The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-04-26
William Sturgis' Peculiar Journey
in This Life.
PRINCE OF PROMOTERS
Stricken Down by the FarweiI Suit After
Half Century of Labor In En-
riching Others.

ing tried He has continued to sink
from the day of the tragic end of his
most active business life, and the ply
sIclans say the grave is very near.
Mr.. Sturgis came of old Connecticut
stock, with most rigorous principles of
hills of his native state until he became
a man, as his father came west and
and brought the son to GAINESVILLE, Ohio.
This dates the beginning of the fame of
the name in commercial circles, for soon
Solomon Sturgis became banker and
he prospered. He was schrewd to a
superlative degree and this was a quail
ity he handed down to William Sturges.
The boy early gave evidence of his
fathers capacity for good bargains ard
as lad he made his first deal. 1t was
with his mother, from whom he borrow
ed a few dollars. He was not yet 81,
but he started in banking operations.
Success simply overwhelmed him, and
in time, extraordinarily brief, his as
hclts udu IcdCncu DjDU,DDU.
The attendant calamity was close
upon such phenomenal good fortune.
He was induced to invest in the Ohio
Loan and Trust Company. 1t had gilt
tering prospectus, with assurances of
profit which paused at no wealth of ad-
jectives in their proclamation. 1t was
gold mine without question, mint,
and it's great scope and purposes APP
pealed to young Sturges. His entire
capital went into It, He never knew
where 1t went, for he had no sooner re-
ceived his shares than an assignment
followed
One of the strongest friendships he
ever owned resulted from this failure,
and the man who shared 1t was a credl-
tor who came to murder Mr.. Sturges In
return for deposit of 81 600 which the
company had used. lie was alone in
the ONCE during an evening when shut
fling steps stopped at the door and
lusty knock announced a muscular pres
ence just outside. 1t was a clrcum-
stance to make an ordinary man trem-
BILE, but Mr.. Sturges never would admit
he had ever trembled In his life. He
walked to the door and asked In a six
foot stranger.
The tall stranger was a giant, whose
figure was as wide as his muscles were
large in circumference, and without
any hesitation he announced his bust
ness. AS preface he walked to the
desk and deposited two revolvers, such
as they used in 1857. He then took a
chair In front of the director and said,
at will be necessary for you to get
my $1,000 at once. 1t represented all
my savings. The money came by hard
work and this failure is queer"
"Well, you are candid. | don't blame
you for asking for your money would
like to see 81 600 myself, but and
here Mr.. Sturges was compelled to stop
his explanation. The stranger did not
like the tone of the reply and reached
for his weapons.
"Well, sir, since you have ruined me,
and left me penniless there is little to
live for; will just shoot you here In
the ONCE and suffer the consequences,
and both revolvers were instantly COCK
ed for action.
"You are just the man have been
looking for. Night after night as have
worried over these affairs have longed
to die. should have killed myself but
for my lack Of courage; fire away and
the banker stood up and barred his bosom
for the bullets. He did not mean the
speech as any dramatic episode, but as
earnest truth. 1t is hardly necessary
to add the shots were not fired, and that
the stranger was convinced there was
no money In the vaults. He later be-
came partner In certain of the Stur-
ges enterprises.
The conception of the Atchison, To
peka and Santa Fe system was one of
MI Sturges' greatest triumphs. He
raised the money for the preliminary
work In the midst of panic, when
older heads said 1t was folly to even
talk of the scheme at the time. The
route lay through the territory owned
by the Usage Indians. 1t carried with
1t an immense land graft, subject to In
dian ratification and this ratification
was only secured by a clever ruse. The
government had had 4 commission on
the ground for three months. The red
men refused to act, failing in their |
promises and neglectingto attend meet |
ings. The commission at last gave mn
the task and returned to Washington
Mr.. Sturges remained on the spot /
He conceived the plan of having ma
tional Usage tribe horse race to last two
weeks There were to be prizes and
purces and the news of the event was
spread by courlers among the Indians.
They all focked to the Kansas settle.
ment, eager to earn the money. The
chiefs and war council were guests of
honor. They were Toasted and dined
and there was revelry by night and dav.
Mr.. Sturges was at the head of it all
and the end of the story is easily seen.
The Usage ratification was signed and
With the reports in his pocket, MIR.
Sturges started for the capital. The
grant, however, was never passed be-
cause man in position to demand IL
lsked $4,000 for his vote. Bribery was