Wichita eagle., 1889-09-07
A MILLIONAIRES WILKINS.
THE COPPERS THAT He
MIGHT GIVE AWAY MILLIONS.

1
In 1887 or 1888 Mr.. Williamson, who wa.
! satisfied with tia fortune he had accumulated,
| retired He was than worth 1200 GOO and
| was IS years DID, and the richest young mer-
| chant in Philadelphia who had made his
money by his OWN exertions. In those days
| be was social lion. He had wide circle of
acquaintance 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 iber-
ally upon his dress and was not inclined to be
charitable at that time. He took notion
that b. would like to SEQ 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
cELIRACY AND SOLITUDE.
In less than ten years after his return from
Europe, the then farmers boy of Bucks
county was one of the four millionaires in
Philadelphia He became engrossed in money
from the social pleasures which had formerly
been his delight. The dead millionaire, whose
fortune is estimated at from Sl2, 100000 to
SIS, 000, coo, never married. For many years
he seldom visited his relatives. After he had
made million bis 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 love affair in his
life is not known. Until be was 40 years of
age he sought the society Of women in 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 afable obliging and polite,
fond Of a 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 feebleness, when he went
to board with his niece Mrs Denckla.
For many years he walked wherever he
went to save car fare and hack hire. While
he was giving largely to charity he was prac-
ticing an economy that in most men would
have been said to have approached Ineanness.
1t is related Of him that few years ago he
had a room in an upper story of 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 LongfeIlows
Arab, stole silently away. He afterward in
obliged in the luxury of summer boarding at
Bryn Mawr. A coach piled between the
railroad station and the hotel. Mr.. William
son used it 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
word of expostulation The next day the
driver of the coach bowed obsequiously and
flung open his door as soon as the bent form
of 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
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 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 shop on
one OF the alleys bisecting Third street, re-
paired and cleaned Mr.. Williamson's suit Of
clothes. With him the director of dozen
powerful institutions and the possessor Of mil
lions of securities would haggle for quarter
of an hour over the charge of repairing coat
lining.
In his later years Mr., Williamson suffered
so much from corns that he found himself
compelled either to give up pedal locomotion
or to submit to an operation at the hands of
a chiropodist. On the recommendation of
the officers of the Girard bank he called on
Chiropodist Goldberg, who had an Office on
Chestnut street, and submitted to the excis-
ion. When Goldberg presented his bill Mr.
Williamson paid it willingly and remarked:
You 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 marmitiss began to tell upon him,
he was reluctantly compelled to provide him
calf with horca and noaob
man He bought a plain one horse carriage
and very tame horse. and surprised his &C.
quaintances by placing upon the panels Of the
carriage Il Y. Williamson, private
For years and years be 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 be would insist upon having ell
the doors and windows shut tight. I believe
he would have even stopped up the key hole,
so great was his dislike and fear Of adraught
While being shaved Mr.. Williamson never
talked, nor did be encourage it Ia his barber
He was never guilty during the eight years
that he pstronized my shop Of a hair cut
His niece, he told ne, always cut his hair
was always sure Of my ten cents for MY
shave, bus no more And he never renen-
cred NE at Christmas, but suppose he never
thought OF It, One evening about 7 o'clock
he came into tie shop and was more feeble
than usual had to hang his coat and vest
up for hin. As placed the vest On the peg
I sew fat wad Of green backs Sticking out Of
the upper pockss, and there staring me in the
face was Thousand dollar htll He must
have had very large sun Of raoney on him