Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-16
HE SAVED HIS RICHES
And Died u Much Hated Man Worth
About Si5,ooo,0oo.

Nicholas Luning, one of the largest real es-
tate owners of San Francisco. and worth over
Sl5.OOO.OOO. who died Thursday night of heart
disease, was nearly seventy years old, but he had
a good constitution and walked about the street
briskly on the day he died. After a hearty
dinner he went to the thester, and when he re-
turned to his rooms In the Palace Hotel he fell
INTO a chair and died in an hour
Luning was q native Of Hamburg and went
to California in lS49, with a small capital in
ready cash. and became a money lender in n
small way. When the EIdorado gambling
saloon and other resorts Of like character were
IN full blast around the old plaza IunIng laid
the lounoatlon OF n great fortune by advancing
money to unfortunate gamblers at g high rate
OF interest and taking as security watches,
dIehonu pins, reVolyers and other yaluables
He gradually enlarged his field and became A
banker. Early merchants had 10 have ready
money to make payments TO eastern firms
every steamer day, when the regular steamer
ieft Tor Panama, and Luning became chief
lehder on such occasions and eNacted from q
TO AZ per cent per month for the use of his coin
Ills favorlte Investment WAS mortgages on good
real estate, aud by foreclosures he became
Possessed OF several millions Of dollars worth
of property.
UsURER AND MrsFR
LunIng never failed to foreclose q mortgage
when it fell due, and he never showed TO
poor creditor. Hence he war universally dis
liked and il is probable none mourn his death.
he lntlmated two weeks ago 70 q friend that
us Will would be surprise TO the public. but
IL Ism Tor, he left not single cent Of ms mil
IONS to charity or for any public purpose All
was bequeathed to two sons and three daugh-
ters A good story Ii told of Lunng's desire to
make his money earn something. One day q
personal friend met him in a restaurant az
iunch- The millionaire was leaning his head on
MS hand, ana his face had drawn express
sion HIS friend said: Why. Mr. Luning Won
look really very al what Is the matter z" WELL
guess you'd look sick yourself" was the re-
ply, III you had s5,OOO.0O0 lying idle in a bank
and couldn't loan II at anything over per
cent"
THE MEANEsT NAN
Another story illustrating has grasping char
acter concerns his treatment Of a poor fruit
woman who squatted at the corner Of one OF
his buildings. Luning stopped at her stand
frequently. and as he made no mention of her
trespass she frequently offered him samples Of
her choicest fruit, which the millionaire never
refused to accept. He had learned when the
widow first took up her position on the corner
that she owned a small house and lot in q Door
quarter OF the city. and after she had been
there so long that she had become a fixture
and believed in him to the extent of once
speaking OF him the good Mr.. Luning," he
suddenly swooped down upon her with wrius
and attachments. and sold her out of her little
home for arrears IN rent He lived for years 1T
the Palace Hotel, and was known 10 never carry
cent OF money unless for a specific purpose.
lie never gave tip or gratuIty to q servant in
all the time he was at the hotel