New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-01
ADVENTUROUS AMERICANS.
SINGULAR CAREERS OF TX-pREMlERi;IB ON
AND "SAM" BRANNAN.

SINGULAR CAREERS OF TX-pREMtER ilD ON
AND "SAM" BRANNAN.
THE ROMANTIC LIFE OF MING KAIax,rAs LATE Al
vIsER-BrAHHAH Tnr RICHEST MAN IN GILL
roRNIA FOR n YEARs-BoTn Eiss TO FORT
UNE AZ APOSTLES oP THE IoAhoX CnuncH-A
STORY WHICH DISCOUNTS ROMANCE.
fyRox AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or TIE TRIBUNE
SAN FRAScIsco, Dec s.-Two men recsn,iy ariifci In
this city-brokcn In health and 81 altered In fortune
whose worthy Of brief description because
they rival any creation OF the novests Imagination
They represent types Of the adventurous American
one given up to ambitious schemes of conquest AMI
dominion among halfcivzed races In The sorth scns
the other devoted the material development OF the
young State OF California when fortunes were won ana
lost in few months. These two men are eN-fremcr
Walter NJ Gibson, Of the Hawaiian Islands, ana sahuc
Brannan, the richest and tue most inhuentia
citizen of California.
What links together still further Is mat
both received the impulse that led to fortune from the
Mormon Church. aud both apostacixcI soon as they
found Brigham Young's domination rksome. Both are
now here their old age suffering from incuraoie m'
dies and both to be almost forgotten Dy Tue ne"
generation to whom they little more u an mere
names Gibson escaped TO this city after running great
danger OF ynching at the hands of the exasperatcd
white residents OF Honolulu. during the recent revolt
against Kalakaua There Is no question that no man
aged tidy fortune ont OF his ten years dc'a'or
ship of the islands Is In ST. Marys Hospital In
this CITY, receiving treatment for chronic bronchitis
Brannan, who is not over sixty ia mere wreck OF LIS
once magnificent manhood having suffered bad attack
OF paralysis whe living In Mexico He is Twins IN
wretched cheap lodging house. within stones throw OF
several large business blocks which he built In his pamy
days His to the city that he once dominated was
unheralded and Of the OF men whom ne aded 10
make fortunes not remembered him in the daysot
his affection. He still owns an immense grant OF land In
far sl,a India
him from realizing the ambitious colony schemes that
hts fertile brain has projected
PRIyArEFRIEG FIASCO.
Gibson belongs to Of the best South Carolina Fam
lies and like most young of his class no received
thorough education. which with his naturally gehte
manly address has stood him good stead Before lie
reached his majority his ambition was too great 10 DO
confined in Charleston lie had had some experience at
sea- and obtained through his relatives command oil
barkentine which between Charleston ana SHANGHAI
Gibson conceived the bold Of fitting her out as
prvatcer and of attempting the conquest or java theh
In state almost open revolt against the Dutch DO
he armed the barkentne secretly and gathered from the
waterfront of Charleston choice collection OF adven
turers and cu;throats walked pirates decks
The vessel reached the Straits OF Sunda early in 1918
Gbsons pan which he hal only conicd tn his trusted
Ieutenauts was TO gather a force of the disaf!ected
Maays fall upon massacre tho Dutch garrisons ana
then take possession of and rule the country. The
hope of freedom from the Dctch, whom they hated
while Gibson would placed in position to become
the virtual ruler of rich country. The scheme was a
cood one but some one BETRAYED him before bis in
trigues were fairly begun He was seized anu the
proofs of his treachery were found upon HIM Inc
Dutch woull have promptly hanged him had he not
fallen back his American citizenship and threatened
them with fearful rcprsas He succeeded in his game
OF bluff and was allowed to 90 free under the promise
that he would never set foot again In Java
After Gibsou's adventures in Java he spent a few
England casting about for the means 10 return
10 America. As fortune wied 1t he spent most OF his
time In Liverpool and 1t was from our then Consul al
that port-Nathaniel HawhOrne-that he obtained the
coin pay his pa sage money on one OF the inc OF
steamers that crossed the Atlantic. Hawthorne IN his
Consular Experiences the Introductory chapter 10
Our OLD Home has given humorous ana very feai
able sketch OF entertainment which he derived from
Gibson's conversation although he charitably sup
presses the name his entertainer or him he says:
Like many men cast, he had quiet
a department and such apparent discnnation 10
general sociability that you would have fanced hin
moving always along some peaceful anu secuaed walk
of life When his dignlted reserve was overcome
he had the faculty OF narrating his adventures VIII; won
dorfu eloaueuce working up his descriptive sketches
with such ntutive perception of the picturesque points
that the whole thrown forward with positively
Elusive effect like matters OF your own VISUAL expert
ence In fact they so admirably done that couiu
never more half believe them because the genuine
affairs Of life are apt to transact themselves so
artstically"
Hawthorne records IN droll fashion tale told by
Gibson OF strange race of men in the wds OF Ceylon
who nearly akin to apes and yet had many human
attrbures-a story which preceded by many years Iu
Chau's discovery OF tho gorilla. He also records
romance of Gibs0ns birth and the belief OF the ad'en
urer that he had exchanged for another infant In
the cradle, and that he was really the heir OF nooie
English family OF large possessions. The novelist
navey confesses that when he heard this OLD rohahcc
appcd to his by the advcnturer he regretted
having made himself responsible for the fuure NOME
mans passage homeward on the Lext steamer Haw
hornc paid $50 for the passage money anu intinatcs
that both the claims which Gibson purported TO nave
AGAINST the Dutch Government well ~ the English
title proved unreal.
DISCIPLE OF BRIGHAM YOUNG
When Gibson returned TO this country he was at
tracted by the reports OF the new empire that the
Mormons we're building up at Salt Lake. He went ou'
there and had a long conference with Brigham Young
Tho willy Mormon leader was a dne Judge OF human
nature 10 him only few hours to see the great
advantage OF having man OF Glbsons resources and
plansiy In the employ OF the Saints Al that tiine
the Mormons threatened by the Federal Govern
mcnt aud Brigham considering removal either 10
California or the Sandwich Islands He decided to send
Gibson to Hawaii to found a Mormon colony NUMBER
of people accompanied him. but 1t did not take Gibson
long to find out that the American missionaries, VINO
had then been than twenty on the Islands,
had too firm a hold the natives for him to hope to
break It, SO he threw up the position OF Elder and the
Mormon colony practically dead for years so far
as ANY active attempt at PROSECUTING was concerned
Then this natural adventurcr turned his attention 10
the resources OF the islands He leased the island OF
Lanai which was property stocked 1t with sheep
and began the business Of supplying tho Honolulu
market with In this enterprise no was brought
into association with the King and his connseors
Kalakaua has always been partial TO men who VIII drink
with him and who are able to tell good story He mas
an equal thirst liquor and for amusement Gibson Is
a born racoEteur, with Imagination which readily
supplies any gaps in his narrative and be devoted him
self to making n conquest OF the XII ng. He told him
good stories. but what commended nm sun more 10
his mind lie persuaded the King that he was made TOT
nobler purposes than to rule over few Thousand Nan
hia