The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-11
HISTORY OF THE DwIGGINsEs.
Speculative Fever on Big Scale
Runs Riot in Their Blood.

Runs Riot in Their Blood.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
RENSSELAER,, Ind, Sept 10-Elmer
Dwiggins and Jay Dwiggins, whose meteor
ic failure as spectators at New York was
announced to-day, were born and raised in
this town. Elmer Dwiggins is a graduate
of Ann Arbor University, where he exhibit
ed tendency to write poetry. Jay Dwig-
gins attended the Military Academy at
Orchard Lake, Mich, but never graduated.
About the year 1890 these young men, to-
gether with their father Robert s. Dwig-
gins, a preacher in the religious sect known
as Soul Sleepers,' removed to Chicago.
Their capital at that time amounted to
probably 5000 to $4,000 They were of that
turn of mind which believed that it paid
to live high, and they Immediately opened
up an elegant suite Of rooms in the new
Chamber of Commerce building and en-
gagged board at $40 per week for each of
them, before they had any visible income.
They Immediately took up with the scheme
of their uncle, Zimri Dwiggins. in float
ing alleged Mexican mines, and Elmer
DWigginS spent many months in Mexico,
during which time he invited several Of his
friends to examine the mines, and as a re-
suit thereof probably fifty of the most in
innate friends of the DwigginS family in
this part of Indiana invested many thousand
dollars in a mine, from which they realized
nothing. Many prominent men took stock
in this scheme, including Ex-Governor Ira
J. Chase and Secretary of State Owen, and
these were robbed with the others.
On the failure of the mining scheme Ell
mer DwigginS became interested with the
erratic bennington in his flying-machine
fake" which was short lived, after which
they embarked in the real-estate business
and floated the celebrated town of Griffith,
in Lake county. They advertised this town
in many of the metropolitan magazines and
journals, eXpending immense sums for ad-
vertising, and are understood to have sold
lots in every State in the Union and
town of Griffith never amounted to any
thing, and there are many vacant houses
ana taGtoTy shel fo 1epe f at tne Tune
In 1898, the firm, which was known as Jay
Dwiggins & Co, went down with Zimri
Dwiggins and his string Of banks in In
diana. Illinois, Michigan and Ohio, leaving
many creditors to ponder on the swindle
Heavy wine and champagne bills were also
cheap room in the Traders building, Chi
cago, across from the Board of Trade, and
employed couple of girls to address en-
velopes for them throughout the United
States, under the firm name of Valentine
& Co., brokers on the Board of Trade. 1t
was only remarkably short space of time
and checks poured into the firm. In few
weeks, instead of two girls, they had ten
girls employed IN a bv ednveis96Pe So
that season on wheat, and changed their
firm name to ArbogaSt q Co, and from
that to j. r. Willard & Co. Jay Dwiggins
had married Cora Arbogast a society girl
of Attica, Ind. The Arbogast carriage
works had failed at Attica some time be-
fore.
The Dwiggins boys then moved to New
York city, still retaining their office in
Chicago, and opened three offices in New
York-one in lower Broadway one in the
Stuart building, No. ESQ Broadway, and one
in upper Broadway. They also opened Of
fees in Montreal, Buffalo, and had five
wires running from their New York Of
city. Immediately on settling in New
York, and before they had business to any
great extent, they contracted for wire
services with the Western Union Telegraph
Company which cost them 900 per an
mum. They rented forty acres at Irving
ton-on-the- Hudson from Tiffany. the jew
oler on which they lived in the summer
time, and they boarded at the Majestic
Hotel. near Central Park. q high-priced
hosiery, in the winter, having private
launch on the Hudson and many servants
and carriages. Their failure yesterday IS
what many people have predicted who nave
known them for years in this vicinity, put
others who have known them better have
also predicted that they have suspended
full handed and that they will be heard
from again shortly.
When Jay Dwiggins married Miss Arbo-
CAST of Attica, her brother, Guy Arbogast
was taken in with them, and he is involved
TO some extent with them in the failure at
New York yesterday. Elmer Dwiggins
married at Sheldon, Ill. Robert 8. Dwig-
gins. the father of the meteortc spectators