Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-01-16
THE SUGAR KING.
How Claus Spreckels Became II Million
aire.

aire.
[Sau Francisco Lottcrto st. Louis Globe Dem
Ucrut.l
Claus Spreckles, commonly known IL
the sugar King of the Sandwich Is
lands WicldS Il power more aUtOCratic,
if not greater, than that of any other
monopolstn the world. He is something
more than a Warwick, beeallSe he has NOT
remained content with making the King,
but has guided all his movements like Il
puppet, so that he is actually the ruler of
the pigmy realm and it,, financial ministry
His dream is to exercise equal sway on
this coast Spreckels is IL South German,
born in Hanover, a man of small educa-
ton. who came to this country about 1890
and started i'll the retail grocery business
in Church street, New York. He made
the impression on those who knew him
there as man Of great business shreWd-
ness and of the thrift which is proverhial
with his race, He came out to California
soon after the gold fever broke ont, and
at once engaged i'll the grocery business in
this city, pretcrring II to the hazards and
hardshipS of mining. Everything which
he touched seemed 10 turn to gold. He
made large profits in his business. Com
binmg with several of his brothers who
had come out to the coast he bought II
quar-, er interest in the Albany brewery III
this city for 10000 This was the founda-
ton of his present large fortune and com
mercial Importance. After running the
brewery a few years his keen business i'll
stinctS saw in sugar refining Il far more
profitable field Of enterprise. The story
of his conquest of the Sandwich Islands
in Il nutshell is that he took advantage Of
the ignorance of a king who wanted mon
ely and that he works his coolies to death.
OF Spreckels wealth it is impossible to
form any accurate estimate, because much
of his property is mortgaged, and 1t is I'M
derstoOd the greater part of his fortune is
embarked i'll the sugar business, which is
apt to depreciate. He makes daily, the
year round, however, 600 barrels of sugar,
containing 215 pounds of sugar each,
worth an average of $50 barrel. This
makes Il business OF $4,000 Il day or 80,
57O,OOO Il year. He makes clear profit of
SO Il barrel, or $1,000 Il day. He controls
the entire sugar trade of the coast, which
represents SlOOOO,OOO a year Down al
Honolulu he puts on more the airs of an
autocrat, and his course there lately has
put him into disfavur with both the ma
tive and foreign population. Last Janu-
AIRY he loaned The King so, 100000. Among
his employees SprcCkelS l. probably more
popular than any other millionaire on the
coast, because he has always treated his
people well,
He is of medium height, compactly
built and dresses neatly. He has the face
of typical German, with the high check
bones, fair skin, and blue eyes of the Faith
erland. His round head is covered with II
thick growth of hair rapidly changing
from gray to white. This is the only ndi-
cation of his years. He has the alert look
and movement of a man of thirty, and in
his steely-blue eyes is a look which goes
far to reveal his character. He married
years ago, when he was poor man, Il
comely German girl, who was then EN-
ployed as domestic in the family of a
large Eastern sugar reflner, and she has
proved "A good wife and mother. They
have four sons and one daughter. The
father and the three elder sons, among
whom is AdOlph, who shot De Young, are
members of the Pacific Club, in this city,
where the sons are general favOrites. They
are all fine-looking men, of polished adj