The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-11-16
A MILLIONAIRE PRINTED
What Might Ordinarily be Considered
a Hobo Asked for Work at News
paper Office and it Later Develo 8
That He May be q Millionaire.

Six weeks ago last Wednesdays man
appearing to be about forty years of
age made his appearance at the Record
Office and asked for work. He had the
distinct look of hard luck in his ap-
pearance in practically every effect.
He was given work and money enough
advanced him to get new clothes, after
which he made a more respectable ap-
pearance. He had been working about
two weeks, when a telegram came to
him stating that his grandfather, Ed
ward B. Wesley, was dead. He bore
the same name, having been named for
his grandfather. 1t later developed
that he had at one time been the prin-
cipal prospective heir to his grand
father, who had adopted him, but that
the old enemy Of mankind, booze,
had caused him to be cast of and for
! many years he had roamed the coun-
try over as a hobo" printer, making
enough at each place Of employment ID
buy the fluid necessary D satisfy his
craving.
After the death of h grandfather
kilograms and letters from lawyers
came for him galore and last Monday
night a ticket was sent him by a Jaw
yer who has taken a case for him and
his brother to break the dead mans
will, which cut them off entirely. The
writer saw the letters. but was put
under promise not to divulge any of
the contents that might be of possible
injury to the claimant. However, one
Of them contained a statement from
one of the most noted lawyers in New
York that he thought it almost certain
that the claimant could secure at least
81, 000, 900 as his part of the estate. We
clip the following from the New York
Herald of October 4th in reference 10
the dead man:
Edward B. Wesley in his ~ninety-dftn
year and long known as the grand Old
man Of Wall street., died yesterday of
rheumatism and old age, at his home il
Port Chester. For nearly half a cen
fury Mr.. Wesley had been prominent IN
the financial world, and he reckoneL
among his associates William B. Astor,
James Speyer, James T. Woodward,
Robert w. Goelet, w. Amlen Roosevelt,
William A. Duer, Charles Leland,
Amasa J. Parker with many Others
ne UCSdu HIS Career III w Ill 81
twenty-five years before Russell Sage
who died a few weeks ago, and, almos:
always hale and hearty, he often pro
phesied that he would pass the cen
fury mark.
Mr.. Wesley, for many years recKDnet
as one of the powers of Wall street
conducted his business from a com
mission office at No. 7. There be5iit
the ticker he felt the pulse Of the mar.
ket and issued his orders to buy OF
sell. He often told his friends with {
degree of pleasure that he was a spec
ulator pure and simple, and his re
markable foresight into the value o
many securities as they were offered OF
the market afforded him ample reward
His estate is reputed to be valued Il
several millions of dollars and hi:
home at Port Chester is n Of the fin
est in that wealthy suburb.
Mr.. Wesley was one of the incorpor
, ators of the Union Trust Company a n
in 1901 was rendered a dinner by tn
officers Of that institution. He wa
born at Lester, Worcester county
Mass, and when he was nine year
old started out to earn his living work
ing with a nearby blacksmith as al
apprentice until he had saved up NV
dollars with which to come to Ne'
!. York. The speculative instinct wa
y strong with him from the start and h
often related his first business ventur
a lottery which netted him a doilal
After coming to this city he worked 10
; awhile in a liquor store, which wa
distasteful to him. One day he sOugh
;. employment on a river steamboat an
!" worked his way to Albany. Later h
became q clerk in the steamboat CON
pany's office.
. Mr.. Wesley's fortune is supposed t
- be largely invested in gilt edge secur
ties and he is one Of the largest stocl
holders Of the Chemical National ban
:, Rocky Mount Record