The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-02-17
4 SOUTH AMERICAN nILnrosAlnr.
How Phiindeiphian Amassed Fortune
In the City of SIonteyideo.


There ale very few people in this city
who know what big figure Philadelphian
is cutting down in Monteyideo, the capital
of Uruguay, in South America remarked
Captain Ulmer, lately commanding the
barkentine Wandering Jew, of this port,
who is now in the employ of the Pennsyl-
yania Railroad Company. q was down
there about year ago. continued the Cap
tain, and saw considerable of the person
In question, a man named w. d. Evans,
well advanced in life and one OF the wealth.
test citizens Of the Uruguayan Republic.
Evans claims to be an American and Phil
adelphian, but the prevailing idea among
the citizens Of Monteyideo is that he is a
Scotchman. At any rate he insists that he
II not a Scot, and he has brought all his
children up with the strict understanding
that they are American to the backbone and
must never acknowledge any flag but the
stars and stripes of Uncle Sam. He struck
Monteyideo about thirty years ago without
cent to bless himself with, having been
wrecked while mate of the ship Young
Mechanic, of Rockland, Me-, and saving
only the clothes on his back and battered
old boat in which he got away from the
wreck. He had unlimited pluck, however,
and went to work at once to make living
by ferrying people about the hnrbor to and
from ships lying in the roadstead, and jobs
of that sort. Not long after he took TO the
business he WAS caught in sharp squall
just outside the harbor and was capsized.
-Four hours later steamer coming in hove
to and picked him up while he was clinging
to the keel of his upturned craft. He
thanked the officer in charge of the men
who had put of to rescue him, but declined
to go on board the steamer, asking as q
great favor that the sailors help him in
Fighting his capsized boat, as it was all be
had in the world to make living with.
Admiring his grit they gave him the re-
quirsd assistance, and an hour after the
steamer dropped her anchor he sailed past,
and was given hearty cheer by the men on
the fo'castle deck.
q He picked up little money by means
Of the old tub he had refused to desert, and
invested in bit of property, which soon
doubled in value, and then, going into real
estate as a business, fortune smiled on him,
and he became wealthy in few years. Nov
he owns whole blocks of houses in the city,
and his own place is one of the finest in the
entire country, while his fortune is continu.
ally swelling. His hospitality is by-word
down there, and il appears TO give him CO
pecinl pleasure to entertain Americans,
while for the Yankee naval officers and ship
masters who sail into port he cannot make
too much fuss over them. He often talks
about Philadelphia, but does not say any
thing nbout coming back here TO live. Pow
erty is no bar to a man finding friend in
Mr.. Evans, for he is as ready to welcome a
poor chap ont of the fo'castle as the COM
mander of man war, but he won't take
any stock IN men unless he thinks that they
arc square. He has always given very
cold shoulder to winslow, tho Boston for
ger, who found haven in Montevideo.
In the centre of his private pork there
IL splendid bronze fountain which cost
him good many thousand dollnssss--and il
Is surrounded by~s huge basin, stocked with
neSS~ssout ana pig school OF gold hsh.
Floating about on the waters of the basin
is the old boat he saved from the wreck,
and he thinks as much about it as he doeA
Oh any Of his children. No stranger ever
escapes being taken to do reverence to the
boat that twice saved his hosts life and
laid the foundation of his splendid fortune.
- When was fat broke she was my
only friend he says to the people he takes
down to the fountain to see his rickety old
pct, and though you may not notice any
thing pretty about her, she's the most beau
tiful thing ever saw OF course, such q
man is immensely popular, and in oil the
valley Of tho River Plate there isn't o man
who don't feel proud of Evans's acquaint-
ance if he has the pleasure of knowing
him. - Philadelphia Rec. rd