The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-01-16
NEWSROY TO MILLIONAIRE.


NEWSEOI IU MlLLlUNAlhEs
Career of the Owner Of MAGNIFICENT Palace
in Snn Francisco.
A splendid celebration of the silver
wedding of Nh. and Mrs. Charles Crocker
of San Francisco occurred at their pala-
tial residence in that city recently. Mr..
Crocker is one of the millionaires of the
golden State. There we're no less than
500 guests present at tho wedding.
Omitting, as We must, descriptions of
the Crocker palace, the assembled COM
pany, and the wedding scene-only men.
tioning MI. Orocker had thoughtfully
intimated in the invitation that presents
from guests would not be in order-we
copy from the San Francisco Call an in
teresting biographical sketch of the host.
1t shows something of the achievements
of q Troy boy in his successful life work.
His father was proprietor of a large
store in the city of Troy, N. Y, in which
Charles Crocker was born in 1922. Until
he was thirteen years old, young Crocker
had the advantages of such education rs
the common schools at that day afforded.
In that year, however, his father failed
in business so completely that the bare
maintenance of his family became q
matter of great difficulty. and Charles,
the eldest Of six children, had to leave
his schooling and playthings to begin
the struggle of life. He sold newspapers
on the street. After a few weeks had
been devoted to the business, the young
twelve-year old learned that the agent
for the New York Transcript, an oppo-
sition journal which had only been run
ming a short time, would be obliged to
give up the billet, and the lad deter
mined to succeed him if possible. He
went ct once to the head agency IN Al
bany and boldly applied for the place,
much to the amusement and astonish-
ment of the proprietor, who told him
whoever got it would have to pay 5000
cash. Little Crocker, replied that he
had no money and no means of obtaining
any except by selling newspapers, but
promised that if he got the agency he
would not only pay the amount within
six months, but that he would guarantee
to largely increase the sale Of the jour
nal. The chief agent was pleased with
the boys frank and self-reliant manner,
and agreed to give him a trial, taking the
risk Of loss upon his own shoulders.
Young Crocker put his whole strength
and soul into the business, and soon sue
ceeded in running the daily circulation
of the Transcript in Troy up to 500
numbers, and before ak months had
passed up to about 700. Every one OF
these papers he sold and delivered in
person, paying for them sixty-two and a
half cents per hundred and selling them
for one cent apiece. He paid the $500
as agreed, and then contributed to the
family support for v months, paying
all the expenses while his father was alb
sent in the West seeking a home for
those whom his misfortune had rendered
homeless. Notwithstanding all this out
lay, in two years from the time when he
had started as q newsboy young Croker
had managed to save $500, all of which
went into the family funds. His father
had taken up some wild forest land in
northern Indiana, and in 1886 brought
his people to the LOT huti in the wilderness.
Although totally unused to farming
and woodcraft. the father and his young
sters managed, after much hard labor,
to clear away sufficient land for the
nucleus of q farm, and on its opening,
which enlarged year by year, young
Crocker worked for the general. good
until his mother died in in 1889. BE
was then seventeen years Of age, and
hired as q laborer on q neighborlne
farm; but that sort of work dissatisfied
him, so he became a day laborer in q
saw mill. He fell in love with the
daughter of his master, Miss Mary A.
Deming. In the presence of refine.
ment, the poor lad felt his own defcien.
cies, and, throwing up his job, entered
school and remained just three months
ALL the teaching he has had since his
twelfth year. Finding, however, that
coin was more needed than education,
he became an apprentice in a forge
where bloomed iron was made, and soon
ranked with the skilled workmen. In
1916, after having thoroughly mastered
the trade, he, in company with his en-
ployer, built a new forge and ran it until
1850.
Then came the story 30 familiar to
early Californians, wondrous tales of
fortunes made in q single day, OF gigan-
tic nuggets, of wild adventure, of every
thing that could attract q young, a Wig
orous, and ambitious man. Young
Crocker-he was then % years of age
sold out his interest in the forge, bought
two wagons and teams, and started
across the plains in company with five
other Young men, reaching Sacramento
in August, 1850. Crocker at once
started into mining on the Big Canon,
below P~lacerville. he left the pick and
shovel and opened o store in the camp.
Coin poured in SO rapidly that he de.
.termined to seek a still wider field, and
migrated to Sacramento, where he soon
established the most money-making
store in the town. In October, 1852,
having reached his objective point, the
possession of 800, 600, Mr.. Croker left
California on the 10Th for his old house
and the bride who was awaiting him.
On the 9th of November, in the same
wear, he was married at Mishawaka,
Ind, to Miss Mary A. Deming. A few
DAYS after the wedding he received in
telligence that on the % of November
his store in Sacramento had been totally
destroyed by fire, the result being that
he lost $50, 900; his remaining capital
being SIS, 600 and O bare lot. Cutting
short his honeymoon he at once pur-
chased with cash and credit a large stock
of goods, shipped them by sailing yes
sci, and with his young wife, started for
California. Before the goods arrived
he had a building ready for their recep-
ton. In 1861, Mr.. Crocker, who was
already q wealthy man, sold out his
business to become one of the inaugu-
rators of the Central Pacific Railroad
Company. His business career since
that time is known to all Californians, as
is also the fact that his millions are
estimated above the units.
Chief JOseph's Family.
A correspondent Of the st. Louis
Globe Democrat, who has recently WIS.,
tied the Mes Perces, says: Joseph's
squaw and papoose have a buffalo skin
lodge, plentifully furnished with robes,