, 1892-03-04
where 'aFhs Daily Leader" May be Pound.
JOHN w. COLLINS.

life's pleasures and compensations have
ended in irretrievable ruin involving not
one but many. in utter desolation for a
few and in the tragic death by suicide OF
the second and it is to be hoped the last
In this connected cham OF calamitous cir
cumstances.
From the very first fortune seemed to
smile upon John w. Collins. BY train
log, association and inclination he was a
banke.. Outside OF that and what may
be collaterally embraced within the gen
eral term of business" he had no ambi-
tions and no aspirations. Beyond his
family he apparently cared for nothing
else. The soft luxurles of az easy life
had no attractions for hun; the ordinary
recreations Of men of his age if he didn't
abominate he certainly despised. All OF
his ambitions we're conferred and fixed IN
business. He was therefore to a remark
able extent a ''one dead man who sub
ordinated everything to the consideration
of great and far reaching success. We
do not believe he could be considered a
grasping man, ready to wiring the last
nickel from a debtor even though
it brought the life blood with it.
there are people here, as well doubtless as
in San Diego, who have felt at the criti-
cal moment the relief of his financial as
sistance.
IL. ,ra ra.tlo.slu ,ntal1aat,al ,naa
full Of money making schemes and ready
TO carry them through with consummate
skill. As it now turns out his misfortunes
we're ready to begin the moment he went
to California The booming activity which
was then characterizing that section at
uacted his attention aud the varied monu-
mental schemes either accomplished or
projected stirred the speculative blood
within his veins and in a very few months
he was in the vortex of the struggle. But
unfortunately for him aud hundreds Of
others the "boom" was even then on the
wane; it had passed the climax OF its ire
mendous activity and the inevitable reac-
ton was already setting IN. Collins set
his bank in motion. IL had a paid up capt.
tai of $500, 900. and associated with Col
Inns were at least two residents OF San
Diego rated as millonaires. Back of or
mixed up in every scheme of public i'm
provement or the extension of the city's
facilities was the California national.
Immense fortunes doomed up in
49,. IL 1
of Collins and his associates
when the first calamity came. 1t was
dreadful enough to tear the heartstrings
OF the strongest man. The event hap
pened a year ago last fall. Mrs. Collins
and her two children, a son and a
daughter, were with others out in the bay
IN a boat. A sudden squall came up, the
boat was oapsized and in a moment Col
Inns was wifeless and childless. There
are those now who, looking back, can
reason out hat the terrific tension on his
mind must have weakened his reason.
He was never demonstrative in his grief
and until his latest business troubles
came upon HIM rarely if ever mentioned
his domestic affection even to his closest
friends. But he was probably never again
the same man. His combinations tailed
to come put as they used to and he lost
much of the fnesse which had character
lied his earlier operations.
AS it now appears, rumors In regard TO
the standing Of the bank began to fit
through San Diego about a year ago.
Active enemies and less successful rivals
eagerly spread and strengthened these
reports. Collins Yaiuly piled in his pos
sessions to uphold the weakening financial
fabric. but when the city's funds, amount
ing to about $40, 900, were suddenly called
for, apparently as the result of a conspi-
racy to crush him, the bank fell with a
crash. involving the Cheyenne national IN
its ruins, ~blighting the prospects of its
young cashier and sharply closing with a
pistol ball what promised to be a long,
brilliant and successful career.
Now Collins has followed in the foot
steps of poor Beard. The smoking
pistol in his stiffenIng right hand tells the
story of life long ambitions. the ~tireless
pursuit of wealth, apparent glorious sue
oess-then sudden crushing calamity. ir
reparable ruin, deep and lasting disgrace
as the cold and merciless clutch of the
law frightened about him-and what was
left2 .
Death and only death.
1t is a story not simply sad but doubly
tragical. A few days hence the two men
whose business lives were SO closely inter
woven, who were long conspicuous in the
local annals OF Cheyenne and who seemed
to have success at their call, will be peace
fully sleeping their last long sleep but a
few miles apart In their native Pennsyl.
vania county, where both we're born and
played as boys, the new generation of
blood relations growing up around them,
their ancestors sleeping beside them.
Both have passed beyond the Judgment
ct mankind and with them will be buried