St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-17

agreement that the latter should pro-
cure all of the material which he could
find relating to the Ames family and
prepare history. for which he was to
be paid for his services and diSburSe
mentS. The plaintiff further averred
that he had advanced tor the purchase
Of material. including manuscript, books
etc, s., SIT, and ip addition had paid to
the defendant for his services 81, 525.,
The plaintiff claimed that he was the
lawful owner of the work, and that he
had called upon the defendant to deliver
II to him, but the defendant refused to
do so, and further threatened to pub
lish the history himself, and was
taking subscriptions for it. The
plaintiff alleged that the work
was of such character that he was in
formed and believed that the defendant
was able to make changes and altera-
tions in the work that would injure the
rights of the plaintiff, and the court was
asked to issue all injunction restraining
DR.. AmeS from publishing the history,
and an order directing the defendant to
turn into the hands of the clerk of the
court, or some other discreet person, all
material which he had.
When the case was called the lawyer
who appeared for the defendant said
that there was an agreement of counsel
that the case should be postponed. Dr..
Ames' defense to the suit was that al
though he had made a contract with
Frederick Ames, as alleged, there had
been disagreement between them,a and
that lie had a perfect right to publish
the history, the plaintiff having some
two years ago abandoned all interest
therein.
The Ames family occupied a conspic-
uous place in the history of MaSSachu-
sets. The corner stone of its fortunes
was laid In 1716. when Capt. John
AmeS, great-grandfather of the present
Senior representative of the name. be-
gan the manufacture of shovelS at West
Bridgewater. The same industry is
Still carried on by his descendants. The
wealth of eX-Gov. AmeS, who served
Massachusetts two terms as its
chief executive, is between $1,000, 900
and S10.000.0O0. When he was gov
ernor he annually gave the members of
the legislature magnificent banquet at
his regal residence ON the Back bay
that made the eyes of the country rep
reSentativeS open with wonder. Mr..
Ames is largely interested in railroads.
notably the Union Pacific, of which his
father, Cakes Ames. was the first presl-
dent. In 1873, when he had been in the
his father died. leaving an immense
estate, but it was scattered in almost
every state III the Union, and was
dreadfully involved in debt. The in
debtedness amounted to $S.0OO,OOO,
while an appraisal of the assets led to
the belief that the unsecured creditors
could hardly hope to get more than 40
cents on a dollar. Most of divers
earnings in the factory had been loaned
to his father, so that financial ruin stared
him in the face. But in spite of tile
panic which came six months after his
fathers death. in spite of the over
whelming load of Indebtedness. in spite
of the fact that the most intricate prob
lens of financial management presented
themselves on all sides. he succeeded in
making the estate pay the debts dollar
for dollar, and there was enough left to
D ay 81 100000 of legacies, and leave a
surplus besides for the residuary lega-
tees.
Since that time Oliver Ames has,
owing to his great ability as business
man, climbed rapidly up the steep hill
of fortune. He has acquired large RAIL
way and other interests, and has for
years been an extensive and successful
dealer in railway securities. Without
being mere Specuator, be has been
what might be called a bold operator in
the stock market, being always ready to
invest at times when others would fear
to touch certain securities, and
ing just when to sell, after
a reasonable advance had occurred, and
having the courage to sell then and not
wait for still further advance which
might or might not come. In business
matters Oliver Ames is regarded as the
soul of honor, and the possession of
large means by him and his family has
been coupled with large public spirit,
shown in the Cakes Ames Memorial
hall in North Easton, and other fine
public buildings and many notable
Illustrations of Hberality.
Vanderbilt of the Hub.
The Vanderbilt of the Hub" as he
has been styled. is Nathaniel Thayer.
His father was Nathaniel Thayer, the
famous banker and railroad man, one of
the founders of the great banking house
Of Eliot, Thayer 81 Bro. of which Kid
der, Peabody & Co. became the success
sors. He was widely known in West
ern and Southern railroad affairs, and
founded the Union StOckyardS in Chi
cago. He lived to be over eighty years
of age, and left, in his time, the
to S16,000,OOO. Nat" Thayer. as the
younger representative of the house is
sometimes called, is essentially rail
road man, inheriting his fathers ability
for business affairs. Most Of his rail-
roads are in the West, as were those of
his father. He graduated from Har
ward college in 1871, a university to
which his father gave Thayer hall.
Thayer Commons hall and the
Gray herbarium, besides bearing
the expense of the trip of
Prof. Agassiz to South Amer
lea. Mr.. Thayer is of solid build. six
feet tall, has brown hair ami eyes and a
mustache of lighter hue. He is
member or the Somerset, Union and
Country clubs and the Eastern Y acht
club. He has a fine house on the Back
Bay, another at Newport and third at
Lancaster, where the family name is
perpetuated by the town hall of Lam
caster. His sister. Miss Harriet Thayer,
married Congressman John F. Andrew,
president of the Alg onquin club.
Among those who have made promi-
nent place for themselves in the flnan-
cial world in the past decade are the
Swift Bros, the dressed meat shippers.
Both Edward c. Swift, who is frequent
" seen i'll this city, aud his brother,
GustavuS f. Swift. who is located in
Chicago, swere born in Sandwich. on
CaDe Cod. They started with almost
nothing as drovers between Brighton
and Provincetown, and as late as
fifteen years ago were no
more than fairly successful live
stock dealers and market men. But last
year they are said to have done bust
ness of S45.000.000 IN their packing
houses i'll Chicago. Kansas City and
Omaha. and at their numerous local
agencies in various parts of the country.
&. +. Swift, the head of the firm and
founder OF the packing house business,
has but just passed his fiftieth mile
stone in life. He has family of nine
children, seven of whom are boys. The
oldest has charge of the Chicago pack
ing house and the next other Of the
house in Kansas City. E. G. Swift has
residence in Lowell. They are said to
be the largest handlers of beef and NUT
ton in the world, and no one but Phil
Armour handles more hog products
than they. The Swifts have delight
full summer cottage down on "irhe