Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-22
An AMERICAN BOY.
Career of Young Raiston, the Suicidal
Son or the California Millionaire.

Young Samuel RIlston, who ended his
life by suicide at Georgetown, Cal n few
days ago. was pretty well known in New
England, especially in Providence, Bos
ton, Taunton, and New Bedford. A
Fall River special says: He came
East soon after TIE suicide of his
father, William G. Ralsion, the mil.
lionaire banker and mine-owner, for the
special purpose of studying mechanical
engineering, and took up his residence
ut Providence, II. l., where he went into
the great Corliss works as student and
workman. With him came Mrs. Ralston
and her two beautiful daughters, and the
family occupied several large suites, in
Guiding more than dozen rooms, in the
Hotel Dorrance. The family lived in
luxury and made quite an impression on
Providence society, which will not soon
be forgotten.
Young Ralston was in many respects a
remarkable man, and exhibited strangely
contradictory elements Of character. BY
day he was a Woodworking mechanic,
with grimy hands and oily blouse and
overalls, tOiling as diligently and as
earnestly as the humblest workman in
the great machine shops. BY night he
WAS the handsome, elogantly-attired,
polished gentleman, the lion at the
balls and in the parors OF the rich and
fashionable. Well educated and brilliant,
he was courted by the ladies. Jovial,
good hearted, and lavish spender of
money, he WAS the leading spirit among
the young men. Modest, unassuming,
and earnest in the pursuit of practical
knowledge Of mechanics, he was liked
by all his fellow-workmen and soon won
the favor of the owners and the foremen
of the great machine works, who gave
him every opportunity of obtaining the
practical knowledge which he was in
search OF, and these favors and bis quick
intelligence enabled him to make rapid
progress.
He appeared to have plenty of money,
and he spent it with lavish hand. He
was not If bad disposition, and as he
was supposed to have millions at his dis
posal his extravagances came to be look
ed upon as an ordinary thing. Although
womens smiles were freely showered
upon him, he distributed his favors i'm.
partially, until he met a charming Chel-
sea girl of whom he became desperately
enamored. On her he spent money Ia
yishly, and she shared the fame of his
luminous career.
All this time he continued bis work in
the machine-shop and it was a matter Of
wonder why one so rich and favored
should devote himself to such work.
70 one of his intimates one night young
Ralston told his reason. Some years
before his death the elder RalstOn had
said that it was the one regret of his life
that he had not mastered mechanical en-
gineering. If he had, he said, he would go
to Siberia and open up mines which
would astonish the civilized world.
This made deep impression on young
Ralston's mind, and after his fathers
death he decided to master mechanical
and then devote his. talents
and his fortune to the development Of
the buried treasures Of Siberia. With
this end in view he came East and en-
tered the great Corliss works. He de-
voted time and money to the prosecution
of his studies. and expended quite for
tune in the development of tools and
especially adapted to mining.
He left the Corliss works with tho
rough and practical knowledge of me-
engineering prepared to enter
upon mining enterprises on scale never
before attempted, and then he went back
to California to put his new machinery
and methods to a practical test In
the mines of the Pacific slope be-
fore going to that Siberian enterprise
which had been his dream for years.
He was successful, but Just then his for
tune succumbed to the heavy drain made
upon it by his costly experiments aud
bis expensive life in the East, and he ran
short of funds. Then he went into the
Street to build up new fortune by
speculation. He succeeded, and in three
years time he had, by lucky speculation
in stocks, again accumulated q fortune.
Then he went to Siberia. But here
the good fortune which had thus far fol-
lowed him departed, and he fell victim
to his own good-fellowship. Instead of
going TO work himself to gain the patron
age of the Russian Government he fell
victim to Russian adventurer of noble
blood who joined him in his enterprise
under the promise that he would OBJ
tain for him Government patronage.
Ralston did obtain special permit
from the Government to inspect the
mines, but he placed such implicit con-
fdence in the promises of the adventurer
that he lost his fortune before accom-
any result, and, after spending
eighteen months in Siberia, he found
himself almost. penniless and unable to
carry out his 'long-cherished schemes.
He returned to this country disheqrtened
and Respondent, and there is no doubt
hat his suicide was caused by broken
lcart. due to the failure OF his life's am
bitiOn.
But little has been generally known of
Ralston's career since he left the East.
From time to time came news of his eX-
1eriments and adventures III California
hen came the news Of his departure for
NuSslh anu Fdgut SlOlICo VI ITO illS III
he city of the Cars which put his Pro-
7idence adventures IN the shade. OF late
7ears his correspondence with old friends
n the East had been irregular and infre-
luent. and to most of those who knew
lin here the story of his suicide was the
irst intimation of his return from Sibe-
ia.
The story OF his life is romance and
tragedy, and the story of the fate OF
he Young men who were his boon com
,aniops during his stay in Providence is
singularly tragic one. All we're Young,
III were rich, and nearly all were con-
lected with leading families of the city.
Nj but two are dead. One was MUIR
Tered in Arizona and another in Mexico
mother fell in O duel in France, and
mother died in Paris hospital. Still
mother, who, through Ralston's inhu-
nee, secured position in the Alaska
cal fisheries, was lost at sea. Now Raj
ION has died by his own hand, and this
caves but two of the party alive. One
# these has suffered the loss of his rea-
on, and is now hopelessly insane In the
butler Asylum at Providence. The other
gas released from the same asylum only
few months ago, and has just fallen
eir to big fortune.
which Was Itc