The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-04-28

Ano VINO ff1nc01y 0OF.
tunes In . Short Tims-Max Lebaudy
and New Yerk's "King Of tho
Dudes" .
q
Never has there been a time since
newspapers were invented that the
struggle for wealth furnished more
news than now. Yet there is a great
dearth of talk concerning %prodigals.
At this time the world has no big
spendthrift of the class of Howell Os-
born, the New York dude: Max Lee
baudy, the French sugar refiner's son,
and Ernest Benzon, better known as
Jubilee Juggins." These three men
were unique in their extravagances.
Benzon was the son of a German junk
man in London, who died when Ben
zon was a boy. leaving his fortune to
be divided equally between his son and
his adopted daughter. Young Benzon
was 10 before he was told of his ia
TIERS riches. From his infancy every
penny allowed him had been doled out
with the utmost penuriousness, his
clothing was poor and mean, his edu-
cation was anything but that which
would fit him to manage a big prop
efty, and such acquaintance as he was
allowed to make were of the wrong
sort. Naturally he lost his head on
discovering the truth. which had been
kept from him so that the fortune
might grow. Within a week after he
learned the situation the youngster
spread the news widely. Not only did
his credit become limitless. but the
money lenders fairly sought him out
to press loans upon him. Before he
was 81 Benzon had succeeded in run
ming $165,000 in debt. The entire prop
erty to be divided between him and
his foster sister amounted to $780,
900. OF his share $3.50 was in ready
cash. Most young chaps, even OF. .ex-
%travagant ideas, would have made: that
much loose money do for a while, but
within twenty-four hours after he was
81 Benzon drew out $3.50, 900 wherewith
to pay the debts of his minority and
meet the expenses of a trip to Austria
liza, whittier he started with as little
delay as possible. He then left in ne
gotiable securities almost a million
dollars. In two years he was dead
broke. Benzon's fads were gambling
and fine clothing. He rarely wore the
same suit twice, and as he Eve gave
away any of his apparel, his collec-
ton Of trousers, coats, waistcoats,
cravats and other personal belongings
was immense. Benzon's father had the
wisdom Of leaving a trust fund for his
son, and upon the income from this
the spendthrift has since worried
along. Lebaudy's a was different.
Lebaudy, the father, began poor, but
speedily became rich in the sugar
business, his career being so similar
to. that of q certain great American re-
finer that he has been spoken of fire.
quently as the French Havemeyer. Old
Lebaudy deliberately taught his o to
be a proligate, to take for his motto
the significant saying, youth comes
but once" Nine. Lebaudy. did not ap-
QIOvC VI LAAos 0AU SAVAS SOAAS W
bitter q~uarrels in the family over the
path taken by the son while the father
was alive. The father paid all the
sons bills c%heerfully, and even when
lying PROSTATE from paralysis just
prior to his death urged Max not to
pay any heed to his mothers protests.
On the old mans death Max came into
a fortune of S. 5000, 900.
Nine. Lebaudy wa grieved at her
sons course while his father was
alive. Later she was horror-stricken,
for almost before the sound of the
clods falling on the old mans coffin
died away the young man redoubled
his expenditures, rushing into every
conceivable sort of exces that was I'M
paralleled even in Paris. Being a
Frenchman, Lebaudy's gallantrfes were
notorious, but he spent his money in
every imaginable direction, Paris
dressmakers got millions. Of francs;
entertainers of the sort characteristic
of Paris got other millions, and still
other millions were scattered in the
gayest towns in Italy and Switzerland.
Like Benzon, in two years Lebaudy got
rid of all his money save q trust fund
of which he could spend the income
only. After that he had to serve in
the army, and while in military sefv-
ice he died of consumption. Lehaudy
was the victim of Partisan blackmail-
ers. and hundreds of thousands Of
francs were wrung from him.
Howell Osborn for years was known
as the-"King of the Dudes" after Berry
Wall stepped down and out, and cut a
wide swath. The elder Osborn left q
large. fortune. Howell managed to
scatter 81, 0 900. Young Osborn spent
money in wads before his fathers
death. After that his income was from
$25, 900 to $4,000 a year till his moth
er's DEATH, when he came into the
residue Of the family wealth. on con
dition that he should not marry an
actress or a singer. BY reason. Of good
credit and q knack he had Of taking a
lucky flyer ION the street" once in a
while, however. Howell managed to
put a good deal more than, his income
into circulation every year. Hescleared
up 100000 at n clip in an operation
in st. Paul. and lucky strikes In other
Essga~ ~ " .A..-N =