The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-30
SWEETS OF WEALTH
EXTREMES OF AFFLUENCE AND
POVERTY EXPERIENCED IN --
TWO WEEKS
AN ACTOR IN SOUTH AMERICA
One Of the Echoes of the Stock
Slump In JOhannesburg-H
Lee Has Heart-Breaktng Mix
ture of JOY and Sorrow I'm n
Fortnight In the Fnr-OH SOUTH
land.
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.


land.
From the st. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Henry Lee, who is impersonating
great men, past and present, at the
Columbia theater had an escape from
great riches, through a narrow vista
of which he beheld for few Meeting
weeks tn e glittering transformation
from the acrobatic life of a lightning
change artist to the luxurious existence
CT a multimilliOnaire.
Mr.. Lee was in st. Louis six years
ago supporting Fanny Davenport In
Shakespearean roles. Since that time
he has circled the globe and pressed
the dream of wealth that is In every
man close 70 realization.
Like his part on the stage, Mr.. Lees
life in the world of reality has been d.
versified. His philosophy Of life is "ac-
cident and environment" although he
says one must strive for success or his
own acts may interfere with Fate's
plans for him.
1T was accident and environment
that led me to take up the work l am
BOW doing" he said Accident was
responsible for my first appearance as
an impersonatOr. The developments Of
that accident led me to Africa and
there environments placed a fortune at
poor again.
ION the night of the death Of Alex
ander, car Of Russia. in 1894, l put
on an representation Of him at the Pal
ace theater, London. After London
success I took a three mOrthS' holiday
and went to Africa, Johannesburg be-
ing my destination.
II put on representations there and
the prominent people of the town were
kind enough to bestow friendship aus
we'll as public approval upon me. That
was the
TIME OF THE GREAT BOOM
in South Africa. Everybody was rich
and getting weather. each day. FIVE
pound notes f1Oated about like ten-cent
pieces now.
MY initiation into the stock market
was brought about without my knowl-
edge, but it seemed to lead to perma-
nercy at the time. 1t came about in
this way:
"One of my close friends, Sol Tore,
nephew and partner of Barney Bar
nato, assigned some shares in a new
mine to me at the issue price before
the script was placed on the market.
He said nothing to me about It until
Rome days later, when the price had
gone up several points.
Z owe you some money Henry
to lunch at the Northwestern hotel.
I disclaimed any knowledge of his
Indebtedness and he explained the
transaction. My profit in that deal was
close on to $1,000.
Similar occurrences followed.
found that it was a custom among the
men In the inner circle who controlled
affairs at Johannesburg to provide for
their friends when launching a new
deal The market was all one way;
you could not lose. The promoters
would
ASSIGN STOCK TO FRIENDS
at the issue price. Once on the market
the stock would jump skyward and the
friends would be notified Of their profit.
well, so it was with me. I was one
OF the friends.
II would receive notification Of the
assignment of stock to me and find by
the quotations Of the same day that my
holdings were some pounds more per
share than the figures charged to me.
For a period of weeks 1t was my
last duty before going to bed to con-
suit the quotations and estimate the
amount my wealth had grown during
the day.
II gave up the theatrical profession
at the solicitation of gentlemen who
volunteered and insisted upon making
me rich. Their word was as good as
their bond, and the bond Of the COM
binatiOn could have been given for
more millions than I had ever seen
thousands.
1.-THE sign Of Jewell & Lee, Bankers
and Brokers' was added to the dozens
on the Barnato buildings. 1 went on
the floor of the stock exchange daily
and held on to my securities while they
JUMPED BY THE POUND.
'I was on the inside and knew that
the market was not going to turn. In
stead of selling for small profits I
bought in the good enterprises that
were pointed out to me.
MY career on the exchange was
brief. I was commissioned by the Bar
nato syndicate to go to New York and
get their securities listed on the Amer
lean exchange.
IT left Johannesburg Oct. IS, 1895. On
that day 1 could have sold my stock
for $1,000 However, I sold only
enough to realize $500, which 1 want
ed for expenses.
After delightful voyage Of two
weeks. I reached Madeira and there
found several hysterical cablegrams. l
hunted up London paper and found
that the very bottom had dropped out
of everything 1 was interested in.
More cablegrams came, calling me
DdCh 10 JONdnn6SDurS. got BACK on
the day before the Jamison raid Jo-
hannesburg was in a panic. Policemen
PATROLLED THE STREETS
with muskets on their shoulders Ev-
erybody was armed. Pistols sold for
800 and as high as $780, Bread was at
a pEphibitive price
my friends were In jail, menaced
with death. No man could safely be
non-cOmbatant; he had to take sides
with one party or the other
My stock was not worth the paper
1t was printed on. The thousands ]
had owned in reality and the millions
in anticipation were swept away.
But my trunks Of wardrobe and
makeup were still there fortunately.
Il played down the coast to Cape
Town and set sail for England. On
the way over I had fall on deck and
received a bruise on the hip. An alb
sess developed which the ships doctor
declined to consider seriously.
AS a result 1 was on my back q
year In London. From being a mil
ioDaire, in thought at least, I was
compelled to fall back on my friends
to see me through the siege of illness. .
Pie.
Pfa. &c