Daily Republican., 1888-09-05
rRE OROUKRR ROMANCE.

The story Of the life of Charles
CrOcker, tie California railroad king
and owner of 100000, 900, who died
on Tuesday at Montgomery, reads like
"a romance.
He was born In Troy, N. Y, in
1899, and received but meagre edu-
cation. The first money he ever earn
ed was by ceiling newspapers. When
IA years old the family removed to
Northern Indiana, and in few years
his mother died; the boy left home,
after disagreement with his father,
to seek his fortune. All that he had
were the clothes on his back.
After wandering about from place to
place he secured employment in q saw
mill at MishswkR. on the st. Joseph
river, Indiana, where he fell in love
with the daughter of his employer.
The gold fever OF 1849 seized him and
he made up party OF young men
who crossed the plains for California.
Mining not proving remunera.ive
e5ough, he opened q store in Sacra-
mento with his brother, and then he
" ent back TO Indiana and married the
daughter OF his old employer, Hiss
Deeming. A week later fire swept
away the Sacramento store, involving
loss Of $50, 900; but he soon rebuilt
1t and in the next half-dozen years &C
c lmulaled fortune of $500, 600. He
drfted into politics, and In that way
met Governor Stanford and Messrs.
huntington and Hopkins. 1t was in
1869, when these four men began the
work of building the Central Pacific
Railroad, which eventually enabled
them, through Government subsidies,
TO divide among them $52, 900, 900 in
stock and $l2, 000, 900 in bonds. The
recent report OF Governor Pattison,
chairman Of the United States Pacific
Railway Commission, shows that this
combination divided $l4s, 600, 900 in
cash and securities by reason OF their
connection with the Central Pacific
and its adjunct corporations.
The report of the examination of
Charles CrocSer by the United States
Pacific Railway Commission as TO the
building Of the Central Pacific Road
contains much interesting matter rels-
tive to the manner in which Crocker
and his associates managed the affairs
Of that concern.
At one time the company got into
Strengthened circumstances. Croker
became involved in m my suits that he
told the committee, in explanation of
his position at that time: "They had
all the money had and all l could
borrow, and / would have been glad
TO have gotten clean shirt and quit,
and lose all had ="
In building the railroad across the
Sierra Nevada Mountains many diff
cultes were experienced. The road
over the mountains could not be built
in one winter, and the work was push
ed ahead on the other side, and loco.
motives and supplies had to be hauled
over the mountains on sleighs and
logs. From some portions of the road
he received as much as $500, 900 and
800, 600 per mile. They had 12, 600
Cinnamon at work on the road at one
time, and In some cannons snow sixty
feet deep had to be shovelel away
At one place in the Humboldt desert
water had to be hauled eighty-four
miles for the use OF the men and ami
mails.
Within q year after the COMPLETION
of the road suits were brought against
the management In order to recover on
stock of the road. Charges were made
against the directors that immense
sums of money had been made but
misapplied. As Crocker, Huntington,
Star ford and Hopkins were then
anxious 10 float some $25, 900, 900 of
bonus of the Southern Pacific Rail
road, they were anxious to acquire the
stock held by the parties who insti-
tuted the suits, AMI 1t Is In evidence
that they paid from $3.50 to $3.50
share for this stock.
The capital STOCK of the Central Pa
cifc was first placed at $780, 900;
then it was raised to $50, 900, 900, and,
finally, was showed up to Sl00, 600, 900.
In 1871 Mr. Crocker's only brother,
Z. b.. became afflicted with soitenlng
of the brain, and as the doctor told
Charles he would meet the same fate
if he did not retire from business, he
took a two year trip in Europe. Upon
his return he again embarked in rail-
road business, aud became deeply in
terested in everything that his old as
sociates had taken up.
In his examination before the Com
mission last September Commissioner
Anderson remarked to him that he
seemed to have come out OF his enter.
prises pretty well.
ayes" was the mournful reply,
$50 far as money is concerned, but
money is not everything in this
world"
Mr.. Croker had six children, but
only four are living. His wife sur
wives him. 1t is understood that his
fortune will be chiefly left to his sons,
Charles, William and George, and his
only daughter, Mrs. B. Alexander,
who is the wife of New York law
par