The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-25
ERAsTUs w1MAN,s oARRER.
Began as Newsboy, Then Rose to
Handle Thousands and See Millions.


Handle Thousands and See Millions.
From the New York World
Erastus Wiman has had one of the most
remarkable careers of any man of this
age. He has been an indefatigable
worker and man in whose bosom hope
seemed TO spring eternal. Nothing
seemed to be able to discourage him.
Nothing seemed to be too great for him
to undertake. He was a Canadian born
and he never had foresworn his citizen
ship. His birthplace was a village near
Toronto, where he first saw the light
some sixty years ago. His parents were
very poor and during summers he had to
work in the fields so that in winters he
could get such scant education as the local
school Afforded He was newsboy on the
streets until he was fifteen
years of age and then he
went to work in printing office, where
he got 81 80 a week He drifted from
typesetting into writing on the markets
and finance for the Toronto Globe. His
fame as market man spread so that
when X. G.. Dun q Co, wanted to start
branch of their commercial agency in
Toronto, in 1861, the agency was offered
to Mr.. Wiman, and he accepted it. Four
years later he came to the New York
office. He insisted on the firm branching
outfits business, and carried out this policy
until r. G. Dun * Co. instead of having
sixteen agencies had l05.
HIS STATEN ISLAND DREAM.
Years ago Mr.. Wiman became I'M
pressed with the belief that there was
great future in store for Staten Island.
He went there to live. He bought land
there. He built houses. His idea of the
future of the island was not only that it
would become great place of residence,
but that it would be great commercial
territory, a point at which would be
handled tremendous commerce export
and import.
He thought that Staten Island was the
natural terminal for the Baltimore and
Ohio system. He wanted to see rapid
transit established on the Island. He
wanted to see it lighted by electric light.
he wanted TO see it made easier of access
by lines of the finest ferryboats. He even
dreamed OF the day when, by tunnels, it
would be connected under the waters of
the harbor with Brooklyn and New York
city. Not all of these things has he seen
realized, but as he thinks over the past in
his prison cell now, he must think of the
great deal that has been accomplished in
Staten Islands development largely
through his own energy.
On Staten Island, at st. George on the
Hill, high above the waters of the bay, he
built for himself and his family colonial
mansion, and then planned and waited
and worked for the boom. But the Bal
tlmore and Ohio Company did not follow
out the plan which Mr.. Wiman advo-
Gated. The result was that he has for
years been land poor, fact which beyond
a question has had a very large bearing
upon his financial downfall and his pres
ent disgrace.
1t was in 1880 that he began to organize
the Rapid Transit Company, of which the
late Capt Jacob Vanderbilt was presi-
dent for many years. The Wiman syndi-
cate, after a hard fight, ousted Capt
Vanderbilt from the management of the
company Mr.. Wiman is still president
of the Staten Island Ferry Company
which leases its boats and privileges to
the Staten Island Rapid Transit Com
pany.
MANY OTHER SCHEMES.
Besides being director of the Staten
Island Rapid Transit Company he was
foremost in every other scheme for the
development of the island. He was the
president of the Cyclone Pulverizing
Company, the president of the Richmond
County Heat, Light and Power Company,
a director of the Staten Island Electric
Economizer Company president of the
Automaton Weighing Machine Company
president of the Assured Building and
Loan Association of New York and presi-
dent Of the Mechanic Paint Company.
He was also interested IL al the charita-
BILE aud benevolent institutions on the
island. in its schools, in it's churches and
in its clubs. Several years ago he was
director Of the Western Uuion Telegraph
Company. When in Toronto he was
largely interested in telegraph matters
there until the Western Union absorbed
the Canadian lines,
For long time he has been prominent
as a member of the New York Chamber
of commerce, the New York board of
trade and transportation and kindred
business organizations. In fact, the de-
mands on his time and energy seemed to
be limitless, and yet with it all he found
time to be a leader with his wife, his
four sons, and his two daughters, in Sta
ten Island society, and to be a frequent
diner out and speech-maker, as well as a
conspicuous figure on the lecture plat
form.
1t was unquestionably the heavy drain
upon his resources in connection with his
Staten Island schemes that caused his
downfall To attract attention to the
island he incorporated the Metropolitan
Amusement Company at ST. George. The
International Base Ball Club was one of
the first attractions offered by the amuse-
ment company. This was followed by the
Fall of Babylon and other spectacular en-
tertainments, all of which, except the
Wild West Show, it is said, resulted in
very heavy financial losses to Mr.. Wiman
AS public speaker and as a writer Mr..
Wiman has been most noted for his adVo-
cacy of commercial union between this
country and Canada. He has spoken here,
there and everywhere about it.
There has always been business ele-
ment in Canada which has looked upon Mr..
Wiman as a prophet Only four years
ago La Patric, of Montreal, leading
liberal organ, came out naming him as a
leader in the dominion and insisting that
he should have a seat in parliament, if he
would raccept it, in recognition of his
services toward promoting closer COM
mercial relations between Canada and
the United States.
. HIS RELATIONS WITH DUN co.
The firm of Il. G.. Dun & Co., used to