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N
 L
.
In the year 1782 there was born a child of parents who had once been
somewhat wealthy, but who were then living in poverty at Newark, New
Jersey. This child was Nicholas Longworth, the father of grape culture in
the United States.
He attempted to learn various trades, at one time being bound to a
shoemaker, but finally settled upon the law and began its study, as his
circumstances would allow, in his native city. Young Longworth saw that he
would have far more chance to rise in the new country west of the
Alleghanies than in the over-crowded East. Therefore, when he was of age
he emigrated "out west," stopping at the outskirts of civilization, locating in
a small place of 1000 inhabitants called Cincinnati. Here he entered the law
office of Judge Burnett, and soon was capable of passing the necessary
examination, and was admitted to the bar. His first case was in defense of a
certain man who had been arrested for horse-stealing, a very grave offense
in that wilderness. This man had no money and about all he possessed in the
world that he could call his own was two copper stills. As much as young
Longworth needed money he was obliged to accept these as his fee for
clearing the man. He tried to turn the stills into money but finally traded
them for thirty-three acres of land, which was a barren waste. He had kept
his eyes open and felt sure that the possibilities for Cincinnati were very
great. He therefore bought land at ten dollars per lot, as fast as his means
would allow, and all through the early portion of his life bought real estate
until he became recognized as the heaviest real estate owner in Cincinnati.
Years afterward he saw the wisdom of his course,—living to see his ten
dollar lots rise to ten thousand dollars each, and the land which he received
as his first fee, that was thought to be all but worthless, rise to the value of
two million dollars. After following the law for about twenty years he was
forced to give up his practice in order to take care of his extensive land
interest. He went into the grape growing business, and for some time his

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efforts were attended with only discouragement, but he had relied on the
clippings from foreign vines. He firmly believed that the Ohio valley was
naturally adapted to the growth of the grape, and in this enterprise he
allowed himself to harbor no thoughts other than of success.
This is a characteristic of any man calculated to succeed. After
experimenting with many different varieties, he at last hit upon the
Catawba. To encourage the industry he laid out a very large vineyard, gave
away great numbers of cuttings, offered a prize for any improvement in the
Catawba grape, and proclaimed that he would buy all the wine that could be
brought to him from the valley, whether in large or small quantities. The
result was that grape growing figured as no small factor in the development
of Ohio. He had a wine cellar capable of holding 300,000 bottles, and was
worth at his death $15,000,000.
Nicholas Longworth was exceedingly liberal in his own way—selling his
lots on easy installments, thereby aiding many to a home. His motto was,
"Help those who help themselves," however, he gave much to those whom
no one else would aid. He was personally of inferior appearance; not only
this, but nothing pleased him more than a shabby dress, being often
mistaken for a beggar. As a benefactor and horticulturist he made his
influence to be felt in succeeding generations.

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