Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-11

was dead.
The death of Col North has caused
great excitement in financial circles, and
it also created a sensation when it was
announced in the lobby of the House
of Commons.
The belief is growing that Col. North
died from stroke of aDoplexy, not heart
disease, as at first generally believed,
and that the oysters and the stout he
drank at the bar probably were the di-
rect cause of the attack.
Few stories of today are more ro-
mantle than that of the rapid rise to
wealth of John Thomas North, who was
known as the Nitrate King both be-
cause it was to that product that he
owed his fortune and because. of his
open-handed way of distributing his
wealth. Although the richest man in
Great Britain at the time of his death,
his origin was most humble. A DIRK
shire mechanic, he went to Chill; when
he was % years old, tWenty-eight years
ago, and riveted boilers in the town Of
Huasco. At this time the nitrate fields
of Peru were beginning to be talked of
as a good field for speculation. He be-
lieved that he could employ his mechan-
zeal ability there, and left as soon as
he could afford to make the venture.
His work was largely in the nitrate
fields, and he was one of the first to prlr-
chase nitrate. For twenty years he con-
tinued to purchase it. lie mastered ev-
cry detail of the nitrate business, and be-
gan to erect works here and there in
Tarapaca.-
1t is needless to track the progress Of
the Nitrate King" in detail through
the successive stages which have led to
his possession of a fortune exceeding
$100,00O,000. His far-sighted business
sagacity enabled him to see opportuni-
ties for money-making that were not APP
parent to others. Gradually he secured
control of the greater part of the nitrate
beds. Water is a precious commodity
in that region, so North got control of
the water companies. He needed ships
and railwaysfor transportation of freight
and passengers. and he built them. When
the war between Chill and Peru broke
out he found new openings for the rapid
accumulation of wealth and promptly
availed himself of them, getting control
of railways, gas works and other cor
porations, which in his hands paid as
they never had done before.
After Col. North has become one of
the worlds richest men, he placed his
South American affairs in competent
hands, and returned to England to enjoy
however, he engaged in new enterprises.
the chief of which was the manufacture
of cement in Belgium, which has proved
almost as lucrative as the production OF
nitrate of silver.
In Great Britain Col. North quickly
became famous. His prodigal liberality,
the magnifcence of his entertainments
and the palaces which he built for him
self quickly made this Monte Cristo the
cynosure of all eyes. His wealth opened
the doors of society to him, he became
a friend of the Prince of Wales, and
from that time his name has been con-
stantly on the public tongue.
Col. North was well known as a pa
tron of the turf, his racing stable be-
ing the best in England. He was also
d dog fancier and an admirer of the
work of artists. His country house at
Ethan is filled with costly objects Of art,
and he was always ready to buy any
that came into the market.