The times., 1897-07-19
NOT LOOKING FOR A WIFE
Upton, the British Millionaire, De-
nieS Stories About Him.
Does Not Know Whether to Treat
Them as q Joke or Demand
RetractioD.

Chicago, July 18.-several women sat al
day in the Auditoriun Hotel waiting for
7. j. Upton, the British millionaire. They
were not beautiful but they We're all will
ing TO marry rich man. A p. m they
sadly left the hotel, not having seen Mr..
Upton.
Since the original publication OF the
story that he is visiting this country i'll
search of wife, Mr.. Upton has been
deluged with letters and calls from wo-
men who would like to marry him. He
said tonight
The arlicles published about ne In
the papers are ridiculous. IL Is outra-
geous that a visitor 10 your city should
be treated in such a manner by the press
L really dom know what To do about it
whether 10 treat the whole thing as joke
or demand a retraction.
There is absolutely no truth in my
having matrimonial intentions, and my
treatment by the press has been anything
but courteous.
Upton 5 parents were poor. His father,
though a wage-woTker, was thrifty, and
at the age of fifteen the son sailed away
to America, as many another Scotch
Irish lad has done, TO seek fortune In
new land. He sought 1t in the rice
swamps OF South Carolina, where for
two years he had experience OF the maxi
mum of work and the minimum OF food
ndpay. He took passage as stowaway
on q steamer from Charleston for New
York, and was allowed 10 shovel coal
on the voyage. He sought work and found
it. barely living until he went back to
Scotland, man grown, seasoned by ad-
vcrsity, but undaunted
Six months ago Upton, while speaking
OF some Of the new men in England, said:
Its only eighteen years since / was stand
ing behind the counter waiting on Gus
toners"
This was after the story had been cir
cuiated in London that he had sold out
his te8; business To a company for 50 BOO
600. lie said the only foundation for the
story was the fact that an offer had been
made him TO sell at SI2 900 900. This of.
fer lie had refused, because. as he said
the tea business was stin in its infancy
The capital with which Upton started
eighteen years ago was Just f1oO. or
$500, furnished by his thrifty PARENTS
Any man who has been able during the
past eighteen years TO increase a capital
oT 5000 into tens of millions in PERFECTLY V
legitimate business and by honest methods
Is not an accident. He must be presumed
10 have brains to be shrewd, auIck In
actlon' fertile in resources. farsight ted
coura geous. self-reliant masterful; other.
wise ne could not do 1t. Upton would
probably protest against any such fIatter.
Ing attributon. but he would also probably
admit that he was good advertiser.
For lis first invoice OF provisions he So
leoted the two fattest hogs IN the mar
ket veritable monsters These were
carefully cleaned and decorated ana
made to waddIc slowly through the streetx
to the shop with the banner. .sI.ipton's
orphans over them.
me JOKE had one merritt succeeded
othef advertisements, backed by shreyvd-
ness ana Industry, helped it and in "A
very few years Lipton's business called
Tor the establishment Of a packing plant
IN Chicago and he was oneof the founders Of
the great packing business of South Omaha
lt Is less than ten years since ne was
invited to go into the Ceylnn tea bnsf
ness by certain banks in London. which
had been forced to take over tina p1an.
tations as result Of business depres.
sion They named a figure tney were
wiling to take Upton packed his grip
and booked passage on p. and o
steamer for Australia. All names Of
passengers are cabled forward. and he
knew that he would be expected at
sydney.
When the steamer stopped at Colombo
he walked ashore, and before anv one
knew he was in Ceylon he had boughs
out the banks, but not at their price
He looked over the property, cabled his
terms and got the answer: Can't Won
DO better for Us than that?''
''When l got that message said he,
II knew that I had the plantations on
my own terms -
The growth of the Ceylon tea business
has been in he line Of British policy. and
the planta tions would now sell for ten
times their cost ten years ago.
Upton is not more than forty-one or
| forty-two wears old. Like his tea bnsi-
ness, he is in his infancy, and has his
best years ahead of him. In person he
is tail, straight and athletic-looking, al
ways well dressed aud well groomed,
but In every way most unassuming.