Evening star., 1896-07-18
MILLIONAIRE, PAuPER.


Alexander Gamble, oncel Worth 3d.
600, 900, I'm an Aims House.
From the San Br9ncisco Chronicle.
How fckle Is the goddess Of fortune was
never better shewn than in fhe case of Al
exander Gamble. seventy-three years Of
age, an inmate of the city and county
aims house. Forty years ago he was re-
puted to be worth between 100000 and
81. 100000. being reckoned as one Of the
wealthiest men in california Away back
in the later f1fties, when Gamble was the
owner Of extensive mining properties up in
Nevada, one Of the many men who worked
for him in the diggings was Patrick Red
dy. then a day laborer. Now, after the
lapse of two score years, Reddy fs at the
head of the institution which shelters Gam
BILE.
In 1s49 Gamble came to California from
Belfast, Me-, bringing with him nothing
but q pair Of strong hands and a college
education. He was sober and Industrious,
and within few years, by hard work, di-
rected by superior intelligence, gained a
controlling interest in several of the rich
est mines in Nevada. These were the
Wide West, the Del Monte. the Sunrise,
the Find, the Honest John and several 9TH
ers of lesser note. They were all at Auro-
ra, Esmeralda county, New. At that time
Gamble was on the crest of the wave of
good luck. His credit was almost without
limit. He could borrow thousands of dol
lars from the banks of this city on the Sc
curity of his mining properties. Gamble
availed himself of his ability to borrow,
and obligated himself for upward of $159, 600
for working his mines and accommodating
valuable realty holdings
In 1865 he bought part of the great Pull
gas ranch at Menlo Park, and expended
| over 100000 in stocking it with fine cattle
and horses and in erecting on 1t pretentious
buildings But just at the dawning Of the
seventies Candles fortune was reversed.
His mines deprecated in value his cred
itors pressed him, he found himself unable
to meet their demands, and the inevitable
followed. His creditors sold him out and
ne was LETT with what he had when he first
entered the state, twenty-five years before
"a pair Of strong hands and q college ed
ucation. To those possessions, of course
was added the experience he had gained in
the intervening time. AT the time Gamble
made over his property to his creditors he
was indebted to the Bank of California
about $1jO,ODO.
In 1S47 Gamble graduated from Water
vile College. Waterville, Me. This school
is now known as Colby University Gam
bic Is q member Of the Phi Beta Kappa
Society of the university, and only yester-
Day ne received a letter from the sociery's
secretary regarding it's affairs. After leav-
ing college Gamble taught for one year t
the Corinth Academy. That was just be-
fore he left Maine for California.
Gamble is a native of Ireland. He came
to this country when he was eleven wears
old and settled with his people at Lnneus.
Me- There was founded the Gamble home
stead and there still resides a married Sis
Ter or Gamble. Gamble paid most of the
purchase price of the homestead from his
earnings a school teacher and as a
miner In Nevada He thinks that proba bly,
he has an interest in the property on that
account, but he does not worry much about
IT,, as he has passed that period in his life
when money could give him pleasure
Gamble has living two sons, Ivan and
theodore. aged. respectively, twenty-four
a in,
York theater and Theodore 70 a musician
in Seattle.