The evening world., 1888-06-02
MEN WHO HAVE RISEN.
HIRAM p. EwE

Though he may be the prime gamer himself
and it is only just that he should be
thousands of bread winners are given work
and secure the various blessings which flow
from IL.
Especially is such q business man worthy
Of commentator when American products
are supplied as substitutes for foreign ones.
When this Is done by an American 1t would
seem as IL the typical business man of the
United States was found.
Hiram p. Dewey is AL American who
makes American wines. brandies and cham
pagnes. They are not American wines
merely because they are made in America.
but because they are made from grapes that
grow on American soil. Mr.. Dewey was born
In Poultney, Ballard County, VT, in the
year 1916, but in his infancy his family
moved to Middleboro. They lived there only
four years. when they removed again to
Chelsea, in the same State. They lived there
seven years, and Mr.. Dewey got his earlier
education in that town. He began going to
school when he was six years old.
From Chelsea he went TO Detroit, Mich. At
that time it was a small place of only five or
SIX thousand inhabitants. After four years
in Detroit he made another remove and went
to ~Sandusky, o.. where he remained till he
was nineteen years old.
Young Dewey had left school at fourteen
and learned Matchmaking from his father,
who was engaged in that trade. His school
ing was over, and everything he knows outside
these few years of training he has picked up
by himself.
Mr.. Dewey's next move was to Fort Wayne,
Ind, where he set up by. himself in watch
making. which he practised for eight
years and then returned to Sandusky. All
that he has ever had he has earned himself.
He even manufactured some Of the tools and
instruments which he needed for his work.
TIL two next years he devoted to making
church clocks. and then went to Tifin, o.,
where he remained till his fathers death, in
1S49, on tho 29th day of July.
1t was the " cholera year." md hundreds
and thousands were being swept away by the
relentless scourge. There were fifty-three
deaths from il in New York City on the very
day in which his father died of it.
Mr.. Dewey returned to Sandusky after his
fathers death, and remained there until 1865.
when he came to New York City, where he
has remained in business ever since. He
continued in the jewelry business and the
manufacture of watches. But the close con-
fnement was beginning to tell on his health,
and this circumstance led to a venture which
resulted in the greatest success.
For a long time Mr.. Dewey had been study
ing fruit culture, especially that of the
grape. He lad arrived at the conclusion
that the soil of Ohio was very we'll suited to
the growth of the vine. The necessity of
abandoning his occupation as matchmaker,
since his health had become impaired and
ho had to make Nm effort to recover it, led
him to think seriously of making IN attempt
at grape-growing in Ohio, This took such q
hold Of him that he purchased, in 1857, a
farm one mile from Sandusky, and in the
fall he planted a vineyard.
Tn venture proved an unqualified sue
cess. In 1860 his vines were bearing well,
and the people of Sandusky and neighboring
places came to cape with wonder over q real
vineyard. The greatest interest was aroused
aud gradually hundreds Of others began to
put out vineyards. The result was that
farms which could once wait for a purchaser
at 1915 an acre went up with q rush and sold
for $500 an acre.
For two years Mr.. Dewey sold his grapes
for table uses. But the transition from SELL
ing the grapes to expressing their juice and
selling that was q most natural one. In
1862 he made 1000 gallons of wine. The
next year he made 10000 gallons. The
business of wine-making increased each year
until it had assumed proportions which re-
quired all of Mr.. Dewey's attention. But he
had recovered his health fully in this new
occupation. and was ready to give a great
deal of work to 1t.
In 1864 u New York firm had ordered sew.
eral thousand gallons of wine, to be deliv-
cred on the LIST of April. He shipped the
wine and an assortment of the other wines
which he produced. He came on to New
York himself on the 31st of March. and found
that the firm which had given the order was
in the hands of q Sheriff. Happily the goods
had not been delivered.
l When Mr.. Dewey tried to dispose of then
he found that all the dealers to whom he ap
piled looked on native wines, American >
' wines, with the greatest scepticism. They
wanted only foreign brands, with nice labels
!, in languages which they could not read
America was no place for wines! No; they
didn't want his wines. So he had either t
take his wines back to Ohio or else open
house of his own in New York and take tn,
q chances of popularizing the native wines
u He promptly decided to do the latter. 1t wa
10 u great fight. All the foreign wine-dealini
II concerns were against the young American
industry, and popular prejudice regarde,
domestic wines as not worthy of the name
q But he succeeded in the fight. He at los
. got his wines into the market, and ever sine
he has done a large and profitable business il
this line. He carries Ohio. California an
North Carolina wines, and also native bran
dies and champagnes. Nearly all of them, a
they are absolutely pure, have a value a
medicinal remedies. and invalids or person