The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-14
HAS SOLD 4 HERD or ELEPHANTS.
Part of the Assets of the Late Mr.. Cheek,
in His Business with the King of Siam.

POrt OF the Assets OF the Late Mr. theek,
in His Business with the King of Siam.
WASHINGTON. May 13.-Warner p. Sutton OF
Saugatuck. Mich, has Just sold fifty elephants.
He received S37.l 20 for the bunch. or S742. 20
a head. and he says It was an extra good price.
He had had the animals upon the market for
two years. and would have been glad to get
$4,000 for them. The elephant market was
glutted. however. and he had to wait until a
customer came along who could afford to own
such a herd and to employ the 100 men need
ed to care for and work the beasts.
These elephants were part Of the Cheek
estate in Siam which Mr.. Sutton is settling up
for tho widow. Mrs. Sarah Bradley Cheek Of
oakland. Cal. The late Mr.. Cheek was an
American citizen who lived in siam. and being
a man who feared nothing he went into tho
lumber business in partnership with the
Siamese King. His Majesty furnished tho
forests and possibly the capital. At any rate
Mr.. Cheek put in the brains and the enterprise
| prospered. 1t is not charged that Mr.. Cheek
died because he was the Kings partner. but at
any rate he passed away, and there we're
rumors OF differences between him and the
King before he did so.
When Mrs. Cheek asked for a settlement
there was trouble. What the trouble was is
not clear. but it seems that the King did not
intend to be rash about paying her anything.
As he has 800 wives himself. it may be that he
regards wives as strictly a luxury and not to be
considered in connection with business. Then,
again. it may be that in view of the number OF
his own better halves. the King was appalled, at
the precedent he would establish II he weakly
turned Cheeks property over to a woman.
Anyhow; he, wouldn't pay. and stood pat on it.
brother, the Rev. Dan bradley Of Grand RAPIDS.
through who9 the mater ate was placed d., in the
siderable experience In handling recalcitrant
foreigners; He had never handled an unruly
at Mt'ihft his s i ne Majesty Just i as ~ he SS Would at an
ordinary foreigner. There is q place over in
the state Department here in Washington
Sam does the rest. MIR. sutton pushed the
The King OF Siam took it hard at first. 1t
was new to him. But the pressure from Wash
snEi2 he s sGne5p the ad! neee Of hi his f fr!end. the Brit b +
ish Minister. about the advisabilitv Of wipinG
the United States off the map. But as q Brit
Bangkok. the Siamese CAPITAL, that was paying
II per cent. dividends. and other Englishmen
as both Enterprises needed peace. the Minister
told the King the. truth about the strength Of
legged. consulted the German Minister. but Ger
mans owned the Bangkok electric lighting
plant and a large number OF warehouse and
shelled either. So the German Minister also
described the Americans as the most ruthless
devils In tle world 10 nGnt.
have done 80 slowly and reluctantly. It is now
four years or more since he began to yield, and
the Cheek estate Is not yet settled. An allow.
ance has been made to the widow to live upon
and the assets OF the numbering business Of
Cheek and the King are being closed out, but
Il may be several years. more before. Mrs
Cheek is in actual. possession Of the half mil,
lion or more still due her.
The elephants recently disposed Of were en-
ployed to handle heavy timbers, and they are
away up in the interior OF. Siameso Burmah
500 miles from Bangkok. MIR. Sutton says he
to present one to Gov. Pingree if that tanner o
the octopus and other wild beasts will pay The
freight on the gift.