The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-05-07

LONDON, May Colonel John u.
North, who died last evening, was SO
years old He was universally known
as the Nitrate King" He was very
every part of the world, and his
nitrate fields are better than any gold
mine in existence. His expenses every
year, outside of his business, were more
than So00,000 and his income is sup
posed 20 have been more than $5,OOO,-
900 year He had cement works in
Belgium which brought him a fortune
and which were, until he saw them,
nothing but brick yard
He was an Englishman by birth, and
he came from Yorkshire. His father
was coal merchant, who brought him
up as a civil engineer, and put him
into business as soon as he was able
to do anything for himself. He was
connected as an employee in a steam
plow works when his father died leav-
ing about $4,000 to his family Young
North, though he was then married, at
once gave his share of his estate to
his mother, and shortly after this he
went to South America with his wife
to
SEEK HIS FORTUNE.
He went there as a civil engineer
and soon saw the immense possibili-
ties for fortune making wil;cl, exist on
the western coast of that country. He
invested in a number of different
speculations and made money. HI,
then began to buy nitrate and kept
buying from time to time. until he al
last got control of the biggest nitrate,
FIELDS in the world. He made millions
by buying guano and it seemed that
everything he touched turned into
gold.
From Monday morning till Friday
every week he devoted his whole at
tention to business. But at the end OF
the week he sought to obtain eniov-
ment from his vast wealth and opened
his country house to guests and friends,
entertaining laviShly He was never
ashamed of his humble beginnings, and
he secured social recognition through
the friendship of the Prince of Wales.
In 1895 he ran for parliament and wa,
defeated He had never before inter.
ested himself in politics, and was
NOT SERIOUSLY DISTURBED
by the rebuff. His opponent was no
less parsonage than Gladstone him
self, and yet he expected to win. He
told the voters that he did not know
much about politics and that anything
proposed by Lord Salisbury was good
enough for him
Colonel North was fmpulsive, liberal
and generous. In person he was of
medium height and moderately stout.
In manner he was bluff and hearty. He
leaves a widow and one daughter.
LONDON, May 6.-The death of
Colonel John Thomas North, known
throughout the world as the Nitrate
King" is the subject of discussion here.
Colonel North died last evening in the
once OF the Guano syndicate. in this
city. For some reasons the officials of
the company were extremely reticent
about giving out the facts in the case
the rumor of the death of Colonel
North having been emphatically denied
by persons who knew the details of his
sudden Illness in the Offices of the La.
gumos company. He had not been i'll.
up to within a very short time before
his death. and as the fatal sickness
occurred shortly after he had eaten
some oysters which had been sent to
him from neighborng restaurant il
IS believed possible that his death NAV
have resulted from
ACCIDENTAL POISONING.
There have even been suggestions that
poison might have been placed in the
blv3lves by some unknown enemy, but
this is not considered possible when
the fact that Colonel North was man
OF many friends and apparently no
enemies.
The police have taken charge of the
oyster shells in order that an investi-
cation may be conducted, but a general
belief prevails that Colonel North's
death was due to some organic trouble
A post mortem examination will be
made at once
Colonel North's racing horses r,Iwvd
and Hebron bad been nominated in the
Kempland Park jubilee stake, but CIV
ing to his death the nomination will
be cancelled
Owing to the reticence of his asso-
ciates, it is impossible to obtain a de-
tailed statement of the incidents SIR
rounding the death of Colonel North
Arrangements for the funeral have not
yet been perfected.
ONE OF THE RUMORs.
discussed at the club and theatres TO-
night is the rumor that in spite of his
reputation of being one of the half
dozen wealthiest men in the world,
Colonel North did not possess the
wealth which business men as well as
the social world credited him. Some
OF his EuroDean investments turned
out badly. His expenses were enorm-
Gus, and it is known that his business
investments in South America during
recent years have not paid as we'll as
prior to his removal to this country.
Natural Causes.
LONDON, May Gas a result of an
inquest today upon the remains of the
late Colonel North a verdict of death