Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-12-28
AN ENTERPRISER INDEED.
REMARKABLE CAREER OF AN AMER.
iCAN IN LONDON.
Col. Edward Macsfurdo in London Eisis.
Years-Dies Of Overwork and worry--At
last the Portuguese Government Con-
cedes His Widows Claim.
lspecIal Corrcspondence.l

Especial Correspondence
NEW York, Dec. 28.--American enter
prise nowhere shows to better advantage
than with an Old World background.
This thought frequently came to my
mind during my several sojourns from
time TO time in London. Under tho very
shadow Of the Old Lady OF Threadneedle
Street, as the Bank Of England is face
tiously called, the American banker, tho
American broker, tho American pro.
moter, the American lawyer, American
miners, electricians and manufacturers
are successfully carrying on business
in direct competition with British bus
mess firms centuries old and in de-
fiance OF that British conservatism
which il traditional the world over.
Horace Greeley two or three decades ago
advised the young American to Ego
west" and grow up with the country.
Nowadays the middle aged, il not the
young American, goes east and finds his
fortune, or having u fortune adds to 1t
just as surely and with much less wear
and tear of mind and body. Let me
give you an instancc--one of many.
In the early summer of 1881 an Ameri-
can Just turning 40 years of age en-
barked on the Britannia at New York
bound for London. lie wished to place
some bonds on the London market aud
expected to do his work and be home
again in six weeks or two months. At
the start luck was against him. The
Britannia went ashore on the coast Of
Ireland. Tho first news that came to the
shipwrecked travelled by wire across tho
oceans bed while they were steaming
across its surface. II was the tidings Of
the assassination of President Garfield;
tidings sad enough to everybody, but
meaning moro than sentimental and
patriotic sorrow to those now going TO
England to secure British gold for tho
promotion Of American enterprises.
Foreign money markets make little dis
tinction between American common.
wealths. Tho assassination of ruler,
whether in the big United States or
little Honduras, was thought to mean
revolution. Down went tho prices Of
the best American securities, and, as 10
floating new ones, to think Of II was
folly.
Col. Edward MacMurdo. q boy hero In
/ Walkers Nicaraguan expedition away
back in the fifties, lucky and unlucky
miner in the far western territories, gal.
liant Union soldier in the war Of the re-
bellion, found himself stranded in Lon
don. He went there to spend u few
weeks. He stayed eight years, and be-
fore that eight years passed his namo
was as well known on the Royal Ex-
change as any except such as Roths-
child. Barring and Drexel.
A year ago saw him in his Office in
St. Swithin's lane, just across the way
from tho Rothschild banking house,
neighbor to the Mansion house and with
in stones throw Of the Bank of Eng
land. ] should have said in his offices,
for it took large building TO house the
headquarters of his many enterprises.
He sat at desk of American manufac-
ture in a room whose most conspicuous
ornaments were portraits of Lincoln and
Grant, a United States flag, and n map
of the western hemisphere. In an ante
room sat duke, lord or two with his.
toric names, editors, engineers, miners
brokers, and various other people await
my summons 10 Tue presence CnahDeT oi
the man TO whom all did homage as q
king of business. Clerks, stenographers
typewriters, messenger boys were com
ing and going all the time. He touched
bell.
"Send In Mr.. -" Mr.. entered.
"Colonel," he began, 81 wish 10 see II
can interest you in a Montana mine
"What kind of miner" "Silver.
"Thank you very much, but nothing
would induce me to take on any moro
silver mines just now. Glad 10 make
| your acquaintance. Good day. Now fol
Maj. B."
Enter Maj B.. "Major, l hope
haven't kept you waiting too long about
that Honduras affair. All tho report:
that ! have about your enterprise arr
favorable, but i must send one of our
own engineers TO investigate" "Only
too glad to have him." said the major
"Boy," said the colonel, task Si
Thomas to come here" Enter Si
Thomas. "Sir Thomas, can you sail fo
Honduras next Saturday," "Well, col
onel, haven't quite finished that Soutl
African business" ~ know, but tha
can wait I underaf and fhe sititatio,