Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-10-24
CLEARFIELD, Pa. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER "a, 1877.

their interests are pretty certain {
: clash. The executors are his sons Il
= H. and Minor X. Meiggs, j. Backu
his nephew, and Alexander Robertson
! a merchant Of Lima, married to Meigg,
daughter; William IL. Cilley, the su
pcrintendent Of all of Mciggs' railroa,
and mining enterprises Charles Rand
an old attache and friend of Meiggs
and Charles Watson, who lately mar
ried Meiggs' niece. At the time o
Meiggs' death Watson held his powel
Of attorney, and was his office and Fl
nancial manager but il is we'll knowr
that his views are not in harmony with
those of the other executors.
No one ever knew Just how much
Meiggs was worth. His income was
supposed to be exceedingly large. He
was called Monte Christie all along the
western cost OF South America. lie
had a large amount of. real estate
which was bought for the purpose ol
turning it into villa residences in the
vicinity of Callao and Lima. At the
time of his death this property had
ceased to be Of much practical value.
He also had boulevard property, on
which he spent good deal of mon
ey. His immense sugar estates were
disposed OF some timo before his death.
1t is expected that his fortune will
turn out to be gigantic wreck, from
which but little can be saved.
Mr.. Meiggs was a man of imposing
appearance He was about five feet
ten inches in height, broad-shouldered,
muscular, weighed about 225 pounds
and had the biggest fists and largest
head in South America. His eys were
grey, deep set, piercing, and kindly in
expression. He had square jaw and
chin, a big nose, q large mouth, and
firm closed lips. His countenance bore
the impress Of power He would have
been singled out in any company as a
superior man. lie was great mathe.
matician and so remarkably quick at
figures that the Chllians and Peru
vians are fond OF telling stories about
his wonderful arithmetical perfor-
mances.
Mr.. Meiggs longed to return to the
United States, but could never get all
OF his forged papers retired, so as to Sc
cure him against prosecution. He paid
all the poor people in San Francisco
who had claims upon him, and large
sums to Others. After many years the
Legislature of California, under the
pressue of influences which Meiggs
knew so well how to bring to bear,
passed special act relieving him from
the penal consequences Of his crimes.
But when he was thus free to return
to the United States he did not avail
himself oil the privilege, for his fortunes
had begun to wanc, and without the
prestige of great success and vast
wealth, he could not face the odum
which he believed his presence among
those whom he had wronged would |
evoke. He has always had friends in
California among those who were
young or poor at the time of his fight.
These friends have always taken plea
sure in telling how for two days before
he disappeared be went about town
paying up his bills to tradespeople and
how, having 81, 200 in his
hands belonging to young man in
the office of Page, Bacon & Co., who
had a widowed mother dependent up
on him, he paid that young man the
day before he lett and how a sum of
money from Meiggs was handed to a
firm in Montgomery street a few days
after his departure, with request that
i should be applied to the payment of
4 number Of small debts to parties
whom be had not been able to see per-
sonally. Such "reminiscences, as is too
Diten the case, overbcar in the popular
mind the memory of the criminal
acts which compelled Mr.. Meiggs to
lee from California and TO live and die
IN exile from his native land,-N y.
Suu