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__NOTOC__ James Buchanan Brady (August 12, 1856 – April 13, 1917), also known as Diamond Jim Brady, was an American businessman, financier, and philanthropist of the Gilded Age. ==Life and career== Born in New York City to a modest household, Brady worked his way up from bellhop and courier. After gaining employment in the New York Central Railroad system, he became the chief assistant to the general manager by the age of 21. At 23, Brady parlayed his knowledge of the rail transport industry and its officials to become a highly successful salesman for Manning, Maxwell and Moore, a railroad supply company. In 1899 he became Sales Agent for the Pressed Steel Car Company. Known for his penchant for jewels, especially diamonds, he collected precious stones and jewelry in excess of US$ 2 million (equivalent to approximately $ in dollars). Brady's enormous appetite was as legendary as his wealth, though modern experts believe it was greatly exaggerated. It was not unusual, according to the legend, for Brady to eat enough food for 10 people at a sitting. George Rector, owner of a favorite restaurant, described Brady as "the best 25 customers I ever had." In the book ''Fenton And Fowler's Best, Worst, and Most Unusual'' (1976), Brady was listed in the chapter "Food" as having the "Best Appetite". For breakfast, he would eat "vast quantities of hominy, eggs, cornbread, muffins, flapjacks, chops, fried potatoes, beefsteak, washing it all down with a gallon of fresh orange juice." A mid-morning snack would consist of "two or three dozen clams or Lynnhaven oysters." Luncheon would consist of "shellfish...two or three deviled crabs, a brace of boiled lobsters, a joint of beef, and an enormous salad." He would also include a dessert of "several pieces of homemade pie" and more orange juice. Brady would take afternoon tea, which consisted of a "another platter of seafood, accompanied by two or three bottles of lemon soda." Dinner was the main meal of the day, taken at Rector's Restaurant. It usually comprised "two or three dozens oysters, six crabs, and two bowls of green turtle soup. Then in sumptuous procession came six or seven lobsters, two canvasback ducks, a double portion of terrapin, sirloin steak, vegetables, and for dessert a platter of French pastries." Brady would even include two pounds of chocolate candy to finish off the meal. "Diamond Jim" is known for his longtime relationship with actress and singer Lillian Russell. It is said that her eating habits were a perfect match for his own.〔 A gregarious man, Brady was a mainstay of Broadway nightlife. He often dined with popular society. After further investments in the stock market, Brady accumulated wealth estimated at $12 million, though not always by ethical means. According to one anecdote: Biographer Harry Paul Jeffers wrote, "On election night (1896), Brady won about $180,000 (equivalent to approximately $ in dollars) by making crooked bets on the William McKinley-William Jennings Bryan presidential election." He also enriched himself to the tune of $1.25 million (equivalent to approximately $ in dollars) through a shady stock deal involving the Reading Railroad. He was known for being the first person in New York City to own an automobile (in 1895). Brady donated a significant sum in 1912 to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, where he had once been treated.〔 The hospital created the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute in his honor. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Diamond Jim Brady」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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