The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-06-30

From the New York sun.
THE AMERICAN ALADDIN.
Thc Assenishing History Of n Grecse
Coansy New Yorker.
Henry Meiggs, row the master
spirit Of South America, and prospect
lively the richest man on The globe,
was born in the town Of Catskill
Greene county i'm this State, I'm the
year 1911, as near as we can get at it,
and Is therefore about sixty years old
although gentlemen who have seen
him within a few months say that
| this remarkable man does not look q
year over forty-five.
OF Mr.. Meiggs's early life little is
known. He was first taken note of in
Boston many years ago, as a lumber
man and layer of gas and water
pipes, and mighty in handling heavy
hings generally. From Boston he
came to New York. Eere he went
into the lumber business, and strik-
ing
RICH VEIN
of oak and pine, he wrought therefrom
plenteous ingots of gold aud copious
shekels of silver. He was native to
the lumber trade and welded the pro-
ducts of the forest in such vast masses
and with such thrifty tact, that sue
cess 1nvariapiy crowned his gigantic
operations But in the great finan-
cial crash of 1887 he went under with
all the rest. He did not stay under
long, however, but soon emerged from
the flood of ruin which had swept over
the country, and went at work with
his usual energy and skill to rehabili-
tate his fortunes. He made money
rapidly. but spent it so lavishly, and
helped his unfortunate friends SO gen.
erously, that his means were Kept
rather cramped. He was fond of mus
ic, and spent large sums to promote
its culture and to build up substan-
tal Musical society. He founded the
American Musical Institute in this
city, which had a brilliant success so
long as Mr.. Meiggs remained here to
superintend it. His popularity was
so great among all classes of people
that he could even harmonize musi-
clans, and was successful in his effects
to lead those usually
DISCORDANT BRETHREN
to dwell together in unity. He also
originated the institution known as
Tartersall's in Broadway. During
this time he resided in WILLIAMSBURG
and was an Alderman of that suburb,
which had not then been swallowed |
up by Brooklyn.
When news came of the discovery |
of gold in California, Mr.. Meiggs de- |
terUined to try his fortunes in that
then almost unknown land. Load.
ing the ship Mantle with lumber, and |
taking his brother john G. Meiggs |
with him, he set sail for San Francis !
co. He arrived safe at his destina-
ton in July, 1919 and sold his lumber
at twenty times the cost, making
$4,000 clear profit on the venture. |
This gave him capital sufficient to
launch out in enterprises commensu-
rate with his genius: but restraining
bis speculative impulses, he went into
the lumber yard of D. l.. Ross as
salesman and general superintendent,
where he remained until he got the
lay of the land, and was able.to judge
what shape things were likely to take
in that strange country. FOreseeing
the future greatness of San FranciscOsI
and the inevitable demand for lumber
he measured his plans and struck out
heavily for a graud success. Hiring
five hundred men, he sent them to the
densely timbered lands of Contra
Costa county, to fell the choicest trees
in that forest. The trees were cut up
into saw logs, hauled to the edge of
the bay of San Francisco, there formed
into huge RATS and floated to wharf
which Meiggs had built, and on which
he had erected a small steam saw
mill. The enterprise was completely
successful and it is estimated that
Meiggs made over S400. 900 in gold by
that one operation.
WILD SPECULATIONS.
Thenceforth, Henry Meiggs was the
man in the California Lumber
Company, of which he was President
chief owner, and sole manager. That
Company expanded into gigantic
and became possessed Of
wharves, forests, sawmills, ships, and
other property, amounting in the ag-
gregate to millions of dollars. No
body ever knew just what its posses
sessions really were. Meiggs was first
favorite with all classes, from million
aires to washerwomen. He was Sc 4
lected Alderman of San Francisco in
1850, and was reelected annually un-
til his sudden disappearance from that
region, hereinafter to be set forth. He
had three grand manias-iand, lumber
and music. He built Musical Hall,
in San Francisco, that lavished thou
sands on musical art. He bought
lands in all parts of the State. He
built a wharf on North Beach in San
in the year 1858, which is
known as Meiggs's wharf to this day.
On all the Pacific coast there was no
other man so beloved and so trusted
as Henry Meiggs. But when the
great financial pressure of 1854 seized
California by the vitals, and business
was paralyzed, and lumber was drug
and money was not to be had, and
notes and other obligations had to be
paid, and workmen clamored for their
dues and for bread, Mr.. Meiggs sud-
denly found himself among the break
ers on ice shore. Bankruptcy came
upon him like an armed man. He
fought desperately against the coming
calamity, but he fought liz vain. Had
he sought only to save himself, he
might have come out of the contest
victorious; but with the il-judged
though attractive generosity which is
q pervading element of his character
he attempted to save all his friends.
That task was too great event for his
energy and genius, and he was finally !
dragged down into the SerbOnian bog
of
BoTTOMLESS RUIN.
:, In the frenzy of those desperate days |
Mr.. Meiggs permitted himself to per-
petrate acts the memory of which will |
doubtless embitter his last conscious !
hour on earth. He issued about $780,
600 in forged notes on the house of
VIM. Neely, Thompson & Co., and
when this security became dull of ne
gotiation he came upon the market |
with forged City Controllers war
rants These being standard securi-
ty, he had little difficulty in bypothe-
eating them for large sums and soon
had half million dollars pledged.
How long he would have continued
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