Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-15
THE RICHEST MAN IN MAINE.
But Nobody Would Suspect IL to Meet
Him on His Steamboats,.

From the New York Sun.
Passengers on the Maine line steamers frs
quently notice in the pilot house . tall slende g,
man with long gray beard and the genera
aspect Of q retired steamboat captain or some
thing of that sort He seems to take q casual
interest in the navigation Of the vessel and L
evidently on familiar footing with the officers
of the boat Occasionally he may invite some
curious passenger into the wheel house to zee
the compass or to peep through the glasses
With such he will chat entertainingly about
ships, the ocean, the weather or any other or.
binary subject. Incidentally il will probably
come out that he is president Of the line, and
he may mention that he is also in the oil cloth
business in New York, though his home 10 in
Maine. He is full Of thoughtful sugges-
tons about the best way to avoid seasickness,
the best staterooms TO try to get for the return
trip, and as to other matters relating 10 the
comfort OF the trip. The passenger who has
been fortunate enough to fall in with him
concludes that the Maine line has Q most &C.
corlmodating gentleman for its president.
and thinks it would be q good thing for the
line If 1t would hire its president to sail on
every trip and make things pleasant for the pa
irons.
''Going to stop over in Portland and come
back with US next trip are you?" he said to Q
couple Of voyagers recently. "well, now,
don't you stay in Portland; 60 over to Cush-
ing's Island, to the hotel there, the Ottawa;
it. It'll only take half an hour or 90 to 60
there, and you can spend one night and two
days there good deal more comfortably than
You can in Portland. Just mention at the
hotel that told you to come--Mr. Bailey, presi-
dent Of the steamship line; it won't do you any
harm"
These two passengers were more than ever
impressed with the geniality of the Maine line 9
president and they took his advice. They had
the best room at the hotel and received other
attention that made them curious as to where
Mr.; Bailey got the pull that he evidently
some one who this Mr.. Bailey was
bailey? Oh, president of the steamship
line? Why, that's Charles s. Bailey. He's the
richest man in Maine. Worth ten or fifteen
million, and made it all himself. He was
about the first oil cloth manufacturer in the
owns the steamship line and lot OF other
things. Close as o chestnut burr, too, about
business, but does an almighty lot Of good
with his money on the quiet. He don't GO
much on churches, but he has fancy for
helping young men studying for the ministry
they need right along until they get to mixing
in politics or temperance. Then he shuts
down on 'em right of. Says a minister's busi-
ness is to do good to humanity, not to talk
politics or prohibition. He'll do most anything
for a man he takes a fancy to. knew a young
man who went to him once and asked him fol-
$4,000. He got it, and was going to give q
note for it. Never mind that he said, ii
you're honest you'll pay me without it, and Il
you're dishonest you won't pay me anyhow
your word is all want That's the kind of
man he is, though you'd never suspect it il
you had any business dealings with him. You
don't mean to say you were talking to him ant
didn't know who he was? Reckon Won dom
know much about Maine; there amt many
pies down eastways that he amt got finger
in"
The two travellers made up their minds that
they had reversed the usual form and had beer
entertained by an angel unawares.