The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-11-21
The Dead Millionaire.
WILLIAM SHARON,
wealthy Californian, Ex-senator Of
the United STATES. and Hero OF n
Great scandal, November rs, 1883.

William Sharon, one of the cele-
brated California niilionaires, now
lies dead at the Palace hotsl, San
Francisco. Before his death he had
placed deed on record disposing OF
his property, which amounts, it is
said, to thirty million dollars. lie
went ont of the world before the final
settlement of the Hill litigation. Re-
garding this, which had given his
name an unsavOry prominence, he
had earnestly declared, in the pres
encc of witnesses convened to hear
his dying declaration, that he had
been the victim of conspiracy and
that the marriage contract between
him and her, produced by -arah
Althea Hill in court, was IA forgery
Mr.. Sharon enjoined strenuous res!s.
lance to Sarah Althea's demands to
be regarded as his wife AS the
result of the first trial the
Judge declared that this wo-
man had been legally married tn
Mr.. Sharon by contract which had
been signed by both five years before
He granted her divorce aud divi.
sion of the senator's property. Liti-
gait II In the case is being continued
and it is, of course, possible that Shar.
on's account of his relations with the
woman who claims to have been his
wife, will be supported by the fiual
decision of the law
| William Sharon was born at Smith.
field, o., January 9, 1921. His father
was farmer. In 1872 he entered
| Athens college, where he was dill.
gent student. Three years after he
was admitted to the bar, in the city oil
St. Louis. His health being bad he
was soon compelled to abandon the
practice of his profession, and he OPP.
ened store at CarrOllton, Ill. In
1919 he sold up and made his way Ia
California. Reaching Sacramento
he opened a store, tine profits Of
which not proving satisfactory, he re
moved to san Francisco, where he
conducted real estate office for four
teen years. Then William q. Ralston
who was at the time manager of thu
Bank of San Francisco, and making
money rapidly by advancing cash OF
loans on mining stocks, engaged him
as his representative at the mines. an
/ opportunity soon came for Sharon u
speculate. Having control of a large
sum of money belonging to the Bank
| of San Francisco, he invested Ii In
| the Crown Point aud Belcher mines
and during the first half of 1871
cleared fifteen million dollars in hard
cash. In 1873 he built the Palace
| hotel, San Francisco, one of the finest
places of entertainment In the world
which he has himself managed during
the past seven or eight years. Mr.
Sharon was elected to the United
States senate, from the state of Ne.
vada, in 1875, the same year in which
he saved the Bank of California by
the employment of sixteen million
dollars for the purpose. lie served
one full term of six years as a republi.
can. Belmont, Mr.. Sharon's elegant
country seat, was bought by him in
1877. In October, 1879, he entertain.
ed General Grant at this beautiful
spot, in a style surprising In its mag
niilcencn anything before seen In this
country.
The lady who was unqueslionably
Mr. Sharon's wife, died several years
ago, leaving one son and one daugh
ter. AS the wife of Sir Thomas
Ieskeih the latter is wcll-known In
English society" Frederick Sharon,
the son, married daughter of Lloyd
Tesis, one OF the pioneere in the ex-
press business on the California slope.
William II. Sharon was very
lucky man, but his SUCCESS depended
to very great extent upon his ex-
IRENE care in making investments,
large or small. The people OF this
city and county should profit by his
experience and always buy their
drugs aud medicines at Castles Il
MOrrisOn's old corner drug store,
where they get the best of everything
for the least money.