The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-10
WEALTH OF ]. B. HAGGIN.
His Famous Race Horses But Small
Feature OF His Great Fortune.

His Famous Race Horses But a Small
Feature of His Great Fortune.
From the Chicago News.
Every one has heard OF ]. b. Haggin
as one of the greatest Of American race
horse owners, and especially in connection
with the performances OF Firenzi, the
most wonderful mare OF the present day."
said turfman Who after years Of toll in
various pursuits in California, now occu-
pies high position as an official Of the
local jockey club; "but, although thous-
ands OF men can give you an argument
pro and con on the 1913 pounds OF the
daughter of Glenel for the Suburban
handicap, scarcely man has any idea Of
the individuality Of Firenzi's owner.
James Ben Ali Haggin is one OF the
most wonderful as well as one of the rich
est OF Americans. / say he is an Ameri-
can, but rumor says he is in reality born
Turk, and that his business OF breeding
and racing tho thoroughbred-im as
this business isis but diversion for a
man whose capital is invested in some of
the most stupendous schemes. So Tar as
the pedigree and early history of Mr..
Haggn il concerned, confess ignorance,
and | don't believe any one outside his
own family knows anything Of his ante
cedents prior TO his advent in California.
lie was first known rs a lawyer on the
slope about thirty years ago. From one
thing TO another he has gone on, every
thing he touched turning to gold, and
today only one small part OF his great
office is devoted 10 the law, the rest being
given up TO mining, agriculture, bank
ing, etc.
~. b. Haggin is the copper king Of
the world. owning ut Anaconda, NJ. T.,
mines Of this mineral sufficiently large to
provide work for 5000 men. At Dead
wood he has the llomestake gold mine, in
Arizona the Tip Top silver mine; at Bodie,
Mono County, Cal, the Standard and
MONDAY mines. lie is the biggest man
in the biggest Of express companies
Wells, Fargo x Co.'s also the chief
owner Of the bank run under the same
name. Rancho del Paso, the immense
tract OF land whose borders nearly touch
the limits OF the city Of Sacramento, covers
an area Of sevcnty-two square miles, and
il is here that his thoroughbred orses
find a home.
at has recently been Tumored that Mr..
lIaggin was 10 sell out all his thorough
breds, and this most likely originated in
the knowledge OF his expressed purpose OF
cutting Rancho del Paso up and selling off
the land. Now Ill tell you that 80 doing
all the gentleman would have TO do is TO
send the animals down in Kern County,
Southern California, where he owns 400
600 acres Of the finest land outdoors, irri-
gated by a canal sixty feet in width. No
body knows exactly how Mr. Haggin came
by Rancho del Paso, but il is generally
supposed that II came into his possession
for a song at an early day through some
litigation OF which lac had the inside.
BESIDES being the copper king land
b:sss isss..s1i "trip right now is in relation to
some business with syndicate) Mr. Hag-
gin is the largest raiser Of hops in America
and the biggest sheep man ON the Pacific
Coast.
81 can tell yo, little OF the difference
between his method of money getting and
that OF the bonanza kings, Mackay, Flood,
Fair aud O'Bren. You see there used TO
be prospectors coming into Frisco with dis.
coveries OF pay dirt and through some
one Of these the bonanza fellows got onto
the ComstOck lode and at once gained con-
troll OF the Consolidated Virginia and Cali
iornia mines, the richest OF any ever
known. Not satisfied with their Legitimate
earnings they worked out all Of the small
stockholders and then began system Of
stock manipulation which prolitcd them
largely. But you sec that when the poor
prospectors came 10 know that these fell
lows would freeze them out as soon ~ pos
siblc they looked around for somebody
who would buy them out entire, and in ].
H. llaggin they found their man.
"Of course, you have heard OF Senator
George Hearst, who has a large racing sta
bic, aud who is said 10 have paid SIS. 600
for King Thomas, the brother 10 the great
Han Fox. Well, George Hearst, at the
time, was a practical miner and knew
about ~ much ~ anybody about prospect
ing and 'sich like and Mr. llaggin saw in
him man 20 do his business. and do il
well. no when the fellow came TO town
who had u mine 10 sell Hearst lust went
out and looked Il up, and II fayorably inn
y csrd, bought IL outright. OF course,
Mr. Hearst came In for his bit, and from
one thing TO another wont on aud became
millionaire himself, and finally was made
a Senator Of the United States.
"Mr. llaggin has never had anything To
do with stock speculation OF jobbing Of
any kind, and the stock Of bis mines,
while sometimes quoted, Is never for sale.
You have no doubt seen the squarcly-
built gray.whiskcrcd man OF sixty.nyc
about the lawn at Washington Park OF a
race day, who is the subject OF my story.
People say he Il a sphinx, and he Is really
n man OF utmost reserve.
"for many years before he took 10 the
runners he had been great breeder Of
trolting horses, ~ well NJ Clydcadalcs,
pcrchcrons, Nornana, and Cleveland bays
By the way, having noticed the intimate
business relations Of llaggin aud Hearst,
guess YOU will believe what Siayc always
told YOU about the sale OF King Thomas
not being a b0na.iidc Que. Thirty-cight
thousand dollars for a ycarling indeed II
looked fshy from the start, and was prob.
ably but a transfer on paper from one
partner 10 another
uortuary Report