The sea coast echo., 1899-11-18
TOM IlPTON,S ROMANCE.
Marvellous Rise of the Shamrock's Owncl
From Poverty TO Riches.

From Poverty 10 Riches.
The Charleston steamer had just
reached her New York dock and tied
up. The passengers loitered about
her, attending to their bags and bag
gage, but the gangplank was hardly
down when a bruised, begrimed, ragged
boy of Is or II rushed on to the dock,
and pushing his way through the
crowd lost himself in Gotham.
Nobody pursued him.
Il was 30 years ago that Tom Lip
ton came up gasping from the tireroom
of the Charleston boat and ran into
New York. He had known more kicks
than sixpences from his childhood up,
did not break his spirit. 1t was just
m experience more in life Of hard
luck.
Born of Scotch Irish parents in
Glasgow, who were poor as poverty,
he struggled up to Ioyhood somehow.
At last his heap of boarded pennies
had grown to be enough to pay for a
eerage passage to America, and he
ran away. He was boy of Is years
then. and small for his age, but there
was that within him that kept him
going when grown men would have
given mp in despair.
This Glasgow rat o s'arved IN cities,
slept in doc ways, walked when be
could not buy or beg ride, and finally
found himself in South Carolina. He
got a Job as a harvest hand on a rice
plantation, and for two years he was
q farm laborer.
But as he worked in the fields it
dawned on the lad that not here where
the whole population was hunting
riches, but in the old grooyed life OF
his native city lay his best chance of
wealth. He would apply American
methods 10 business in Glasgow and
see if in the combination there was
not something for Tom Upton.
He walked to Charleston and begged
a steamer captain TO let HIM work his
way to New York. He met blunt re-
fusal. Consequently when the steam
boa, sailed she carried Tom Upton
hidden amid the merchandise III her
ho'd. He took the blows and curses
consequent on discovery uncomplaln-
iuglv. HIS sufferings paid for his
passage, and he disreSarded them ac-
cordingly.
Again Upton found himself in New
York, this time with a purpose and
plan in his mind.
He washed himself of his CRIME in
a park fountain, earned a breakfast
and began his search for work.
The strong young boy, his thews
steeled by the hard training in the
rice fields, found little difficulty in
! getting work.
OF course, he thrired. He did not
know any luxury, aud but little rest,
but he put by money. Before the
year was ont he had saved enough for
n steerage passage, and was back In
Glasgow.
His parents were little better of
than when he had left them. He told
them his plan, and they put in his
hands all they hal saved. The whole
family fund amounted to 500.
Presently the staid Scottish city
was astonisbed 10 see two monster
hogs, groomed until their bristles 6 is
tened, deched with ribbons and led
through the streets benin a banner
labelled 'Lipton's Orphans.
A crowd gathered and followed the
huge swine to little shop with the
name of Upton above the doo".
The young fellow was proprietor,
clerk, sa esman, bookkeeper and porter
al in one. lie lunched in the shop
and dined not at al at first.
The venture succeeded. He got a
c'erk, aud presently in another quarter
of the city t ere was another Upton
shop, an exact dnpli ate of the 9th T..
Today there are 30 Upton shops
scattered through Great Britain, so o.
them being in London. They are al
alike, al gayly coored and iiupi-
mated, so that they stand out like light
houses on da Ii ght.
In the nited states he owns a
but herring pant that Ii Is 3oo' ogs
daily and he has 100 refri ator cars
to carry the meat to the mark IS. Fl s
fortane is est mated at $50, 000, 00J,
and he is not O years d..
For his charities he was knighted a
wear ago, and it is SIR Taomas Upton
VINO sails over here h $ yach', the
shamrock. to acc for the America 5
cup-Sir Thomas Upton who shov-
ciled coal to pay for his stolen passage
On the Char lsstcn atsamsn