Elizabeth City Boy Only Traveled in the Millionaire Class for a Year or so, But He Flew High While His Wings Held Out
C.W. Harrison of Elizabeth City has had more real ups and downs than are the lot of average mortals. Every now and then Elizabeth City gets strange tales of Charlie Harrison making a fortune overnight at this thing or that. As often comes the news that his fortune has gone. But he always comes back. Just now he seems to be down again, but he will not stay down long. Those who know him will not be surprised to see his sailing into Elizabeth City some fine day in a family-size air plane and spending money like the millionaire he likes to be. The story of Charlie Harrison’s latest failure is entertainly told in the New York Times, issue of Dec. 18, 1919. The Times says:
The rise and fall of Charles W. Harrison, head of Harrison & co., shipping merchants of 120 Broadway, who made a fortune during the first years of the war and lived on a scale according to his income, were revealed yesterday when letters from Harrison, now in Baltimore, admitting that he cannot pay judgments, were put on file in the Supreme Court in one action against him and in another against his wife, Mrs. Lina Pearl Harrison.
Sheriff Knott sent a deputy to seize more than $10,000 worth of house furnishings at 310 West Eighty-sixth St. When he arrived he was notified that Mrs. Harrison, who is a member of the Automobile Club of America, had sublet her home to Mrs. Harry Strauss, and had removed part of her effects to another home at 3 W. Fiftieth Street. At this address the Sheriff learned the goods had been sent to a storage warehouse at 540 West Thirty-eighth St. The Sheriff, who under a writ of seizure granted by Justice Newburger, served a copy in the warehouse owners, which will tie up all the articles here.
The writ of seizure was granted in a suit by George T. Williams of 905 West End Avenue to foreclose on a chattel mortgage given by Mrs. Harrison on her house furnishings as security for the payment of two notes for $7250 given Jan. 2 for loans and payable Jan. 24. The notes were not paid, and when Mrs. Harrison sublet her home and disappeared from sight of her creditors, Mr. Williams decided to foreclose. Mrs. Harrison is said to be in Baltimore with her husband.
The fact that Mr. Harrison was not worried by judgments against him was revealed in a suit by Arnold, Constable & Co. to recover $4,312 for furnishings bought in the Summer of 1918, the most valuable of which was a Kermanshah rug for $2,500. Thomas F. Higgins, credit man, said the goods were bought by Mrs. Harrison but sold on the credit of herself and husband. For this reason a judgment by default was entered against both.
Mr. Higgins testified that Mr. Harrison wrote from Baltimore in June, admitting many promises to pay, but saying these promises were made on prospects that “looked sure at the time but failed to materialize.” He said he “wouldn’t be offended,” if the claim were turned into a judgment, because he couldn’t pay until he had earned the money.
When Mr. Harrison was making a fortune shipping in 1917, he was described as the head of an organization that “ranked among the leaders in the shipping world.” His associates called him Captain Harrison because he was the master of his own ship. He is a native of Elizabeth City, N.C., where he was a ship builder, but came here from Portland, Ore., in 1915 to open a branch of a shipping agency he had conducted there.
He said he personally had done more than $2,000,000 of business for the Alaska Steamship Company in addition to other agencies he had handled. He was President of the Alpha Steamship Company and the Virginia-Carolina Navigation Company. His wife, whom he married in 1902, was Miss Holland of Pocomoke City, Md.
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