The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-09-13
A REMARKABLE CANEsR.
4 Probable study Tar American
Youth.

Twenty years ago. SAYS fittshurg
special of september /. Henry Clay
FricS was a poor hcokseeper irf four
ing mill and distiilery at Broodford.
Fayette county. Today be b the ling
of the Conneilsyille coke regions. He
deserves the title. because the II. g.
Prick Coke Company owns 500 ont
of the 1909 ovens in the Territory. By
the recent purchases of the plants Of
tue J. NJ. Schoonmaker Company aud
Moore & Co, Mr.. Prick Gill be en-
ahled - control TIE coke market of
America and make his Dan prizes.
lie will turn out over five times the
amount OF coke that will he turned
out by the Mcclure Company, u hich
j. now the second largest concern ia
the region. The pur, base Of the two
big plants referred 60 occurred last
week. The SHOEMAKER Company
vas the second largest ia the Conreiis-
vile region, and the transfer Ia FriCk
included 500 acres OF valuable coal
lands, / 90 ovens. 40 freight ears and
all contracts, fganChl e.. etc. The
Moore Company had 57s ovens.
Mr. Frlck VIII celebrate the fortieth
anniversary OF his berth next Deem
Der. and is the son of farmer xbe
lived near West Overton, Fayette
County. He attended the county
schools, and before he was engaged a.
book keeper az the Broodlord disul-
lesy he served some time as clerk in n
dry goods store ~ Mount Pleasant,
which il situated III the very center 81
the coke district Ira which ne figures
50 prominently. Young Ffick hnsi
rot long b.ea employed nj Brociford
until he took small interest IN some
available coal property near the town,
and in company wiih PARTNERS built
fivy ovens. Soon the capacity of the
s.ssest plant was doubled, ard when
tue panic Of 1873 came the partners
had "a ovens and had Increased their
coal territory con nderahly. SIR. Prick
vas now only - years Of age. His
partners fell HBto dilhcalties through
Inducements and their interests were
sold. BY The nid OF friends. chief
among whom was ex-Iadge ihonss.,
Mellon, the Ylustesrx banker.
Mr.. friek was ensbksd ~ pus.
chase these interests and lake
complete control of the plant.
From that dune onward he kept
building and buying ovens. When he
could not buy hs leased. The panic
had knocked the courage out 81 spec
uiatiOn and left rnany ftFm in a cor
ner While unwilling 10 sell. through
hope vi better times, they leased their
works IA Frek Old men ssgsed
their heads sosemusy anu pitied the
young man. he had tseu lucky. and
Il IA. nai sense or would listen 70 toe
al vice Of Older mea he might I've in
comfort ali the rest of bis life. Bat
he vas making foo. Of himself. and
one OF these days xe would see what
se would see Well, the bssDTa tr.
coke came. The yearly profit OF HI
leased works were more uysa The
value OF the works themselves.
And those who had psophesied
bis ruin can see him any oi
these days--ssiil young, only forty
tue King Of the coke trace MT. Prick
e.,f,sip led the business Ia his Own
name until ls7.. when be sold an Ia.
tsre<t 10 Il VI. Pefgas0u, % Mes York
eiiv. The firm oi H. G. Fios 4 Co.
a. continued IL that forfu. an aidi
sioIa ts the paftner.fIip beinR IA abe In
she Isrsou o. Af. W alter Ferguson
also 81 Sex York afEt hfgshsT ~ the
s.ntl~m an namesI aiyoye. la is<2 the
IL {. Prick GOke & IA f.sny aas organ
isTsel ard q large interest thefssn az
ss,.sI 10 Anates Carnegie sud bis late
brother. Thomas n. aarn-xts. The
rorn psny bas eleven stores which sup
t,sw - niany then mo employees gsfl
is@si ard clothing, household iurui-
slrs. etc NJ expen-e kas oesf4 spared
T. prod arc tie k-est coke that can Ia:
made. ard ia eTtss that the pairesi
alter. Tree from saspaar ard other
Impurities. sfrsuls; D. obtained the
soaipsny erest est, a. cot ~ ~.
4 ~r@sarn OF sAt@r WORKS. ~ Tue hss-
smning II The ilae os IS ovens. o. TIE
/ fonSfsi.yneay river. from which al
the oyens are sappls~L
The s.unn1si~sssss FsR-sc = Eoss-
dsrfus see<ier ~ shs lDdu-sgiai inter-
-. ~ ls,e world. IN seisesoq ehssfs0
fsw yswW 80 . f1snx