Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-01-20
HIS STRANGE LIFE.
A ROMANTIC HISTORY THAT ENDED
 IN SUICIDE.

Ills Fathers Regrets-The Boys Deter
 mination-Luck in California-His Life
 in the Siberian Mines-The Sad Fate
 of His Early Companions.
 FALL RIvER Mass, Jan 19.-Young Sam uel Ralston, who ended his life by suicide at Georgetown, Cal, few days ago, was pretty well known in this part of New England He came east soon after the suicide of his father, William c. Ralson, the millionaire banker and mine owner, for the special purpose of study ing mechanical engineering, and took up his residence at Providence, R. 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, including more than dozen rooms in the Hotel Dorrance. The family lived in luxury and made quite an impression on Providence society.
 Young RalstOn in many respects re- markable man. and exhibited strangely con- tradictory elements of character By day he was hard working mechanic, with grimy hands and oily blouse and overalls, toiling as diligently and as earnestly as the humblest workman in the great machine shop. By night he was the handsome, elegantly attired, polished gentleman, the lion at the balls and in the parlors of the rich and fashionable. We'll educated and brilliant, he was courted by the ladies. Jovial, good hearted and a lavish spender of money, he was the leading spirit among the young men.
 All this time he appeared to have plenty of money, and he spent it with a lavish hand He was not of a bad disposition. and as he was supposed to have millions at his disposal his extravaganza came to be looked upon as an ordinary thing. Although wonens smiles were showered upon him, he distributed his favors impartially, until he met 8 charming Chelsea girl, of whom he became desperately enamored On her he spent money lavishly, and she shared the fame of his luminous career.
 All this time he continued his work ill the machine shop, and it was matter of wonder why one so rich and favored should devote himself to such work. To one of his inti- mates one night young Ralston told his req son. 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 engineering. 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 engineering, and then devote bis talents and his fortune to the development of the buried treasures of Siberia.
 He left the Corliss works with thorough and practical knowledge of mechanical engi- neering, prepared to enter upon mining enter prises 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 before going to that Siberian enterprise which had been his dream for years. He was successful; hut met ,hoJ f> {l,o heavy drain made upon it by the costly ex- periments and his expensive life in the east, and he ran short of funds. Then he went into the Street to build up a new fortune by specu- lation. He succeeded, and in three years time had, by lucky speculation in stocks again ac- cunulated fortune.
 Then he went to Siberia But here the good fortune which thus fal. had followed him departed, and he fell a victim to his OWL good fellowship. Instead of going to work himself to gain the patronage of the Russian government he fell a victim to a Russian ad- ventlIrer of noble blood who joined him ill his enterprise under the promise that he would obtain for him government patronaoe. Ral- ston did obtain a special permit from the government to inspect the mines, but he placed such implicit confidence ill the promises of the adventurer that he lost his fortune before ac- complaining 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 disheartened and despondent, and there is no doubt that his suicide was caused by broken heart, due to tie failure Of his life's ambition.
 The story of his life is romance and tragedy, and the story of the fate of the young men who were his boon companions during his stay in Providence is singularly tragic one. All were young. All were rich, and nearly all were connected with leading families of the city. All but two are dead One was murdered in Arizona and another in Mexico; another fell in duel in France and another died in a Paris hospital Still an- other, who, through Ralston's influence, se- cured position in the Alaska seal fisheries, was lost at sea. Now Ralston has died by his own hand, and this leaves but two of the party alive. One of these has suffered the loss of his reason and is now hopelessly insane in the Butler asylum at Providence. The other was released from the same asylum only a few months ago, and has just fallen heir to q big fortune.