St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-18

the greater the interest ne manifested. He
was never cross or abrupt. He was splendid
listener. If the scheme struck him as worth
considering, and too many schemes struck
him that way, he made another appointment.
If the crank had patent or q model or some
ore, or whatever it might be with him and
pleaded immediate poverty, out would CONG
the check book ora roll of bills. and the patent
or the model or the sample ore would remait
on deposit until further conversation took
place.
1t is the plain truth to say that Erastus
Wiman was ruined financially by the crank.
He is conspicuous victim of the crank's in.
fuence. Not that he helped every crank or
embraced every project that was presented.
If he had, his failure would have been an
nounced several years sooner Many of the
cranks, using the word for the moment in
a more commendable way, had really praise
worthy projects. Some of them were pro.
moters who had showed their cranks to the
background and were acting as special attor-
neys. Mr.. Wiman once told the writer that
he entertained a hundred cranks in order to
get at the valuable Invention or the promising
discovery of the hundred and first crank 1t
was probably crank, again meaning no dis
respect in the use of the word, that first
brought the automatic weighing machine to
WlmanS attention. The Canadian made a
pile OF money out of it, and is still doubtless
receiving a royalty, unless he disposed of his
interest. Two Michigan farm boys brought
the cyclone pulverizer to the manager of the
commercial agency. He sold the foreign pat ,
ents for fat figure, but sunk 100000 in ;
trying to make the machine a success in this :
country. In the book, Chances of Success
that he published few months ago. he tells
the manner in which many good things came
to him. =
But his ambition was unbounded when ID
Should have been held in check. He took up
too many things lat once. Even with his
marvellous capacity for work, and beginning
his day, as he did, at five O'Clock in the morn
ing, and keeping it up until six in the even
ing, ne could not keep up with the procession
OF cranks. He was great promoter. When
he set out to get money or push project. he
rarely failed. But he spent his own money!
too often, when his brains should have been
his contribution and some one else sbould
have furnished the capital. The mercenary
inventor or crafty broker bled Wiman finan-
cialy while the latter was ACCOMPLISHING.
what the inventor and the broker never
could have done. Just think of the big en-,
terprises he was conducting at one time. saw
SIX years agol He was managing R. G. Dun
d Co. He was fighting a dozen battles on
Staten Island. He was trying to get the Balti-,
more and Ohio railroad to come over the
bridge that Wiman, at frightful cost, got
congress to sanction, and Robert Garrett to
build from New Jersey to the Island. He was
producing "Nero" and the s'Fall of Babylop''
at st. George; running baseball team. and I
backing up Buffalo Bill and his Indians. He
was trying to furnish Staten Island with cleo
trio light and electric power. He was presi-
dent, and the sole responsible head of the
Cyclone Pulverizing Co., with Headquarters
in Philadelphia, of company that extracted
iron from the ore by q mechanical process.
of paint company at Boonton. N. J.. that
made fine grades of paint out of pulyerized
iron Stag, OF company that made brick down
along the Kill Won Kill, and of a cold storage
concern in New York. near the BROOKLYN
bridge. He was interested and where be
was interested it meant he was active, in a
dozen other enterprises. He was at the same
time talking and writing about Commercial
founding. the new resorts OF South Beach.
Union and Arden and Arrochar.
: Yet, with all these surging, struggling in
terests in his mind, he gave heed to the crank
and had money ready for the next good pro-
lect that came along. Truly, it is folly to saw
Erastus Wiman was ruined by R. G.. Dun or
Staten Island or any one thing you might
name. He carried too heavy load and car
ried it too long. His big, generous heart and
his ambitious, active brain, were too MANY
for his purse. With the means of a Wander
bllt, he would undoubtedly have added to the
list OF benefits he has unquestionably con-
ferred upon the public. But give the crank
time and he would get away with the millions
Of Vanderbilt LAWRENCE s Morr :,