Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-07
Boston Has a Whole Peer
age Of Them.
SOME OF THE LEADERS
Are Bigel0w, Burrage, Lawson and
Luce Who Are Identified With Ali
the Large Copper Concerns ii the
United States.

New York has her ''Napolieons of Wall
street Chicago her board of trade bar
ons,' and Boston has a whole peerage
OF copper mobiles. Whether this metal.
is SO enduring as the bronze and marble
in which the old mobiles of European
countries are memorialized time alone
can tell. 1t is certain, however, that
some OF them that last March wer appar-
emily of the first rank are to-day on a
par financially with the rest of the strug-
slnS world, their patent to nobility is
gone: they are not even simple baron
cts or even knights in Boston's cupri-
plutocracy.
Bigelow, Burrage, Lawson and Luce are
1our men who stand at the top of the
copper nobility, says the Boston Post.
Ihey have earned the title of kings
Perhaps this is why Boston leads the
country as a market for this metal. Four
kings in one hand is a combination hard
to beat. Each one of these men could
write a check for eight figures without
seriously gripping himself, and one and
all may trace their immense wealth to
copper: Mr.. Luce was a successful mer-
cnant IN textile staples before he became
ii magllate, and Mr.. Burrage had a very
respectable bank account through ma
nlpulating gas stocks before he aston
ished the market with his handling of
copper stocks.
Beyond a doubt Albert S. Bigelow is
at the very top of the Boston copper in
tereSts, and is estimated to be worth
from o,000,O 900 to $50, 900, coo. Since the
death of Frederick L. Ames he is the
wealthiest man in New England. He is
president Of the Boston & Montana. Butte
and Boston. Tamarack and Osceola cop
per mining companies, besides being the
presiding officer of the MERGED Gold Min
ing company. This list does not by any
means represent his interests in copper
mines. as he is a director in numberless
other ones. His fortune is estimated
to have increased not less than So, 900. 600
in the last two years by the boom in
copper stocks. amounting to a craze, and
he is known on State street as the cop
per king.
Mr. Bigelow owns two residences, each
one of which ranks with the palaiial.
One of these is on Commonwealth ave-
nue., corner of Fairfield street, and the
other is at Colasset, Mass, a town that
has become the Newport of Boston
princes of finance. The Boston house is
not remarkably ~pretentious on the exter-
ior. but the place is assessed at $50, 600,
the house being valued at Sal, COO. The
Cohasset residence is of a type resembl-
ms an English manor-house. 1t is bank
ed up by broad rolling terraces, and is
reached from the road by a macadamized
driveway, running between Well kept and
closely cropped lawns. The building is
thanked by wide %verandas. 1t is three
stories high, including a low. sloping
roof. The top floor is made nearly as
roomy as the other two by gables flying
off in almost every direction. The offices
where the court of Boston's copper king
is held are located in the Sears building
on the third floor.
Each of the copper mines, of which
Mr.. Bigelow is president and large own
er, has had an interesting history. The
Boston and Montana is located at the city
of Butte. in the state of Montana. 1t is
practically a opp mine, although it
produced silver to a considerable extent.
In this last particular the figures of the
fiscal year of 1867 showed earnings of
half d million dollars. The mine COM
manced to pay dividends eleven years
ago. This prosperity continued until
1891. 1t fell off at that time, and pass
ed until January, 1894, when it resumed
with one dollar a share seni-annually.
The increased use of copper caused Il
steady Improvement m the stock. and
the dividends increased to So a share
quarterly. In all there has been nearly
-, 1000 900 paid in dividends since August
20, 1888.
In connection with Mr.. Bigelow should
be mentioned Matthew Luce. This gen.
tleman has for many years been d sue
cessful wool comission broker and the
firm of Luce & Manning, of which he is
the senior partner, is one of the best
known in the city. MI. Luce has also
been the selling agent for the wool of the
Swift Provision company. This com
pany has large interests in Montana
ranches. and Mr.. Luce cafne to be init
mately acquainted With the mining prop
critics of that state. Since he has been
dealing in that metal he has been one
of the loyal hackers of AIR. Bigelow, and
his loyalty has brought him in many
bright and golden sheckels.
Mr.. Luce was born in Martha's Vine
yard, and when quite a young man came
to New Bedford. He now occupies a
handsome city mansion at No. 81 Marl-
boro street, and has a magnificent sum-
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