The age-herald., 1899-09-08
JACOB CoxEY
 STRIKES IT RICH

Massillon. O.. Letter to the St. Louis Post
 Dispatch.
 'Genera1' Jacob Sechler Coxey, the 1ead- CT of Coxeys army and the advocate of good roads. has struck it rich, 1t Is re- ported, in Missouri lead and tin mines.
 About a year ago MT. Coxey and some other Ohio capitalists organized a com pany to prospect near Joplin, Mo, and they took a lease of the Shoal Creek company's property. about three miles from that city For six months they met with little sue cess, but now, 1t is announced, they have struck an immense vein of lead ore, said to be ten feet thick and very rich.
 This may mean fortune to MT. Coxev -or, rather, another fortune For, con trary to the general impression, he !s I wealthy man, prosperous and successful man of business. He lives in a comforta- ble home about seveh-lniles from this city, where he freely talked with the correspon- dent about his business successes and po- litical ideas.
 MT, Coxey is heavy-built, dark-con- plexioned of middle age, with q smooth, full face. He is under fifty years of age and Is rich.
 Upon his mothers side General Coxey descends from a Swiss parent named Reese, who left the Catholic church, mar ried thrown into prison, was released by Napoleon and emigrated to America His Sechler ancestor fought with Washing ton in the. Revolution, the first American Coxey coming over from England rather later.
 In 1881 MT. Coxey bought and began to develop his stone quarries. Besides guar rying building stone and grind-stones he works stone into sand used for molds to make steel castings in Man of peace as he is, his sand has nodded the steel plates for many an American warship. MT. Coxey is also successful farmer and stock rais- CT.
 General Coxeys residence is almost unique in this country. It is a two-s sory log house, built more than 125 years ago, but still as sound as a nut. The big rooms. with their huge, open fireplaces and books and pictures, an ideal home for a man of culture.
 MT. Coxey edits the Massilon Evening Item. As the roads are often horrible, he runs in and out of town in a naphtha launch used on the Ohio canal whica passes his house and quarres. He has built tiny suspension bridge over the ca nal to get at his landing place more easily.
 Quarries and farm and newspaper are not enough to keep this man busy, and he is now preparing to tour the country in a special train of three cars, each bear ing the legend: Jacob sechler Coxey's Good Roads and Non-Interest-Bearing Campaign Car
 First there is Pullman hotel car for the Coxey family and guests; then comes a tent car to carry big tent that will hold when raised 10000 people. The third cur is to carry the tent men and a brass band. These two cars are covered with curious pictures and lettering. MT. Coxey will spend 5000 in this campaign. He has dis tributed free of cost 600.000 copies of his pamphlet upon good roads and non-inter- est-bearing bonds He seems to make money, a successful business man, only that he may spend 1t again in pushing his pet theories.
 MT. CoXey's unique campaign began by his wagons getting stuck in muddy pub lie road, which he finally had to repair at his own expense. This suggested to him that in hard times the great army of the unemployed might be set road-making at wages of not less than $1.50 per day. This, of course, is not new idea. But it is also his notion that such work should be paid for by misunderstanding bonds, to be paid in twenty-five annual instalments.
 MT. CoXey is highly spoken of by buS- ness men in Massillon. He employs forty workmen, and has never had any trouble with them. Their only complaint of lim is this:
 Say, he spends every cent he makes on his campaigns; an he don't want no of- fee, either. Gee! He's a mark an't he?'
 MT. Coxey has a charming wife, four sons and a daughter. The pet of the house. hold is the youngest boy. Legal Tender Coxev now vears old