The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-19

DON JUAN GHE.
A Negro and Horn . slave, He 70 said to Ne
tho Richeat Man in Guatemala.
yes"
From the San Franctsco Examiner.

A Negro ana Horn . Slave. He 10 said to Ne
tho Richeat Man in Guatemala.
From the San Franctsco Examiner.
A negro, born a slave in Alabama, and his
masters chattel until early manhood, is tho
wcalthiest man in Guatemala, and ono of the
multi millionaires OF the day. His name is
Knight, although travellers in Guatemala
would scarcely know It by the familiar Spanish
cognomon- Don Juan Knight. The late Prcsi.
dent Barrios of Guatemala estimated his
friend knights riches at over $1,000. 900. His
annual income from his vast tracts of coffee
lncas, his gold mines, his r banana
plantations. and his farms Of vanilla beans, his
banking and steamboat stocks. besides tho
debts interest on money that Guatemala Dor
rowed from him, is over 100000. He lives
in a beautiful house in thesuburbs of Guatemala
City, and is ceasclessly busy looking after his
immense interests.
The life of Juan knight reads like q chapter
from the " Arabian Nights "-this story of how
q poor black boy rose step by step from hui
never knew his father. because his parents
months mont se Bcfore he was born orr D His isa mother ss' was
e mulatt9, the property Of a tobacco srETev
arly' man. and biz. wife was a former school
teacher, They had a half dozen slaves, all of
the plantation one spring morning in 1874 or
1915. Mrs. Upton gave the negro child sufi-
became interested In little black John" and
provided St aSo1 him 1iK Ttsh o gobn R5 sGdSol w 1Sot tSe mos.
promising negro in Tallapoosa county. Mr..
Upton died in 1860, and tho smart black boy
him to q cotton plantation in central Ala
bama,. The master entered the Contederate
seer of a part Of the plantation. For four years
he superintendent the gathering OF the, cotton
Then he walked to New Orleans and worked
as q wharf laborer for a firm which handled
money. In 1865 he was sent by his employer
to Yucatan. In Central America, to live
there. as boss q the packing and shipping Of
the beginning Of John knights millions.
lively. w~ide-awake person was something
sunshine. A revolution in Guatemala In which
Ramon sanchez had been deposed. was Just at
opportunity TO gain the favor of the new ad-
ministration would do for himself: He pro-
p pf9iis "nd 5h sat tSF Z G for eis"npp pI so% ani o SsnSn %sr be-
would go to New Orleans and get the wholesale
fruit dealers, who ruled the American markets
s yenf of F0e asa as9; Ia H 4ETiis 70 T PRs fS;11oiUSH a
Government gladly accepted the proposition
mated at New Orleans. 1t was the beginning
Of the trade in millions Of dollars annually.
o. 10 make a long story pr d sn0GI, 3 rnt sd h ,he nrG SO,
there was in growing fruit for the United State:
market. The shipping business to New York
empioysr Of labor in northern Guatemala
Where a multitude Of white men had given NJ
in despair OF ever trying to got work out Of tht
lazy, improvident, and careless natives of the
rural regions, knights exnCriencc among tn
nous for the zeal he impaired to all who lAborsd
for him. He married a native young woman In
help to his fortunes. About twenty years ngC
no Induced New England capital to embark ex
Invested his own capital in the Industry. Tn,
Government gave him q very adTantageoul
shipping concession for his efforts In brinEint
wonderfully rcmunorntiyo for n. dozen years
The negro planter hranched out in other direc
to furnish many thousands OF feet OF mahogan!
yearly for ten years,
Io has been q liberal patron OF ed,cationa
measures. lilo In wiihal, q plain: modest, man
who is not known by sight very far from home
He IL tall and slender and shows tho effects o
hard work and constant care and thought con
corning his enormous business interests.
There are seven children III Juan knight
home, and all have been educated in the Unite
States. Two OF the boys are In a militar
academy in Mississippi now. One daughter |
10 New Orleans and from there to New York
The influence OF Juan knight, the negro mi
~llonairc. is. folt, everywhere In the commercIe
ana UUuItlHl uDIllhl VI 'uulCIllulh, u III ]
every part of Central America. His a advice
sought in MI financial protects OF the Govern
ment, When n syndicate c' capitalists sends I
Guatemala for an exprei son Of opinion cor
corning O bond lshuc IN Central America. thi
wonderful'eX-sln 10 con suited Almost trst c
all. When the Guatemalans nearly came I
arms with Mexico two years ago. Juan KnlRt
was universally looked to by tho natives to effeC
peace. His bank In Guatemala City 10 abou
4, tbe saJidest in tho country. So great 10 tn
: confidence in mis- integrity that some Of his OLE
est laborers draw their pay but once In a ha
. year. The millionaire planter and miner
Guatemala has several times visited the plsntl
was born and raised. Hundreds OF people theI
. know all about him and remember his chill
; hood. In 1888, when no was In DRdeylllo, /
met tho son of his hrst master. Daniel Uptol
: He had not forgotten how Massr and Miss
. Upton taught him 10 read and write, and a
I. the petty privileges they had shown their cha
. tel. little Black John So what did the ex'Sla,
Heights early master TO 60 down TO Gpat
Q Not only that. The ex.slaVe found that Il
d widow of his old master was sick and in fina
|; cial distress In Mobile, and he forthwith !
vested for hor . sum Of his money sufnoiOnt