Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-05-18

Career of Charles T. Yerkse, the Millionaire
and Public Benefactor.

4 SaICSI ~ nal tftt ~ -"
and Public Benefactor.
Charles r.. Yerkes is building the
finest residence, in New York, a
house OF princeiy magniicence, to
est more than 1000, 600, says the
Sioux City Journal. just twenty-one
years ago Charles II. Yerkes, after
serving a term as a convict, was dis
charged from a Pennsylvania peni-
Tertiary.
One day when Yerkes was a ten
year-old lad running about the
streets of Philadelphia his attention
was attracted by the bawling OF an
auctioneer who was disposing Of the
stock of an unfortunate petty soap
maker. There was an offer Of 81,
and il occurred to the little chap
that there was a big lot of soap to be
sold for that figure. He bid $l8 and
the soap was sold to him. He hadn't
a cent, but the auctioneer gave him
a chance 20 run to his father, who
yielded to the youthful Spectator
and advanced the money. The boy
hired a drayman and disposed Of the
soap in small quantities to retailers,
and that night, after repaying his
father the $1S, had S31 left.
At twenty years of age the future
convict and millionaire was a brokers
clerk. 1t is not surprising that five
years later he was junior member of
the firm, nor that two years later he
was senior member and recognized as
one of the most important brokers in
Philadelphia, among whose Gus
toners was the city treasurer.
One fine day Philadelphia was
startled by the report that the city
treasurer was a defaulter for an i'm
mense sum. Charles II. Yerkes was
the broker who had handled the
public funds. 1t vas proved that he
had knowledge of the fact that the
public funds had been put into his
hands. He was indicted, tried and
convicted on the charges of em5ezzle-
ment and larceny, and the sentence
was three years in the p~enitentiary
and a fine. He was released in 1872.
The ruin Of Charles II. Yerkes was
relieved by the devotion Of his wife,
a lovely girl whom he had married
when fortune was smiling. His for.
tune utterly swept away, the wife
shared the bitterness of his fate, took
cheap lodgings neal the pe%nitentiary,
YVES with him every moment per
mitted by the prison regulations aud
cheered him both by the knowledge
Of her constancy, by sending delica
Cies and by a thousand little atten
tions. But time set this bright pic
ture of a young wife's devotion in {
black background of mans ingrati
tude and pertidy. The prison doors
had hardly opened for the %convictt
discharge before he disappeared, anC
the devoted wife was left behind
heart broken, without knowledge 0
her husbands whereabouts. He bur
led himself for years somewhere il
the west, and it is said that he dis
carded the name he had borne.
. The next chapter Of the story open
with the sudden appearance 0
Charles T. Yerkes in Chicago, appar
emily prosperous, where he entered
the speculative arena. Eyerythin,
he touched turned to gold. His his
tory from that day is known-how h
organized great s~yndicates, and par
= ticularly how he combined the vas
cable systems of Chicago and there
from grasped millions for himself.
When Yerkes reappeared in Chicag
there came with him a beautiful
woman-not the faithful wife VIII
had stood by him through adversit
and the shadow Of deep disgrace, an
whom he had cruelty abandoned, bu
another. The records of the Pennsyl
vania courts tell the story Of his ser
. aration from the former. She share
:. with him the pe~nitentiary; the latte
will share the palace which the mill
ions Of his prosperity are building /
New York.
This is Charles 7. Yerkes, the mil
ionaire, the public benefactor, tn
munidcent patron OF charitable an
educational establishments, tie col
spicuous social leader, the successtu
man of affairs-a man barely yet
: years old.