Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-07-18
FROM POVERTY TO WEALTH.
John Knight, Once a Slave, Now .
Man of Wealth.

| Man of Wealth.
The richest and most powerful man
socially and politically in the Republic
of Guatemala is John Knight, a negro.
who was born a slave in Alabama and
who was sold from the public slave
block as late as March, 1860.
Knight was an exceptionally bright
boy. He never saw his father, who
was sold into distant State before he
was born. The family to whom Knight
belonged gave him an education, and
at the age of sixteen the boy was sold
for $1,000. high price, considering
that the sale occurred in November.
1860, the very time of Lincoln's elec-
tion.
Knight remained with the family OF
his new master until the close Of the
war. In common with thousands OF
other slaves, he then declared his free
dom. He walked to New Orleans, and
for the first time in his life went away
from his masters properties. In New
Orleans he worked as a wharf labOrer
for firm which handled fruits from
Central America. He saved his money.
Every one about the wharves knew
John Knight, the most capable and in
dustrious colored man there. One day
in June, 1866, he was sent by his en-
ployer down to Yucatan, in Central
America, to live there as the boss of
the packing and shipping of fruits to
New Orleans. He had $40 week
salary.
That was practically the beginning
of John knights millions. He lived
in Yucatan year, worked hard, saved
his every cent, and dreamed of the day
when he could be an orange, banana
and pineapple shipper on his own ac-
count. Having heard of the great
tracts of free and fertile fruit lands
south of San Christoval in Guatemala,
he went and located there. A live,
wide-awake person was something
unique In those days in that region of
siestas and tropical sunshine. A revo-
luton, in which Ramon Sanchez had
been deposed, was just at its close.
John knight saw what hard work
and an opportunity to gain the favor
of the new administration would do
for himself. He proposed that for
concession of some $4,000 acres of land
suitable for pineapple and banana
growing he would go to New Orleans
and get the wholesale fruit dealers,
who ruled the American market thirty
years ago, to agree to buy 100000 a
year of Guatemala fruits. The Guate-
mala Government gladly accepted the
proposition. In less than three months
the deal was consummated at New Or
leans. 1t was the beginning of the
trade of millions of dollars annually.
To make a long story short, John
knight got other concessions, as he
demonstrated the profit there was in
markets. The shipping business to
New York and San Francisco was
started and enormously enlarged.
He married a native young woman
in Stapa in 1872, and the union has
been a great help to his fortunes.
About twenty years ago he induced
New England capital to embark ex
tensively In coffee growing In Guate-
mala, and he invested over $15O,O00 of
his own capital in the industry. The
Government gave him a very advan-
tageous shipping concession for his ef-
forts in bringing capital to the coun-
try. Coffee growing proved wonder
fully remunsrative for dozen years.
At one time the annual shipments OF
coffee from the knight fincas were the
largest from any private estate in all
Central America.
The negro planter branched out In
other directions. He went to Phila-
delphia and contracted to furnish many
thousands of feet of mahogany yearly
for ten years. Then he bought up tracts
of mahogany trees in Nicaragua and
Guatemala. At one Hme he was the
second largest dealer in mahogany logs
In the world. Everything he touched he
made a success.
He lives in royal style in the suburbs
of Guatemala City. No one in that
region except the Barrios ever enter
tain so lavishly as Don Knight and his
wife. Their home is large modern
house of plate glass windows, polished
woods, costly hangings-all furnished
from New York and New Orleans. A
small army of servants attends the
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