The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1902-04-19
RICH AFRO-AMERICAN
a BRIEF RESUME OF WEALTHY
CITIZENS OF CHICAGO.
Fired and Frank Rollins, Sons of Frank w
Rollins, Likely to Head the List IF the
Rising Generation N Wealth. The ups ann
Dowus of Some of the Money Ma kers' a..

The Chicago Daily News in a recent
issue contained the following article
relating to wealthy Americans:
The recent death of Col. John Mckee,
the Afro-American millionaire of Phil
adelphia, brings to mind the fact that
Chicago has no Afro-American citizen
who can count his money in seven fig
ures. This does not establish the fact,
however, that the city does not con-
tain Afro-Americans who have gained
wealth as the result of thrift, busi-
ness capacity and intelligence. The
estate of John Jones of clothes-cleaning
fans might easily have been worth a
million dollars or more today if fate
had dealt kindly with the accumula-
tions of the man who was the first of
his race to be elected county COM
missioner in Cook County.
Nothing is left of the fortune of
Uncle Bill Baker, a personal friend
of Abraham Lincoln and who was the
king bee politician back in the period
just after the civil war. Baken owned
property in what is now the downtown
district that is now worth millions.
He died a few years ago upWept and
poor, little known. Then there was
John Shaw, at one time the steward of
the IrOquoiS club. For many years he
was the caterer to west side society
and appeared to be on the high road to
prosperity. But reverses came, his
fortune melted away and he died poor.
John Hunters fortune is but a
shadow of it's former proportions. He
was saloonkeeper but he know how
to hold on to his dollars. 1t is said
that in his latter days he acquired the
habit of specializing and at his death
had little of the money left which he
hand spent years in accommodating.
The John W. E. Thomas estate is melt
ing in the hot sun of litigation. At
the time of his death, three years ago,
it was variously estimated at 100000
to 100000. Since that time his heirs
and relatives have been engaged in a
legal fight for the possession of his &C.
cumulatiOnS and the end is not yet in
sight.
Unless all signs fail Fred and Frank
Rollins, Jr., the two sons of Frank W.
Rollins, a south side real-estate dealer
will be the wealthiest Afro-American
in Chicago. They are to get a half in
terest in a Missouri estate worth $780,
900. This became known last week
and while the elder Rollins refused to
give out the facts in the case he af-
firmed the truth of the story that in a
short time his sons would be worth, in
their own right, about $4,000 each.
Edward H. Morris is also reputed to
among the Wealthiest of the Afro
Americans. He is the recognized lead
er of the Afro-American lawyers in Chi
cago and is said to have made his
money in judicious real estate invest
ments. His wealth is estimated at
100000
William H. Johnson is the rich Afro
American of the west side He laid
the foundation of his fortune in shoe
store which he conducted for a num-
Der of years in West Indiana street. In
these days he devoted his time to real
estate and is said to be worth close to
100000. DR.. Daniel H. Williams has
large real-estate holdings, the value of
which runs into six figures. Jerry P.
Stewart is worth about $4,000, DR.. A.
F. Perry, $4,000; Emanuel Jackson,
the undertaken, $4O,O0O; James Phil
lips, $4,000; ex-County Commissioner
Edward H. Wright, $4,000; Theodore
w. Jones, $4,000.
The most significant fact concerning
the accumulation. of wealth among
Afro-American citizens is the tendency
to own small homes. These are to be
found in the largest numbers among
the south side communities
The Woodlawn district, whose citi-
zens held indignation meetings few
years ago, when the first Afro-Ameri-
can property owner appeared in that
section, now has as residents many
who own their homes and whose wives
have their days at home" and pink
teas" much after the fashion of their
white neighbOrs