Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-05
SOME RICH MEN OF BOSTON.

SOME RICH MEN OF BOSTON.
The weaIthiest City for Its Population
In the World.
IT HOLD MORTGAGES ON THE TOWNS, LANDS. AND
INDUSTRIES or THE wEsT-A LOAN SHOP WITH
sILDED DoNE-THE MONEY 1T LENDS MADE
OVER THE COUNTER ORIGINALLY. ~ :.
Special Correspondence Of the EVENING srAn
BosToN. March 2 1889.
Boston may be regarded as q sort OF loan
shop for the United States. Three gded
domes, instead of one, would not inappropriately
sdorn the city, which has become the richest
in the world In proportion to its size, by lend
ing money. The boom towns Of the west, so
bOastful of their mushroom growth are built
with cash borrowed here at big rates of interest.
The railway systems that cobweb the new states
and territories are owned In the modern Athens.
The very farms OF the agriculturists, from the
Mississippi to the Pacific ocean, are loaded with
mortgages held by local capital
The beginning OF all this incalculable wealth
was In the shop. The Yankee is born trader.
In the art Of buying thing for one cent and
selling 1t Tor two nobody can excel him. So it
was that the fathers and grandfathers Of the
present generation OF rich men in Boston laid
the fousdatiOn OF enormous fortunes by chatter
ing over q counter. Such matters however,
are not often referred to by their descendants,
who live in fashionable splendor on Beacon
street or Commonwealth avenue and consider
themselves the most bowling Of swells. Com
merce with foreign parts was the most profta-
BILE form Of speculation in the old days. espe-
ctally the trade with China and India, whittier all
kinds OF New England products were sent by
VESSELS, which returned laden with marketable
al Th.a fnh of
Opulent families here were derived originally,
it is said, from the business of smuggling opium
into China. at the time when an embargo was
laid BY the emperor against that commodity.
During that period the pious old buffers, unless
report does them gross Injustice used to send
their cOnsgnments Of the deadly gum to the
Flowery land in the same craft which conveyed
their missionaries to the almond-eyed heather.
A BIG TRADER AND HIS FORTUNE.
In those days the biggest foreign trader by all
odds was William F. Weld grandfather of the
present W. F. Weld, who Is one of Bosron's
very rich men to-day. The old gentleman had
more vessels afoat than were owned by any
other proprietor or firm in the world. He was
the beau-ideal of a Yankee trader. He was SO
sharp that anybody that yentured into q deal
with him was sure to come out at the small end
In some fashion, and he hesitated at nothing
within the rather elastic bounds Of shOpkeep-
ing ethics. Even the government suffered
enormously through dealings with him. When
commerce ceased to be profitable he went into
western railway building, which proved so lu-
erative that he left rs. 000. 900 behind him when
he died. This vast sum was placed by his will in
trust for his grandchildren. OF these William F.
Weld Is the most conspicuous. The latter was
until recently commodore Of the Eastern yacht
club He is a man of fashion and entertains
largely. Just now he is of on a trip with a
party Of friends In his yacht. the Gtana for an
excursion in the Mediterranean. DIR. Charles G.
weld Is another grandchid and another is lit
tie girl named Pratt, who will have about
$4,000. 900, counting accumulated interest. when
she comes OF age. What q mark for noble for
tune-hunters from abroad to be sure. At pres
ent she Is always guarded py two persons
whenever she goes out, for fear lest she should
be kidnapped by some speculative gang and
held for the fabulous ransom she would COM
mand. There is such thing as being too val
liable for comfort.
THE RICHEST MAN IN BOSTON
b supposed to be Mr.. Fred l.. Ames He lives
In the finest house in the city, on Common
wealth avenue, entertains gorgeously, and is
regarded as an aristocrat of the aristocrats
Nevertheless, his grandfather, old Oliver Ames
the frst, used to peddle shovels of his own
handiwork In this town. The shovel business
grew, the utensils being well made and was
further developed by the two sons. Cakes and
Oliver the second. The prohts were largely in
vested in the Pacific railway, which, notwith-
standing certain awful slump in its stock
proved gold NINE Cakes Ames' SON Oliver is
now governor Of Massachusetts, and is worth at
least 5000, 900. OF real estate In Boston his
holdings are enormous. But his wealth is as
nothing compared with that Of his cousin Fred
L., son OF Oliver the second, who has not less
than &20, 600 Of his own. And the shovel
business accompanied by the manufacture of
other instruments, agricultural, still goes on.
enlarged to gigantic scale.
ARRIVAL CRGsUs.
Many people think that John NJ. Forbes is
even richer than Fred. L. Ames He certainly
has a. much as $50 900 600 The finest summer
estate in New England belongs to him. 1t il
an Island called Naushon. the whole of II Is his
property, In Buzzards bay. In the warm season
he entertains there on q baronial scale. One
can drive for miles and miles on the place and
the little harbor offers its hospitalities to a
dozen white-winged yachts at a time. There
are wild deer on the island and communication
10 kept up with the mainland by steam launch
Mr.. Forbes Ia quite seventy years old He
started as q merchant and went into RAILWAYS
afterwards. He Is called the father of the c., b.
telephone business when it was getting upon its
legs. He Is still the largest stakeholder In that
vastly profitable monopoly.
SHIP CHANDLER's FORTUNE.
Albert W. Nickerson inherited the bulk of his
- Co., 900 from his father "Old Joe" Nicker-
son. The latter was ship chandler OF notorious
parsimony and most eccentric habits. IL is said
that he used to pay his book-keeper extra for the
privilege OF swearing at the inofYensive en-
ploye. He began poor boy and preserved an
exaggerated estimate OF the value of money to
the last. 1t 10 told Of him that on one occasion
after selling q COW, he refused to permit the
beast to be shipped until he had MIXED her.
running half mile to the wharf for that pur-
pose with pail In his hand. Old Joe went into
railways too, and Is remembered as one of the
original Atchison men. The son, Albert is a
man Of forty-eight, too rough in his manner to
be popular He Is great Spectator, and has
made good deal Of cash for himself
Another great railway owner, the largest in
dividual proprietor of Atchson, IL B. p Cheney,
who used to drive q stage coach for a living
nfty years ago. An express business laid the
foundation Of his fortune. He is short and
stout. has but one arm, and his wealth Is esti-
mated at $1,000 600
THE NEsT0R OF THE BAR. j
One of the most conspicuous men In the mod
ern Athens is the great railway lawyer. Sidney
Bartlett. Ninety years Of age he Is called the
nestor Of the bar. For generation or more he
has served as the legal adviser Of the C. B. and
Y. He Is worth fully SIC. 0O0. 0OO nearly enough
TO retire upon; $50 0C0 0C0 fees for few Judi
cious words Of counsel assisted In the accumu-
istion Of this fortune, the bulk of which. how
ever. came from railway Investments He
thinks nothing OF making birthday or Christmas