a democrat, and having long
been the chairman of the democratic
national committee. His entertain
ments at his sumptuous home in Fifth
avenue are among the most elegant and
luxurious in the whole town, as he is
an epicure and excellent critic of
wines, which he especially imports.
He speaks several languages, though
he has not yet learned to use English
without a palpable accent. He is a
good judge of pictures and horses, hav-
ing fine gallery and choice stable,
and enjoying the good things of life.
His reputation is that of an irascible,
though warm hearted, man. Having
so long had his own way, he is i'm
patient of delay or contradiction, and
the story is that he can swear fuently
in several foreign tongues, not to speak
of his profane proficiency in English.
He is severe disciplinarain in every
thing and his household is reported to
move like clock-work, which may be
one reason that his dinner parties are
so exceptionally pleasant. August Bel
mont is not by any means handsome.
He is rather under medium size, his
features irregular, his look unamiable
and dominant, and his gait somewhat
lame, the effects of an early duel about
a New York woman. But he has mil
lions, and understands the science of
money making, which in this age mol
lilies many physical and mental de-
fects.
Austin Corbin is native banker who
has the credit of being very rich. He
is also concerned with railways, parti-
cularly those of Long Island, which he
controls, with various land operations.
He began by lending money on farm
mortgages at Davenport, Iowa, first in
a small way, increasing his loans with
his income until he had created large
business. Indeed, it grew SO upon his
hands that he determined to remove to
this city in order to continue it and ex-
tend it to its full capacity. He has
been banking here some ten years, still
lending money on farms, thus bringing
eastern capital and western energy into
cooperation with mutual advantage.
You may remember that he was the
pioneer in the civilization of the eastern
end of Coney island, all of which had
long been abandoned to sharpers, prize
fighters, and the disreputable class gen.
orally. After building the Manhattan
Beach hotel and the railroad to it, he
found that to secure the latter against
rivals he needed to own the bit of road
between Atlantic avenue and Flatbush.
He tried to buy it, but in doing so he
was gradually led into the purchase,
with his assistants, of the entire Long
Island system. That, in turn, put him
in the way of buying land all over the
island, and this has been steadily going
on ever since.
The Indigenous inhabitants of that
belt of sand are particularly anti-pro-
gressive, even to stagnation. They are
as little influenced by the spirit of the
great city as if it were thousand miles
distant. They are content with the
little they have; they want no more, at
least if exertion be required to get it.
Provided they can extract the most Or
binary livelihood from their two or
three acres, they are satisfied. Such a
population, it is needless to say, does
not help the soil ON which it lives. 1t
occurred to Corbin if he could introduce
a different order of people, energetic,
industrious, enterprising, in their stead,
he would materially enhance the inter-
ests of the railroad and his own. He
and the capitalists associated with him
have for several years been occupied in
this commendable scheme. They have
brought out hundreds of small land
owners and are daily buying out more
and filling their places with new and
vigorous blood. 1t is believed that
Long Island, which has long been the
kitchen garden of New York, will in
the next ten years have double or treble
the value it has now in consequence of
its increased productiveness. and Aus
tin Corbin will be immensely benefited
thereby. This special source of profit
has come to him almost by accident, or,
properly, by a series Of circumstances
which gradually dawned upon him.
Men often find their greatest good in
what they least expect. The path to
fortune frequently lies through OBJ
scurity.
Robert Bonner is reported to be an
example of this. Computed to have an
estate valued at $6,OOO,000 to $7,00O,-
GOO, he was, thirty-tive years ago. worth
nothing. A Scotch Irishman, born at
Londonderry, he was but Is when he
emigrated, and was soon setting type
he had partially learned the trade at
home-in the office of The Hartford
Comrant. There he completed his edu-
cation and became one of the most
rapid and correct compositors in the
town. He had the elements of pecun-
iary success, being strong, healthy,
prudent, ambitious, and resolute. Al
70 he came here, as to a larger and
more promising field, entered the office
of IHe Eq,p,ai,,u Nix.ro,. nc proOf-readar