Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-19
A MILLION AIRES WHIMS.
PiNcHINo THE cOPPERS THAT HE
MIGHT GIVE AWAY MILLIONS.

Made Him n Chronic Money Getter-To
Save He Denied Himself Many Comforts.
In 1897 or 1888 Mr. Williamson, who was
satisfied with the fortune he had accumulated,
retired. he was then worth $500, 900 and
was IS years old, and the richest young mer-
chant In Philadelphia who had made his
money by hts own exertions In those days
he was a social lion. He had a wide circle of
acquaintances and had the entree into the
select society of the town. He attended the
assemblies, fashionable balls and theatres,
and was quite beau. He spent money liber-
ally upon his dress and was not inclined TO be
charitable at that time. He took a notion
that he would like TO see the world and took
passage on packet ship for England. He
remained abroad for two years, and visited
the principal countries of Europe, including
Russia. He returned to Philadelphia, in
tending to remain about six months and then
go abroad again, but he got interested in
some investments. He began TO speculate in
coal lands in Pennsylvania and in other solid
securities and was very successful
CELIBAcY AND SOLITUDE
In less than ten years after his urn from
Europe the then farmers boy of Bucks
county was one of the four millionaires in
Philadelphia. He became engrossed in money
making entirely, and withdrew gradually
from the social pleasures which had formerly
been his delight. The dead millionaire, whose
fortune Is estimated at from So, 600 900 to
$4,000, 600, never married. For many wears
he seldom visited his relatives After he had
made million his life began to change and
he had no time For anything except money
making. The days and nights were not long
enough for him. Mr.. Williamson began to
be careless of his dress, and his head became
white with age and care, and he developed
into character and became very penurious.
Whether there was ever a love affair in his
life Is not known. Until he was 40 wears of
age he sought the society Of women in a So
cial way. In his younger years dancing was
great hobby with him. He was one of the
best dancers that ever appeared at Saratoga,
where he went every summer for several
years He frequently led the grand march
at the hops at the fashionable hotels He
learned dancing from the best masters of
Philadelphia Before the change came in his
life he was never known to lose his temper.
He was always afrable, obliging and polite,
fond OF good story, good laugh and a
good dinner. He never kept house, although
he was one Of the most extensive owners of
city dwellings in the tax list He passed his
life In boarding houses and hotels until he
was assailed with feebeness, when he went
70 board with his niece, Mrs. Denckla.
For many years he walked wherever he
went to save car fare and hack hire While
he WINS giving largely to charity he was prac-
tcing an economy that in most men would
have been said to have approached meanness.
IL Is related OF him that a few years ago he
had a room In an upper story OF a house on
Chestnut street, above Nineteenth He dis
covered that Others were paying less money
for similar privileges. He said nothing, but
he packed his trunk and, like Iongfellow,s
Arab, stole silently away He afterward in
dulged in the luxury of summer boarding at
Bryn Mawr. A coach Piled between the
railroad station and the hotel. Mr.. William
son used 1t for week Then bill was pre-
sented to him for coach fare at the rate Of
ten cents ride. The old man glanced at the
bill In mild surprise. He paid it without q
word of expostulation. The next day the
driver OF the coach bowed obsequiously and
flung open his door as soon as the bent form
on his millionaire customer alighted from the
train 1t was raining at the time. Mr..
Williamson raised his blue cotton umbrella,
from which he was never separated, and
without even glance Of recognition at the
astonished coachman, trudged on up the
muddy road to the hotel.
HIS CoRNs AND HIS BARBER
In the memory of the oldest inhabitant Mr..
Williamson never appeared in new suit of
clothes. Generations Of bankers on Third
street were accustomed to see a little thin,
bent shabbily dressed figure making its way
painfully along the financial thoroughfare
with eyes seeking the ground and hands be-
hind the back clutching the blue cotton UNI
brella.
A second class tailor, who had a shop on
one OF the alleys bisecting Third street, re-
paired and cleaned Mr. Williamsons suit of
clothes With him the director of dozen
powerful institutions and the possessor of mil
Lions Of securities would haggle for a quarter
Of an hour over the charge of repairing a coat
lining.
In his later years Mr. Williamson suffered
% much from corns that he found himself
compelled either to give up pedal locomotioa
or 20 submit to an operation at the hands of
chhopodist. On the recommendation of
the officers of the Girard bank DE called ON
Chiropodist Goldberg Hl..0- had an Office ON
Chestnut street, and submitted to the excis-
Ion; When Goldberg presented his bill Mr.
"nhaI9son paid it willingly and remarked:
~ GU are the only man who ever gave me
the worth of my money"
Mr. Williamson never missed day at his
Office, which was for many years located at
80 Bank street. He went there rain or shine,
In summer and winter. Early in last year,
when his infirmities began to tell upon him,
he was reluctantly compelled to provide him
self with horse and carriage and a coach
man He bought plain one horse carriage
and very tame horse, and surprised his &C
quaintances by placing upon the panels of the
carriage, ~ V. Williamson, private
For years and years he was shaved in
Blanks barber shop, on Elbow lane. Barber
Blank, in speaking of his millionaire Gus
toner, said:
'He was generally the last customer of the
day to come in, and no matter how hot the
day might be he would insist upon having all
the doors and windows shut tight believe
he would have even stopped up the key hole,
so great was his dislike and fear OF a draught
While being shaved Mr. Williamson never
talked, nor did he encourage it in his barber
He was never guilty during the eight years
that he patronized my shop of hair cut
His niece, he told me, always cut his hair /
was always sure of my ten cents for my
shave, but no more. And he never remen-
bered me at Christmas, but suppose he never
thought of 1t. One evening about o'clock
he came into the shop and was more feeble
than usual had to hang his coat and vest
up for him. As placed the vest on the peg
saw fiat wad of greenbacks sticking out of
the upper pocket, and there staring me in the
face was a thousand dollar bill He must
have had very large sum Of money on him
that day. When he left and went into Elbow
lane it was pitch dark, and | thought how
easy 1t would have been for even a boy to
have robbed him then. "-Philadelphi Times.
It is q moral right which really elegant
people have, both at home and abroad, to OBJ
1sct to admitting to their social circles unpol-
ished, ignorant and vulgar persons.