The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-09-03
William C. RaIston.

the suspended Bank of California, who
committed suicide by drowning, is from
4 San Francisco telegram to the Chica-
go Inter-Ocenn:
Personally Ralston was no less re-
markable a man than his operations
would imply. Each morning at the
bank he received hundreds of visitors
men who had projects to promote, men
who wanted to share in his ventures,
men who wanted his Endorsement of
their schemes, who came to him for adj
wee, to borrow money, to consult about
the politics of California, Oregon, or
Nevada, in all which he took active
part, making and unmaking candidates,
congressman, Governors, and county
ollicials-and to all he gave quick, rap
I'd attention, exhibiting marvellous mas
terry of details; determining with aston
ishing r%apidity, and acting almost as
soon as he had determined. His reiec-
ton of Il project was almost invariably
fatal to it, his Endorsement almost as
invariably seemed to insure its success,
until his mere commentator itself
was taken rs certain augury of profit.
Among his most potent agencies was
the press. As often as a new paper
was started on the Pacific slope the adj
vertising card of the bank was inserted,
and, of course, ut the highest rates,
and kept standing the year through.
He knew how to reach the press of this
coast, too, and has welded it almost
wholly until very recently, when the
ring operating against him secured its
organs and forced the fight on him Wig
orously.
But at the close of business hours his
business for the day was ended. No
matter what great operations We're de-
pending in the balance, on leaving the
bank he gave himself up wholly to the
entertainment of the guests with which
his palatial residence at Belmont was
ever filled. In that oft-described pala-
tial establishment, in the maintenance
of which he is reported to have spent
so 900 per month, there was no car
rying of the shop into the parlOr. He
was Il splendid host, entertaining like Il
prince in most princely fashion. His
table was furnished for forty guests
daily. There were sixty elegantly
titted-up guest chambers in the palace
at Belmont. All the appointments and
surroundings We're on scale of Oriental
magnificencc, and the spacious grounds
lighted with cOlOred lanterns from hum
dreds of gas-jcts at night presented the
appearance of some fairy palace.
Thither he invited every notable who
visited California, and Us well as every
one who had the smallest claim upon
his hospitality. Every thing about the
place at Belmont was princely, and
there, in princely fashion, Ralston en-
tertained all who came with the same
quick tact in matters social that diStin-
guished him in his business operations.
He was 4 man of princely tastes, and
enjoyed to the full princely living. But
there was nonc of the brutal cOarSeneSs
of Il Fisk about him. His residence WAS
4 piece of magnificent display, but
in all about it, though in many
things florid, there was nothing
actually vulgar. He was Il man ofsome
culture, too, and was always vain of
the society of literary folk, and no cor
respondent of a newspaper ever visited
California who was permitted to escape
Ral>ton's Inequalities even if he would.
In 4 business sense, too, this wholesale
entertaining was IN important feature
in Ralston's operations. He took to his
house every capitalist who visited Cali
fornia; every prominent politician
whose influence might be worth having;
every newspaper a whose letters
might affect public opinion, and, with
the innumerable schemes which the
bank had on foot, this vast entertaining
was a vast lobbying continuously kept
up. The sad termination of his career
has arrested all cavil. Tonight we
speak of RalSton, not as a cheat-he
never was so spoken Of--but As a man
of wide sympathies and o~pen-handed
generosity. His thousand unObtrusive
charities, the untold times he has ex-
tended a helping hand to small trades
men and needy adventures, are re-
now. With all his regal
sumptuousness--and he enjoyed 1t. as
never did born king--this king OF Cali