The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-16

He Came from Mincrsvii1e, Pa, and
Has Made Millions an Uruguay.

Douglas White, in Ainslee's Magazine
"Over on South Americas eastern coast,
at UrUguays pretty capital owens an
American who Is better known TO the Of
fieers Of all navies than any single lnuiVi-
dual in the world. This is Mr.. W. ID. Evans,
..For more than fifty years Mr. Evans
was the most prominent hgure at monte
video's port, having from small beginning
built UP a business in ship chandlery until
he was practically without competition In
the harbor. Ii was from Minersyiile, Pa,
that this present-day millionaire set out
for the lands beyond the equator. His adj
vent in the harbor of Montevideo was as
mate aboard a sailing ship. He saw
chance to make money. and left his billet
TO start a business on shore. After having
made an excellent start, his venture was
wrecked by the manipulations of his part
ner.
This meant another beginning and prac-
tically harder struggle than the first,
but Mr.. Evans had not started out TO sub
nit to failure. He was looking for success
and meant to find it,
''On his second race for fortune his most
valuable possession was boat with which
he personally served his wares to the vari-
Gus ships. The stock which he carried IN
this same craft ofttimes represented his en-
tire capital, and in the rough harbor OF
Montevideo any hour might render him
again penniless. He had many narrow es-
capes. Finally he had made sufficient
amount of money to enable him to send 10
Baltimore, Nd, for a craft which would
stand all weathers. With the new boat
came added prosperity, until finally it re-
CURED steam tug and several lighters to
handle his enormous trade.
Prosperity in business made outside in
vestments possible. These were handled
with so much foresight that as Montevideo
value, until to-day they are worth millions.
Mr.. Evans has retired from active business
He is succeeded by his former clerk, Man.
uel Bottini, an American citizen OF foreign
parentage.
Mr. Evans has specially ondeared him
self 10 the officers of every navy which
has had ships upon the South Atlantic sta
ton. These warships have always been
his especial charge. and no fighting craft
ever entered the 1arbOr CT MontevideO
that was not met by an Evans boat carry
ing Ice, fruits, fresh provisions and all
those things which are impossible accom-
paniments of long cruise. To naval Of
fcerS Mr.. Evans has been a banker, and
many an officers wife has blessed this
man from North America when she arrived
at Montevideo ami found her husbands
ship not yet in port If you arrive at
Montevideo and do not fin me there, go
to Evans. He will take care of you and
see that you want Tor moth n.y., were the
travelling instructions issued to officers
wives when they started TO join their~lus-
bands the station Even now there is
no change. save the substitution of Bot
TIM for Evans in tire instructions, for the
system inaugurated by the founder of the
business is still maintained under his sue
cessor.
Since his retirement from active business
Mr.. Evans spends most of his time at the
'Quinta del Evans, magnificent suburban
estate on the outskirts of Montevideo This
quinta becomes a familiar spot to all visit
ing Americans, for one of Mr.. Evans s
greatest delights is to entertain visitors
from the States. sojourn at the Evans
home becomes entertainment indeed, for
the quinta's hospitality is extremely lavish.
and when dispensed amid the estates de-
lightful surroundings becomes doubly at
tractive. The homestead itself is charm
fngly romantic, consisting of q series of
buildings each representing different era
in Montevidear home-building. and all con-
nected by tiled patios covered by vine-clad
trellises and broken by shaded hooks and
splashng fountains. Hardly a room is
there which does not give some proof of
the owners love for the States. Here is
pair of flags draped over the picture of
some favorite American, and at another
point a maguificently carved coat of arms
of the United States, done by a clever
Uruguayan artist, while from the high flag
staff above the quinta old glory flutters
to signify that through half a century of
residence I'm South America the Evans
heart has remained faithful to the flag
CT his country. And this flag does not fly
alone, for but few hundreds yards away
1t has official companion, which floats
over the United States legation, where our
minister to the republic is quartered In
one of the houses built on portion of the
Evans estate. Thus has this man, beloved
by every officer in the American navy,
built up on the banks of the Rio de la
Plata a home wherein American feeling
throbS as strongly though thousands
of leagues did not separate the owner from
the country which he so dearly loves"