The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-17
ELI HAWKINS WANTED FUN.
Extravaganza of a Wyoming Cattle
man Who Became Suddenly Rich.

man Who Became Suddenly Rich.
Pomona, Cal, Dispatch TO New York Sun.
The death of Mrs. Jennie Hawkins in
poverty in little ram-shaclzle house on
the outskirts of Pasadena the other day
recalls her experience and her husbands
in the San Gabriel valley twelve years
ago. Eli Hawkins was cattle rancher in
Wyoming in the seventies, and sold out
to a syndicate for several thousand dol
lars. He Immediately removed down into
Southern CalifOrnia-the land of sunshine
and tomale-with his wife He bought a
2OO-acre tract of land, and began convert
ing it into suburban home park, and
orchards on scale that took the breath
OF the easy-going settlers there.
Money went through his hands ike
water, and the stories of his wild extrav-
agance and his queer notions will not cease
to be told in Los Angeles and Pomona i'm
this generation. Hawkins spent money
so recklessly that stories of his wealth
were exaggerated. He was said by many
to be worth $l0,G000OO and to have great
deposits in banks in every city from
Helena Mont, to Los Angeles while
others told exaggerated stories of his in
come from his Montana herds Hawkins
was slovenly resembled tramp, and
looked as if he never had IS in his life
1t was his delight to pass himself as
Vagabond and try his credit among bust
ness men, and finish by showing them one
of his bank books,
There were no improvements on the
tract he bought and he began operations
by fencing it. Every idle man in the
neighborhood was hired, and the trans
formation began Farmers who had
teams were employed, and the procession
of loaded wagons from the station to Haw-
kins land was sight to behold. In a few
days he had hundred men at work all
of whom were better dressed than their
employer. The large force soon completed
the fencing, which was the most substan-
tial of any in the valley. Then he set them
at work on his gardens and grounds He
employed a high-prced landscape gard
ener. erected large conservatory and
filled 1t with beautiful plants. The grounds
We're tastefully laid out with winding
drives and walks, 'arbors fountains and
little grottoes To look at the man and
then note his taste in the ARRANGEMENT of
his home one could not help marveling.
He bought an INVOICE of statuary Mt
Los Angeles and distributed the figures
around his park One day he came in
toxicated. and, as it had been raining
he concluded that the nude figures needed
some kind of covering. He procured some
paint and put black india rubber coats
on the Cupids. Next he fixed Apollo with
a flaming red shirt and green stockings.
Mercury was enveloped in blue tights
and bright red nose. Venus was rugged
out with black stockings and a yellow
gown
He built a coy cottage in his park
and during his many escapades made
things interesting for his neiyhbors. one
night he and his wife took an ak each
chopped their furniture to pieces. threw
it out of the window and burned it. The
next day they went to buy a new sun
ply They looked as if they had escaped
from a house of correction. They went
to the principal furniture house. The
cheapest sets were shown TO them. and
even theIa the clerk thought he was
wasting his time. But nothing was good
enough for Hawkins. The clerk gave nm
in disgust and left the seedy-lookint,
pair to themselves. The manager tber,
came in and asked them to go to the ton
floor, where he would show them some
Citing better. He showed them sets
worth all the way up to $3.50, when Haw-
kins asked him if that was the best. A
$3.50 set was exhibited
III take that; that's my style. Send
it to my ranch" he said.
When the manager announced to the
crowd of clerks that he had sold a 81 600
set of furniture there was a burst of
laughter in which Hawkins Joined. then
Hawkins proceeded to take the clerks
down a peg by inviting some one to ac-
company him to the Farmers and Mer-
chants Bank. on reaching the bank
the clerk was astonished to see the uresi-
dent come around and grasp Hawkins
by the hand. Hawkins asked him if his
check was good for 1880.