The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-22

wages, meager as they were, meant
plenty for him. After a time, though,
he became infused with the universal
desire to better himself. From ac-
quaintances of whom he made inquiries
he learned that the best thing to do
woud be to go West" and he started
at once.
He didn't ask how far west" 1t was
necessary to go in order to find the
fortune for which he longed. and he
started by way of Jersey City ferry,
intending to continue his journey to-
ward the setting sun on foot after
landing on the Hudsons west shore.
At Orange, which Is about twelve
miles from the river, he was accosted
by a gentleman who wanted a stable
boy. The wages offered were better
than Nevins had earned in New York,
and he took the job. That was prac-
tically as far west as he got till after
he had won a large portion of the for
tune which he sought.
He won this fortune by building Tel
ford roads in Orange and it's vicinity.
Whenever he would get contract to
build a stretch of road he would buy
a portion of the property. abutting on
it, offering prices which seemed high
to the owners, but which really were
low in view of the projected road Inn
provements.
Thomas Nevins had faith in the
great value of good roads as prop
erty enhancers," to coin a phrase,
which his neighbors did not, and the
result was that in a surprisingly short
time he was we'll ahead of the finan-
cial game, while they were still plod-
ding along. Almost before they knew
it he was millionaire.
Long before his death, which occur
red only two or three years ago. he
was one of the richest men in New
Jersey, and had entered the field OF
finance In New York. Nor did his in
vestments stop on this side of the
ocean. He went back to Ireland and
there bought extensively. his purchas-
es including Killeen Castle, on the es-
tate of which he was born: Mount
Shannon Castle, the estate of Lord
Clare, and various electric roads in
England. He also went in for develop
ing natural gas somewhere in the Brit
ish Isles, while his investments In
America were extensive and Of sur
prising variety
His was one of the most remark
able cases of rise to vast wealth from
literally nothing, of which there is any
record.
More than. that. the young Nevinses,
of whom there are several. have got
we'll up in society, and though father
and mother Nevins never made any
attempts that way, they had the pleas
ure of seeing their sons and daughters
among the gayest of the gay within
the charmed circle.
The young man who is now to the
front in the trolley consolidation
scheme early displayed most re-
markable aptitude for business and af-
fairs, and, besides the money which his
father left him, has won a very big
fortune of his own.
The large place which James r.
Keene is occupying in the newspapers
as winner in divers recent railroad
fights and thereby largely increasing
his already big fortune, brings to mind
wildly the remarkable ups and downs
which have been features of his ca
reer.
1t was in 1884, just nineteen years
ago come next May day, that he gave
up the fight for the time, and as even
his friends feared. for good. He had
come here from San Francisco only O.
few years earlier and had jumped into
Wall street with both feet. He was
far more picturesque figure then than
now. He affected a long white over
coat which made him a marked man
wherever he went. One of his boasts,
on arrival. was, that he had come
| largely for the purpose of doing up
Jay Gould, who was then much big
| ger figure 'in the street. and In the
railroad world than any of his sons
ever will be.
What Is more, Keene made his boasts
good. At first Gould laughed and paid
little heed to the Westerner. This
soon gave way to alarm, and, in the
struggle of Wall street giants which
followed, Gould got decidedly the worst
of it, while Keene advanced by leaps
and bounds.
Later 1t came Gould's turn, and late
in 1893 he began to put the screws on
to Keene as only Gould could. When
the latter finally threw up his hands,
II was stated, and not denied, that his
total losings were $4,000,000 That would
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