The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1891-04-17

when their founders were NJ or beyond
middle age. Commodore Vanderbilt, John
Jacob Aston, A. n Stewart, aud all the
others prove what sayn
The reporter to whom this was said
turned over the pages of the biographies
and other works of reference at his hand,
and found enough in them to warrant the
assertion that at least great many rich
Americans have been beyond forty years
Of age when they have accrued riches Ger
tainly the richest body of men in the land,
the United States Senate, is composed of
elderly men; but in the lower house Of Con-
gress we see millonaires who look scarce
ly old enough for the rule.
AlexanderT Ste wart came here in 1923
from Ireland, where he was born in 1903.
He opened little linen store on Broadway,
and gathered wealth very slowly at first, as
most other men had done. He was prudent
shrewd and original, and gradually became
heavy importer; but he was forty-tive
years old when he became able to put up the
first of the two great stores in which he
afterward transacted his business.
Henry Clews is an example He spent
his early manhood as a clerk, and when the
war broke out and found him q broker in
small way he began to make money. He
and his partner, Mr.. Livermore, who retired
at the close of the war with half million,
iobbed in certificates of Indebtedness, and
laid the basis of the wealth which Clews
afterward accrued. He failed, but further
demonstrated the rule by making his way
over again. as Henry Willard has DONE
Henry Willard is about fifty-fve years old.
He came here from Germany at twenty
years Of age, and sold subscription books at
hrst, tLen became an irregular writer for
the press. He studied law later, but gave
that up and adopted journalism as his pro
fesson. He was forty-one years old when,
in 1874, he began the great Oregon railway
operation that made him wealthy. Nine
years later, when the famous golden spike
was driven through Northern Pacific rail
road sleeper he was worth $5,00O,0OO. He
impoverished himself in trying to maintain
the value of his property, and went under.
! Next, at more than fifty years of age, no
rose again as fnancer.
Warner Miller is fifty years old. Be-
| ginning in the humblest way, he managed
! to organize a mill company, and worked six
teen hours day for ten years to make his
fortune. He was past forty when his bank
accounts showed him that he could afford to
/ take the world more easily. He is a
millionaire now. Levi P Morton is about
sixty-three years old. Twenty-Five years
ago, when he was thirty-eight or thirty
nine, he founded his banking house. He
was fifty-one when his wealth enabled him
to devote part of his time to public life,
His great stroke was made when he
established his London house in 1868, and
soon afterward went into the syndicate for
funding the United States debt. He was
/ past forty-three then. Charles Crocker was
past forty when he began to be a millionaire
Edward f. Jones, the rich scale maker and
Lieutenant Governor of this State, was
born in 1928 He began his business career
at the close Of the war, and was long past
forty when he became rich. Henry B.
Courtney, the marble millionaire, now dead,
started with fifty dollars in 1853, when
thirty-three years old. He was beyond
middle life when he got his pile.
John B. Slawson, the car-fare box in
ventor, was twenty-five years old when he
went to New Orleans in 1910 from this
State. There he slowly made his way up
ward. But for the war he would have
pushed his invention at forty years Of
age, but he had to wait, and he was past fifty
when his big money began to pour in. His
friend Stephenson, the horse car builder,
also millionaire, had to wait for middle
age to get great riches. So did the elder
Bennett, Of the Herald, so did Hon. Oswald
Ottendorfer, and so did the late Marshall o.
Roberts.
Jay Gould's early life was failure, but
this phase Of it was very short. He was
born in 1881, and went into specializing in
railroad stock in 1859, when he was only
twenty-eight years old He was very sue
cessful and made use Of the war, when il
broke out, to give large returns on small OF
shrewd speculations. His fortieth year
found him, in his present opinion, only
starting in life, but the world already
knew him as master money maker, for he
had been more than three years president
Of the Erie railroad, and his associate, Fisk
had startled America with his share of the
partnership.
Samuel j. Tilden made his first consider
able money as lawyer but he was more
than forty years old before he put other
aspirations aside for the time and begar
that devotion to his profession which was
quickly distinguished by his connection
Will hc SredtSbb INV CduS6S VI tHo uty
He was forty-one when, in 1855, he wa!
defeated as candidate for Attorney-Gen
eral OF the State. After that came hi
greatest legal triumphs, and after them hi
still greater financial operations.
:. The Standard Oil fortunes nearly al
prove the rule. Mr.. Rogers made his shari
/ of that pile while younger than forty years
old, but Messrs. Rockefeller, Starbuck ant
Flagler were beyond that age when the,
/ grew rich. In Philadelphia, George W
Childs is probably an exception. He is onl.
sixty years old and has been rich NOR
| than twenty years; but John Wanamake
/ only began the making of his fortune il
/ 1876, when he was thirty-eight. He wa
nearer fifty than forty when he became real
: ly rich.
, Augustin DAILY is fifty two years old. H
, was thirty-four when he began his BRAY
r struggle with the dramatic company tina
: is now world famous Wealth did not reac
him till he was beyond FORTY The ministr