The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-10
HE ROLLS IN WEALTH.
Mr.. cOnner's Money Comes Easy and
Goes the Same Way.
From, The Nra,,, v,rt- Co..


Goes the Same Way.
From the New York Sun.
Buffalo. Feb. 2.-William James Corners
sailed from New York on Wednesday for Al
ten-weeks' trip to Europe. Mr.. Corners
is Irish, 80 years old, not bad-Iooking, loud
voiced, studded with diamonds, and able
TO calculate upon profits OF $1,000 a dan
during the season when the great lakes
are open to navigation. In six years ha
has made dozen fortunes, spent several.
and kept his head clear enough 10 increasa
his business interests so that his incotna
now Is larger than ever before. He ia
master OF the docks Of Buffalo, Chicago
and Duluth. He handles every pound OF
package freight that is unloaded at Buffa.
10, and nearly all the freight at Chicago
and Duluth.
Mr.. Corners was poor most OF his life.
His mother was widow who kept a fruih
stand. When he was Is years old he was
playing with some companions one day.
and one Of them pulled out revolver.
See II you can hit dat" said Connors.
putting up his thumb The other boy
shot the thumb off at the joint. That day
he took the nickname of "Fingy." He
bore II until his net income was $500 a
day. Then people began to call him Mr..
Connors.
A union made him rich, When he be.
td4AiF a eitNtQuEG ne applied TO the SLGVo4
dores Union for admission. He was re-
jected. Thes tevedores thought thera
were enough of them in the business
Connors began war on the union.
Year after year he made contracts with
the steamship lines. undertaking 10 ham
die the freight at so much a ton, His
business grew wonderfully. Through
Mayor Hopkins of Chicago, who used to
be his playmate, he got contract in Chi
cago. He now employs 5000 men during
the season and has eighty stevedores. re
Is uneducated. but has rare head for
business.
While he was making his wealth, he was
not slow in spending it. He paid absurd
prices for absurdly big diamonds. He
bought every trinket that took his fancy
at whatever price the seller asked for IL.
He INDUCED IN politics. He spent 5000
on Sloak Slatterly, candidate for menu
Der of Assembly, who ran against Lieut..
Gov. Sheehan. The following year he
spent as much to help elect Sheehan. A
year ago last autumn he contributed
$4,000 to beat Alderman Jack White in the
greatest ward fight Buffalo had ever seen.
He hired concert halls by the night and
opened champagne night after night for
barroomfuls OF men. He made a man a
justice Of the supreme court. He enter
tanned large parties in private cars ON
trips to New York. lie ran a saloon IN
WHICH many of his employees spent most OF
their earnings. When they happened to be
married men he frequently drove to thor
houses next day and gave to their wives
sum equal to that the husband had
spent, and cautioned them not to ten
their husbands.
Suddenly change came over him. He
spent as much money, but he spent II in
other ways. lie built palace out on =
country road and got married. He gave
up concert halls and saloons He became
a home lover. Last Wednesday he stared
for Europe with his wife. He took win
him two letters Of credit for f..000 each
and one for $500. It will be characteristsr
If he spends the whole slz. 500 in the ten
weeks. -