Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-11
MAN Of WEALTH
REMAINS A
PORTER
LEADS SOLITARY, MoRosE LIFE,
STUNNING ALL OFFERS OF
coMPANIoNsHIP-5RoKE
UP HAPPY HOME.

/
uel De Forest, a porter at the Parker
house, which is located at the foot of
| South Water street, across the tracks
4 from the Erie railroad passenger station.
/ CARRIED in ragged clothing all the year,
and year after year, "Old SAM" as he
is Familiarity referred to by the attaches
and boarders at the Parker house, is a
wealthy man. He is said to possess SAC, 900
| in government bonds, and to have large
sum of ready money, but where he keeps
it is unknown.
Eccentric, well educated. Travelled. Sam
] uel De Forest is known to be not less
than go years of age, and is supposed to
be much older. During the 80 years he
has lived in Cleveland he has not changed
| the least bit in manner or characteristics.
Old Sam is about feet 10 inches in
height, and is somewhat stopped. He has
fine. clear cut features. and wears a
heavy beard about foot long. His hair
is long and thin, and almost white In
color. His forehead is very high, and he
has a long, fine-shaped nose. Altogether,
Sam impresses a stranger as a man Of in
telligence. He is supposed to be of down
east Yankee nativity.
He is reticent almost to the degree of
surliness. even to his employer and men
he has known for years-that Is, known
simply by seeing them at the place he
works, for he prefers his own companion
ship, and seldom answers questions other
than in monosyllables. He has positive
aversion to strangers, and either ignores
them and their questions, or else flies in
TO a rage, and In no unmistakable Ian
guage bids them let him alone. He lives
in his own thoughts-his memories of the
past.
Among the peculiar things that can be
related about this strange character are
the following:
He has SSt been up town for 80 years.
IL haa f,ac faa
Parker house for Is years.
He has not ridden on a street car for so
years.
He hiss not been known to read a news
paper. book or magazine for 30 years.
For IS years he hes not worn hat cap
or any kind Of headgear; neither has
ne worn coat or shoes or boots during
that time. He wears slippers or rubbers,
and no natter what the weather is, he IL
coatless and hatless, despite the fact
that he likes to be out Of doors.
For 80 years he has not written or re-
ceived a letter, so far as any Clevelander
knows.
He is familiar with all foreign lands,
having at some time during his early life
travelled extensively.
Despite the fact that he has not read
for 30 years. he Is intelligent, well edu-
Gated and apparently cultured, and Is said
to be up-to-date on world knowledge. He
has shown this, when, at rare intervals,
he has become conversational.
He wants the friendship Of no human
being and seems to be happy when he is
left alone to HIS thoughts.
His sole ambition Is to do his work as
porter well. He is strong and willing to
work.
His only enjoyment Is to brood and
think over the past-probably of the days
when he was happy with his wife and
child before his life had become embit-
tered.
He nevers have Every year or so he
will show a wonderful streak OF extrava-
Dance by getting a hair cut by barber,
but the latter must come to the hotel to
do the job.
He smokes much and drinks sparingly
OF this queer old mans early history
nothing is known, except that some great
sorrow in his early manhood embittered
his wohle life and turned him not only
against the world, but against all man
kind. For the last IS years he has been
employed by Wesley Parker, proprietor
of the Parker house, and during that time
Mr.. Parker has been able to gather, from
hundreds Of brief conversations with
his porter, a somewhat disconnected and
short story of what drove him to hate the
world.
"Old Sam? Why could talk to you for
weeks about his queerness,' said Mr.. Par
ker, for he's the strangest man that ever
walked the earth. From what 1 have been
able to learn from him, he was a bust
ness man in Philadelphia when younger,
and had some trouble with his wife. They
had only been married a year and a half
when this trouble came up. and he imme-
diately left her and their baby, son who
is now grown man.
CLOSING out his business, he forever
left the scene Of his trouble, and began
70, hYrv-1y inns frorr &h IL
have Travelled around the world for sew
erar years before coming to Cleveland. |
but anyhow, he turned up at John Kists |
hotel on River street about thirty years |
ago. He boarded at the hotel for about |
a year, and then began making himself |
useful about the place by doing errands |
and odd jobs. In this way he drifted into |
the Job OF porter at Kist's hotel.
Eighteen years ago bought out Kist. |
and along with the hotel property got |
old Sam. He wanted to retain his posi- |
ton, and 1 was willing that he should. |
When 1 bought out this place. fifteen |
years ago, Sam came here with me. |
reckon he'll stay till he dies.
Hes rich man. How do I know? |
Why, man, I've seen the $4,000 in gov !
eminent bonds that he possesses, and I |
know that he has much other money.
Sam says that his wife and son are |
still living in Philadelphia, and that she |
is a rich woman. Whatever business mat |
tiers he has with the outside world, 1 at
tend to. I'd give most anything to know 1
the full history OF this man. He was rich |
when he came to Cleveland for he has |
not made any money since. 1 only pay |
him SIS month. OF course, having no |
expenses, he saves almost every cent o: |
that.
How do you know he has Travelled ex-
tensively? Well occasionally, when an /
old sailor who has been around the world /
drops in here, and Sam feels like talking, |
he shows a wonderful knowledge of for /
eign lands He admits that he Travelled |
around the world
The old man has a bad temper when /
aroused and has to be handled gingerly, /
even by the men he knows to be his best i
friends. Despite his eccentricities and i
ragged clothing he is proud and indie
pendent.
An illustration Of this was given by \
him some time ago, when a new guest at i
the hotel, who pitied him, because Of his
poor clothing, handed him pair of good,
CASTOR trousers. Here. old man. said
the wouId-be philanthropist. take these
trousers and dress yourself up"
Immediately Sam few into a rage. L
He shouted in ciear-cut language, pune
tuated by explosive adjectives.
What? You take me for an object of