Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-05-15
A CELEBRATED oAsE

ACELEBRATBD oAsE
The Intensely Interesting story oil
penn.ylyauia Baokw oodsman's Pursuit,
Accumulation. and Loss OF o Colossal
Fortune,
PrrrsBuRaH, May li.-For nix years
mas, the case of Carrier and Baum has
becn among the most frequent to appear
in the bankruptcy branch OF the United
States District and Circuit courts. IN
some respects it IL absolutely without
precedent in bankruptcy proceedings III
this country aud it has every prospect
al becoming ono ot the most celebrateu
causes of this era. II has story which
reads like "A romance. and Its interest
cannot be buried under any amount oi
legal mustiness. A procoedlng III he
court Yesterday furnishes an opportunity
10 sketch the history Oi this remarkaOie
action. During the day in the United
States Circuit Court the case oi the FIRST
National BANK Oi Connellsyllle ys. the
Somerset and Cambria Railroad Com
pany and Christian Long, an action IN
reuleyin To recover locomotive, came
M for trial. Andrew +. Baum, oi Gar
majority OF the stock in this railroad,
and II was an incidental remark to THIS
effect which led the reporter tn gather
up the facts which are herewith SUB
ioined John Carrier the other memher
Of the tirm, has little Ia do with THIS
story. Ii IL alone the part which An
drew +. Baum plays in Il which makes
il teIesting.
The jay Gould ofthe West.
Andrew 4. Baum did not commence
life with an inherited wealth. In iact,
he had nothing but shrewdness, energy
and tact as capital upon which i0 START
lie commenced his career IN the lumber
regions oi Cleariield and Jefferson coun-
ties. From an employe he had soon ac'
cumulated enough money To commence
business as an employer on a small
sale. He was and is possessed oil reg
Inarkal,Ie shrewdness. In those days
many persons looked upon timber as
common property, and considered II
little or no sin. let alone legal crime, To
appropriate another mans timber with.
out m much M saying "by your leave.
MT Baum frequently tells about cpl
sOdes IN his life IN which such an appr0-
priatlon OF timber formed the base.
Quick to see advantages, aud to pos
sess himself Of them, MIR. Baums
wealth rapidly increased, until he he
came u very extensive owner OF timber
lands. One OF his transactions
which brought him quick return aud a
large proft-S43, 900 in one day-was
this. lie had learned that the Govern
menl desired 10 purchase certain timber
hand in Jefferson county, and deemed u
advisable 10 buy tho land himself to sell
10 the Government One or two other
parties we're after It also, but the owner,
who VAS not IN the secret, but wanted
~ much money ~ he could get Tor hls
property, did not close the bargain with
either. In the meantime MIR. Baum got
married aud started on wedding tour
west, passing through Pittsburgh on the
way. lie had not gone far from Pitts
bury, when at n Way station he received
a telegram fTOgI one OF his agents IN
Pitt ,burg, stating that the Government
agents were in the city at the Mononga'
hela House Mr. baum got Oh the
train, leaving his wife, and returned to
the city. lie telegraphed To the owners
Ot the land that he accepted their terms,
aud they came to the city and the con
tract Was completed. The very same
day Mr.. Baum went IL the MOnongahe
la House, sold the land Ia the Govern
ment agents, and male a clear profit ot
SiiWn.
The Master Of Eight Millions
II Was after this that Mr.. Baum came
to Pittsburgh aud entered into a copart-
nership with John Carrier, in the ium'
Der business. Their transactions were
on an Immense scale, aud to use the
common expression, they fairly coined
money" but the energetic nature OF
MIR Baum was such that he could not
COntine himself Ia the Operations oi
one firm or business. lie formed q
partnership with John Wilson in the
lumlitT business, invested money IN
other enterprises, aud at one time there
was scarcely speculative movement ~
Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio,
and in fact even in far Western States
With which his name WAS not connected.
lie became the owner OF immense tracts
OF timber lands in Michigan and Ohio,
Owned large portions OF Cleartield aud
Jefferson counties, Pa, had, as Register
Harper remarked yesterday, fabu.
lous wealth ot land ia Kentucky,
and Owned large aud valuable oproI
critics IN other States 20 great, indeed,
xeIe hIs possessions .Ai hT. baum
claims, aud IL is probably true, that al
the time OF the hankrupt proceedings
be was worth Ss,5OO,QO1. Mr.. Baum
himself, to-day, does not know where
all hts property Was located, having act
ually forgotten soIue OF his OSn. transac-
uons
But having such vast transactions IN.
dependent al those Connected with the
tirm OF Carrier \ Baum. Mr.. BAum, in
1873, became Dissatisfied With uhal part
| nership, and prooeeded 10 take sieI's 10
have il dissolved. In order 10 do this,
he, aocordiRs 10 hls Ovn sdmlssIoas and
from the testimony given htiore the
Register in Bankruptcy, did not adopt
| the most scrupu.ous means Tie want
ted to get Mr.. Carrier out, but he also
wanted To obtain possession OF his por'
ton al the property, In order to do
this. he says, be gave John Heath
With whom A. with many Others he
hAi business Transactions - several
notes signed by the firm OF Carrier 4
Baun, which Heath vas 10 gtt dis
counted, give the proceeds ts him
I (Bauml and then upon the maturity OF
| the potes Heath OF the bank xas 10 pe-
iiiion for the adiadieAtioa in bankruptcy
OF the frn.
In tss Folls of shs Lswysrs