The San Francisco call., 1895-12-29
Millionaire Hitchcock Has Made
His Will and Is Sinking
Fast.
DIAGNOSIS OF DOCTOR LANE,
Eccentricities of a Man Whose Vast
Fortune Will Be Divided Among
Many Relatives.

Inc exclusive SlOTN III 1hE SAbL yCotCA-
dav that Hollis Hitchcock. the eccentric
millionaire of California, was. sick unto
death at DIR. Lanes hospital caused a
great deal of talk among the tens of thou
sands who know him.
Throughout the Sonoma Valley the
name of Hitchcock is good for loads of
gold. He owns thousands upon thousands
of rich land there, and the seat of his resi-
dence is at Bodega, where as the king OF
Bodega he was master of the finances.
But his domain extends to vastly richer
region, and his lands and possessions 9TH
erwise appear on the taxIists of many
banks-the one in Tomales, all of those in
Petaluma, and in one in Santa Rosa; how
many others nobody knows.
When it comes TO talking of Monterey,
Fresno and other counties, the old
gentleman owns rolling acres in them,
reaching over many miles. 1t is hard to
tell Just what he has got. Even his most
intimate friends scarcely know, and his
real wealth, therefore, can only be guessed
at. 1t is big, however.
As a Gar of Grizzly Island. in the Sac
ramento River, where the landed financier
a few wears ago secured 5000 acres, he is
well known in that part of the country.
The $1,000,000 which he was at first
quoted to be worth is said to be much too
low figure. If property was worth as
much now as it was four or five years ago
in California he would be worth probably
S5,00O,0OO or sc, 100000 AS it is his estate
should approach $2,OO0,000 Or So, 100000, so
those who know him well aver.
His land is worth more than 81, 900, 900,
TO say nothing about his other property, y
said one of his neighbors yesterday. BE
sides the land he has 5000 or $100, 600 in
the Donahue Railroad and interests in the
Tomales, Petaluma and Santa Rosa banks.
No doubt he has large areas of land and
other property also that / know moth
ing of. :"
The ola gentleman, who is now IS years
old, has neither wife nor children. After
he came here from Eastern Canada in
1852, and had made some money, he re-
turned home and brought out a wife.
There was a disagreement after few
wears, however, and the wife. went back
and has since died. He never had any
children by this marriage.
Though he has no immediate heirs, how
ever he has host of nephews, nieces and
other relatives in California and Canada.
1t is said the number will reach thirty or
forty anyway, and these, or at least some
OF them, it is presumed, will fall heir to
his great patrimony.
The old man has become convinced that
he cannot in all probability survive the
Bright's disease of the kidneys with which
he is afflicted. Accordingly his nephew,
L. Y. Hitchcock, ex-District Attorney OF
Tehama County, came down at his request
in reference to his will. The will has since
been made and the designation of his mil
lions indicated.
DR.. L. C. Lane, at whose hospital on
Clay and Webs.er streets the old money
king now is, said yesterday that the af-
fiicted man could not possibly get well.
"He may live day or two" he said,
''and it is possible he may live longer, but
this kidney disease is fatal"
1t is said that seven or eight relatives of
Hitchcock will, according to the will, get
the fortune. Those who know him, how
ever, anticipate the not unusual dissatis-
faction among other relatives at such a
time, with the possibility of struggles for a
portion of the property.
Hitchcock, who laid the foundation OF
his fortune by driving beef-cattle to the
gold mines, has lived an eccentric life for
many years. He would not spend dollar
unless there was an absolute need of it.
He acquired in the course of his land &C.
cumulations large house near Bodega,
designated as castle by his neighbors,
and here for long time he lived alone.
When he grew sick finally he was taken
to the family of his nephew at Valley Ford
not far away, and they cared for him till
he was finally brought to the City for
treatment
Then he went to DR.. Lanes hospital
Though having an income of from $35 ,00C
to 100000 year, he bewailed the expense
and said the cost was liable to ruin him.
Two small rooms there, with the auxili-
aries, cost So day each. The money king
said il was too much, that he couldn't
stand it.
As there was no fire in the room, and as
one was necessary, the relatives moved
him to two larger and better rooms. where
he could nave sufficient warmth and other
cOnIOTLS. 1ut IcldtlfcS Adu 10 assure
him, however, that his new rooms did not
cost ss much as the others. in order to
pacify him and make him satisfied.
In later years the money-getter mas
added M ateriallv to his wealth by interest
on loans. In this way it is said many very
valuable ranches have come into his pos.
session.
The farmers who gave the mortgages
could not stem the tide of big interest and
succumbed. In this way thousands on
thousands of acres were added to the
nucleus of acres.
Both ex-District Attorney Hitchcock and
Ben Hitchcock. nephews, who have been
visiting the old man, left for their homes
IN Red Bluff and Salinas, respectively
yesterday.
DEATH OF DIR. JAMES W. BLAKE