Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-01
A NATIVE OF MISSOURI.

A NATIVE OF MISSOURI.
George Hearst was native of Franklin
county, Mo. His father, William G.. Hearst,
was born in South Carolina, but was OF
Scotch descent, and as early as 1903 moved
west of the Mississippi to the territory at
forwards included in the State of Missouri,
but which was then the extreme frontier.
Here in 1917 he married Elizabeth Collins,
young girl of English family, whose father
was also O pioneer and the owner of q con-
siderable tract of land. The young couple
met with the usual reverses and hard
ships attendant upon frontier life. and it
was Just after period of unusual viclssi-
tude. when the young married people had
gone with their parents to Texas, only to
meet with sickness, failure, and loss and
to return again TO farming and stock
raising in their native State, that George
Hearst was born, on the Sd of September,
1920. Bred TO the homely and exactlng du-
ties of life on q western farm. the boy en-
loved few advantages and received only
the most Indifferent education in coun-
t-y.school. Missouri was at that day the
principal mining State of the Union, and
when George grew to manhood he found
occupation in the lead and copper-mines
near his home.
A FoRTY-ErSER.
When he was twenty-nine years old, in
1913, Jus khllOIIAd kOAd-lINNi ihSOA
throughout the land The Young man re-
sisted the temptations and allurements OF
the gold-felds as long as he could, but in
March, 1850, there was formed in his imme-
date neighborhood q company of young
men who were resolved to Join the gold
seekers on the Pacific slope, and when
they started out on the long overland trip
George Hearst was ono of their number,
finding partial justification for the
-
which he fancied might be improved by
the journey. The party was five months
in crossing the plains and mountains, and
in October, $780, reached Plecerville, FL
Dorado county, where its members at once
Joined the eager throngs OF toilers in the
Placer claims. Indifferent success attend
ed this first mining venture, but George
Hearst persevered and worked on with the
same patience and pluck that character
lied him in every subsequent undertaking.
Fourteen months later he was rewarded by
the discovery Of rich quartz ledge. This
was something substantial, and out OF their
carefully boarded savings he and his part
ners set up fine stamp mil: one OF the
first ever put up in the State OF California.
HIS FINANCIAL CAREER
after this was so like that of the typical
miner Of '49 that it reads almost like @
chapter from one of Mark Twain's stories
or the experience of one OF Bret Harte's
heroes. Tho money that was so easily &C
quired in quartz-minjng was sunk with
equal facility. swept away by a single hap
less venture in the general merchandise
line in Sacramento. A year later we md
him back on the river bar iudustriously
Washing out gold, but the places were by
this time very nearly exhausted, and in
1856, six years after he reached the Golden
State, he was almost pennies man.
POOR AND YET RICH.
But he was not poor. There is O wide
difference between poverty and the mere
fact that ones pockets are empty. Noone
was poor IN those days; every one wasrich
with the splendid endowment OF courage
energy and high hope and ambition that
characterized the founders OF this new
Commonwealth. George Hearst had $40
in his pocket-not more than the price OF Q
sack OF potatoes in those times but with
this capital he went up to Nevada county,
bought pick. and resumed quartz;
mining. For three years he worked
there with considerable success, and
then his good genius led him TO the
Washoc slver-felds. He afterwards mined
on the Comstock and other rich helds with
such good success that at the close OF the
war be had amassed O million dollars.
Even this large sum was not SUFFICIENT 70
make his fortune secure in the unstable
values of that period and the financial dis
turbances that followed, and series OF
disasters left him comparatively poor
man year later. In this crisis he Tor the
first time turned to real estate speculation
and realized so large a sum during the real
estate boom of 1866 in San Francisco that
he was enabled to organize the great
firm of Hearst, Haggin d lows,
which has now for many years been the
leading mining Arm Of the world, owning
aud operating most OF the richest mines III
America all the way from Montana TO Mexi-
co. The wealth of this trio OF capitalists
cannot easily be estimated, for the reason
that their interests are 90 widespread and so
diversified that no outsider can form any adj
equate idea OF their value. IL may be safely
said, however, that at the time OF his death
Mr. Hearst was the largest mine and land
owner in the world. He held office but
twice, being a member of the State Legs
ture in 1886 and being elected TO the
United States Senate little more than
three years ago. He was O Democrat In
politics.
TIE HElRsTs IN SAN FRAscfsco.
The exact meaning Of Senator Hearst's
death to the people OF the Pacific coast can
only be determined by time. The feeling
of personal loss is widespread, for few men
friends, and there are few whose inhuence
has been 80 great or so far-reaching.
Socially. the Hearsts have long held the
leading place In California and especially
in San Francisco society, and this leader
ship has not been one of shallow import.
but an active principle, moulding the
character Of society and shaping. 1t after
a worthy ideal. Mrs. Hearst, who was
Miss Phoebe Apperscn before her mar
- a - 4 I'D -rFfn fa
family, ia beautiful woman Of the most
amiabls disposition and possessed of rare
culture. She has long been famous for
her charming dinners and receptions, her
gracious manners. and the faculty she
Possesses OF putting her guests at case
and making every new festiyity more on
ioysble than the lAst. Like no9t wealthy