Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-12-06
N1sAIAH y. w11,LrAArsow.,


1 Ia
Every now and then the name hobs up In
print, but the owner OF It is SO modest that
only his most intimate friends know much
about him.
Isaiah V. Williamson, who has given one
sixth OF his fortune Of 3 10, COO, 900 to estah-
lish the Free School OF Mechanical Trades,
| and intends TO double his gift n the money
shall he needed, has been one OF Philndsl.
pnla's most energetic capitalists and philan-
| tnroplBts for years. Old merchants who
| have known him for half q century do not
know wnere 10 lind him II he is not at his
1ingy little office at No, 80 Bank street.
He has remained bachelor all his life, and
now, In his s5th year, he has founded an
Institution, which, like 6irard College, will
always retnain an enduring monument to
| his prineely ltberalisy and the high purpose
| for which It WAS founded. Mr.. williamson
Is OF q iaker origin and was born In Bucks
cOunEp In 1893. Hts father was a hard
1 working farmer In that section, and tho son
In early life became imbued with those
economical principles that in after years
ennhlei him 10 roll up his immense fortune.
Il Is said OF him that the guiding principle
In his money making ventures has been not
to do a thing to-day that can iuet IS we'll be-
| done Tomorrow. To this he attributes his
success In the numerical world.
When email boy young Williamson was
| given employment 10 . country store near
bis nome at salary of $S a week. Housed
to peidle stuff through the county and
rake in exchange old iron or anything else
that could be disposed OF for cash. in
these ramhlss he learned how to drivs Is
good bargatA and when hH attained man
hood he btanched out for himself and
started In tha retail dry goods business In
this city In a little store on the east side OF
Second street just above Market. He soon
| saw there WIS more money IN the jobblnS
hnltnQrq an1tan a aFsNha 4r,t no
ltttls store was rot large enough and he
rented the e1tira house. HaloVed 10 make
money and Applied himself day and night
drumming np ttede. So we'll did he sue
coed that ia 1889 he retired at the age OF SO
yeats with u fortune OF over $4,000.
Ha had accumulated this money, then
Considered TO be q particularly large for
tune, by the most rigid economy, and he
thought he wa entitled to indulsein some OF
the eaieties OF life. He planned tour
through Europe and started for the continent
expetrtng to be gone about five or six years.
Afreran absence Of 10 mon,hs he returned
TO Phliadelphia on visit, and concluded to
abandon the remainder Of his European
tour. He became restless doing nothing,
and speedily entered the firm OF Burtows &
Glars as q special partnet, inc iifnf name
being change 70 Will.elnstn, BdrroWs q
CLARK. Their lire wlg dry gooia, !, and
though the new hduge proved Il suceess,
Mr.. Williamson wifhdrsw ut the end OF two
years and became al aetiYs hsure IN apan-
eial circles, Ks SaIAed @ make menEy by
himself, and this SO Abhorbed hia attention
that be never fouad tino 10 fali ID love, {
though at that time he moved In the very
highest circles of philadsiphil society. He
d6lved In stocks OF all descriptions. He
was fond Of attending all auction sales Of
stocks and bonds, and whenever good
bargain CHANGED tocome his way he grabbed
1t and never lei 30. ''He bought everything
and sold nothing" "a one OF his intimate
friends termed It yesterday.
He was newer known to speculate In
stocks, and everythins, he acquitted he held
on TO. II 1t WIS not a dividend-paylng
stock at the time he kept Ii until IL became
such. He made SO few mistakes that bis
friends considered him one OF the most
iudicious Investors in the city. Hs studied
the reports of all the railroad companies,
and 10 other ways acquired such knows
edge OF the earning powers OF various ecr-
porations that he became one OF the best
informed men on the subject In the city,
He was fond of rational amusements, and
for twenty years spent every summer at
Saratoga.
Though an old man. he was passionately
fond Of dancing, and was always on the
floor at tho fashionahla balls and hons nj
that tlmona watering piac9. u . was heysf
! nj ioss tCc & rartnef, for he was known 10
4 eylg!boty NJ Sasatata ma "tne rich hhche
=. 10, rem PhiiA2 - Merry wave 'Ga
edFoit little schemes coneocted BY ambi.
/ tious mamnlas with manageable darltngs
10 rescue the old gentleman from bachsior-
hood, but they all failed as the object OF
their attentions slipped Though their
hans. To this day, In the st{pset Of bis
life the aged philanthropist delights to
gossiI' with his narrowing circa Of
aeqpagt ancss-tor la makes but few new
1 friends shout tho gay times he used 10
4 have at sara oga Long ago, quarter OF
a century. ps rhaps, Ia drovh good tenn,
but ne dispelaed with MS carriage and
/ horses bacarse he grew tired Of them.
\ 5adz. WiltiEpeon hps boon charitable
4 n9sJi Iasl, us NE, notwithstanding his lavs
! for rn5fif5Flazsfting ard his economical
habits. IL II eliff etat he has already given
q million dollars Ipachaetty, He gave
1 $l00DO0 to the Hoise Of Shrse, 100000
to the fund Ia the ecnlrCl III 10 sBpard of
! Trade for the assistance Of meCeipii3S 'Sa,2
! have sustained revsrsAai Ond are " stistit
means &c Observation-Disclosures aad 569tl0
! each to the UniYE sityn 81 Renlsy YaEia
| Hospital and The 4e1ieffop College Hos.
pital. He has neger5 given away lrllll
| sums, and wherever be placed any pio,iey
he knew exactly Shat II Honld be used Sof
/ IL is a curious fast that, white ha wGGd
| Willingly aid any good cha fly that ca ma
uudsr IFS notice, he has had IN aysrsiol III
late years against spending money on him.
4 self.
| a gentleman who has known him 40
| years snld yesterday OF this popularity; tIr
was easier for Mr.. Williamson to give away
| SlU,nJ0 than to purchase suit OF clgInss
| for himself" Ho has carried the sapl4 maj
hrelia for Is years or more, aud Stuck 70 it
! because he says ne likes Ii. HI moves ab1nt
4 tftqusntly, end generally stage at the house
i OF relative. He has no furniture TO
| speak OF, and can move about at his plea
| sure, He does moi care 10 hava many
| psoplo know where he lives, ard the CITY
| directory ouly gives the location Of ms
| Office on Bank street. ia Is not end never
| hss been, a N 9a1 man, and tire osoWUtng
1 act OF his ltfa-tha establishment Oh tae
/ proposed se0ool-has been undertaken
| with the view or re.establshing the Old an.
| premiership system, whieh houcishsd SO
| extensively 10 his youth aud mannGod.
Tee securities thaJ he has turned over 10
| tie b0ard OF trusrees for the establish unnt
| u thaachool aggregate $3.50, 900 la ys!us,
| He d'Gta-ei the contract undar Whiohthe
money was gwen, and IL contains every
] praealtion to insure the economical con.
/ duct of the Institution. gentleman VITO
4 is colversant with Mr.. Wllliamson's idnas
/ on the sui jset says that tbe school viii! be
! run IN far less expensive way than Gttard
4 College, as MI. Williamson thinks the latter
is caldueted In an extrayag4nt way. This
i gentleman says that II It is found that
~ 5D1,u09 viii rot oa enough to etart the
school and seep tt going the founder will
| give rs much more as may be- necessary.
| la pets nal appearance Mr.. williamson
| is rather snal man, Weighing about 1870
1 ponds. Ia has y way piea4anE face and
/ some peopl9 say his features are somewhat
| Of feminine cast. He has brlght eye
and IFS wh0ia conlfenaucs L. suggestive of
| fitt1ness aud decisive character. MIR. Will
Hanson has vast interests In coal and Iron
! lands and is perhaps the largest stock.
/ holder In the Cambria Iron Wo- ks aud the
i Pennsylvania Steel Works, H5 Ia more
/ llrnhlN intREaataA thau INV nthar nnnn In