The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-11-12
NOW THE WEALTHIEST FARMER IN
THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.
HIS NAME IS VINCENT WILLIAM SCuLLY
HE INTRODUCED IRISH LANDLORDIsM
INTO THIS COUNTRY.
AN ERRONEOUS REPORT OF HIS DEATH
LEGISLATION AIMED AT HIM FOR BE-
ING AN ABSENTEE.

Viscount William Scully, gentleman
of Ballycohey and landlord of 100000
acres of Illinois corn land, is not dead.
1t does not often happen that it is news
to announce that man is alive, says
the Chicago Times-Herald, but through
a confusion of names his thousands of
tenants In Logan, Livingston, Grundy
and Sangamon counties have been dis
turbed since harvest time. It came by
cable across the seas that Viscount Soul
ly had passed away and all his property
had come into possession of the imme-
date members Of his family. An in
vestigation shows that the death in the
big house in Tipperary was not that of
its head, but Of one of the viscount's
sons. Viscount Scully, whom his Illi-
nois renters call lord, is very much
alive. His agents are adding to his
possessions in America, until now the
vast tract in this state is supplemented
by $4,000 acres in Nebraska and $4,000
acres in Kansas.
ILLINOIS WEALTHIEST FARMER.
Mr.. Scully has probably made more
money out of farming in Illinois than
any man that ever came into the state.
1t is, of course, out of the question to
name exactly the amount his enormous
holdings have earned him each year.
The amount, based upon the fact known
to the public, is between 100000 and
100000. The expense attached to the
gathering of this princely income is the
cost of two agents and two or three
clerks. The balance goes over the ocean
to his lordship as rentals paid by Danes,
Swedes, Poles. Germans and Bohemians,
with small scattering of Irish and
Americans. This plan, with its foreign
colonization attachment, went along
without interruption until a few years
ago. when Mr.. Scully became the main
reason for the enactment Of certain
laws in Illinois, as had been the culmi-
mating causes which led to certain re-
visions of the Irish land laws.
HIS SHREWD INVESTMENT.
This landlord of miles upon miles of
the best soil out of doors is a compare
tive stranger on his tract. He has Wis
tied it few times since he came into
possession of it at a price but little
more than the proverbial song His
first trip was about the time the Illinois
Central was flooding England with pros
pectuses of it's future in order to sell
the bonds. Mr.. Scully was then man
of great wealth, inherited from rents in
Shronehill and Ballycohey. The fea-
lures of the railroad prospectus which
took his eye was the glowing descrip-
ton of the future of the rich prairies
along the route. There was then prac-
tically no value to the acres, aside from
the settlers prices which the govern
ment had made. He soon sailed on {.
ship, reached America, and took into his
employ an expert land locker. They
found on the famous Delavan prairie
in .Tazewell county about the ground
they wanted, and then, like financiers.
began to buy it for the least possible
amounts per farm.
BUYING SCRIP FROM WAR VETER-
ANS.
Illinois men, just back from the Mex
lean war, were entitled to a land claim
of 100 acres each. The soldiers, many
of them, were not inclined to become
farmers. They were willing to sell
their claims. 1t is said Mr.. Scully saw
in this willingness a plan of getting
large estates for minimum cost. The
story is that he bought, while the army
was being disbanded. 160 of these rights
Of homestead. The quarter sections
were all picked so they Joined, save
when break would get in better soil.
This idea is believed to have put him
into possession of at least $4,000 acres,
at probable cost of not more than
s1.50 per acre. 1t would take more than
500 per acre to get a title to some of
it at this time. were it in the market.
BRANCHING OUT INTO OTHER
COUNTIES.
This was the beginning which led to
other big deals. He seems to have been
about the only man to fully appreciate
the value of the loan Of the corn belt.
Just about the time the state was being
admitted to the Union, Mr.. Scully is
said to have advanced into Logan coun-
ty, where at one time he could make
days drive in dukedom of $4,000
acres, which was either just being
plowed for the first time. or had been
used for but two or three crops. His
next estate was about 10000 acres in
Grundy county. He was still unsatis-
fled as to his holdings. He bought for
a ridiculously low figure a tract of TO-
600 acres in Sangamon county, not far
from Springfield. He then added 5000
acres of Livingston county.
IRISH LANDLORDISM IN AMERICA.
1t was planned to run the farms after
the rigid rules which Mr.. Scully had
been accustomed to impose upon his
tenants in Tipperary. All the leases
for many years were made to quite re-
semble the ,Tipperary lease, the tenant
paying all the taxes and the landlord to
pay for none of the improvements.
The tracts were divided into farms Of