The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-04-07
AMERICAS GREAT LANDLORD.
Richest Farmer in the World and His
Holdings.
(New York .MorIl.l


St. Louis, March 2S.-William Scully
owns greater number of farms than
any man in the United States. Their
aggregate AREA is 100000 acres They
are worth $4,000, 600 They are located
in central Illinois, western Missouri and
Kansas. They represent the accumula-
ton of fifty years of the life of their
owner.
He is the richest farmer in the rlcn-
1 est agricultural section In the worm.
His wealth is said to be $25.OOO,OsO.
William Scully came TO this country
/ shortly after the Mexican war, for the
| purpose of investing his money. he
chose. to put it into farming lands. At
| that time he was William Scully, gen
/ tIeman of Ballecohey, Ireland Now
he is William Scully, American citizen,
owner of the John A. Logan residence
! in Washington, and multi-millionalre.
liver since he came TO America he
has been either Lord or NiScount Sour
", although he never gave anybody
| reason to believe that he held a title
He is not a lord. Neither is he Wis
count.
In 1897 the Illinois legislature modi-
fed the alien land owner law. This law
recessitated Mr.. Scully's removal to
the United States andshis naturallza-
ton prior 10 1903.
When the Scully agents went to
Z
to purchase farm land there, people be-
! came alarmed lest Scully import an un-
desirable tenantry.
This criticism of Mr. Scully has COW
cred q period of more than forty years
Not one word of defense ever came
from him. Criticism seemed never to
touch the rich Irishman- His policy
was silence.
Meanwhile the ScuIly acres continued
/ to yield great crops Nobody ever
.
a farm purchased in Sangamon cOun-
/ ty Illinois, by former Governor Rich
ard J. Oglesby. Nobody ever heard of
a mortgage on vScully farm.
At Butler in Bates county, No. there
are 10 ScUlly tenants, and they lease
/ their lands for cash, paying from 81 %
to 81 an acre. and make their own inn
! proVements.
The Scuily agents are 8 particular
about leases. The farmer who applies
! for one of them must be a practical
farmer. His stock must look well fed
His machinery must show good care.
! He must have a good reputation, be
temperate and industrious and pay his
debts. /, He must not quarrel with his
neighbors.'
Three years ago Mr.. Scully increased
his holdings in Bates county to $4,000
acres all purchased in cash at from
$27 to $35 an acre None of this land
is eneumbered- William Scully has Wis
has inspected his farms and carried
away samples OF their soil in little pa
per sacks, leading his tenants there
I to believe he must have at his home
samples of every piece of the land he
1 owns.
a year ago the people of Bates codn-
! ~ voted on a proposition to build a
new court house at Butler. Mr.. Scully's
agent wrote to him and inquired to
know what he would advise his ten
ants to do. Mr.. Scully answered that
they ought to vote for it. The propo-
Sition carried.
This richest of American farmers is
a modest man of simple tastes. He
dresses simply in dark Clothes with an
old-fashioned black bow tie. He does
not drink or use tobacco. He is a mem
Der of the Episcopal church. He is
slightly bald.
Mr. Scully spent several summers in
Lincoln. Ills, on one occasion, bringing
his family. One of his sons married
a Lincoln girl The family lived very
simply and became popular. Mr.. Soul
~ devoted his whole time TO his lands
and his books he was never known to
/ come to Lincoln or TO depart from
! there without having with him an arm