Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-23
Senator CLARK, OF Montana, Former.
" Lived in Van Buren, County.
WENT TO SCHOOL AT MT. PLEASANT
Career of the Immensely Wealthy SEN.
ator Whose Seat il Being Contested
-Architect of His own Fortune
AN Accomplished Linguist.

interested IN the following account OF
Senator Clark, of Montana, taken from
the Washington Star, which says that
Mr.. Clark was once a resident of Van
Buren, county, and that he studied law
for two years at Mt. Pleasant:
William A. Clark, whose right to a
seat in the United States senate is be-
ing contested, and is now under in
vestigationss the committee of privi-
leges and elections Of that body, has
had a somewhat remarkable career.
1t is the belief of his friends, who are,
of course, confident of his ultimate sue
cess in the present controversy, that
no member OF the upper house will at
tract more attention than will he, not
by reason Of the proceedings in which
he now figures, nor of his great wealth,
but for his intelligent grasp of public
question and the ability with which he
{ will discharge his duties. Senator
Clark has the reputation of being
enormously wealthy, and he was the
sole architect of Mis- own fortune. At
fair estimate his wealth may be es-
timated at about $30,O0O,0O0, and his
daily income in the neighborhood of
$4,000. Its accumulation began when
he was a mere boy at labor. Now his
Operations reach from one tide water
to the other. In old Mexico is the i'm
pulse of his resources felt. In Europe
painters and sculptors know his name
and respect his judgment. He owns
mines OF gold and silver; he extracts
sugar from beets; he operates coal
mines and railroads; he owns fac
s tory for the manufacture of copper
wire; he is beginning to grow coffee,
sugar cane and rubber. and may be-
come a grower of tea; he is broker
and a stock grower.
The scale on which each Of these en-
terprises is conducted is large, and vet
MIR. Clark finds time to keep abreast
of the latest in literature, in science
and in art, and he has knowledge OF
public affairs and men that many with
Tar more leisure lack. This is truly a
marvelously large stride from the days
when he taught school in country
district in Missouri in 1S59-60.
Lived In Van Buren County.
Mr.. Clark was born January s, 1899,
near Connellsville, Pa. From Pennsyl-
vanla his parents moved to Van Buren,
county, Iowa. The elder Clark was /,
farmer and the son had three months
Of winter school and nine months of
farm work. Later he ATTENDED Laurel
Hill Academy. and afterwards an acad-
envy at Mt. Pleasant, where he studied
law for two years. In 1859 he Went to
Missouri, taught a country school for
N s year, and then went further west
ward. In 1862 he crossed the plains to
Colorado, locating at Central City,
where he engaged in quartz mining.
There he gained the practical exper-
fence that has been of such value to
him since.
The next year the news of the. gold
finds in Montana reached him, and he
started for the new Eldorado. The first
season he made ST, 800 net. He realized
that there was more money in merchan-
dising than in placer mining, an with
his $1,000 he went to Salt Lake City,
bought all the goods he could and re-
turned with them to Virginia City,
4 where they were disposed of at en-
ormous profits. For several years he
followed up his business, and in 1868
the original cash capital Of $1,5O0 had
grown to as many thousands. Then
he formed a partnership Wild r. w
Donnell of New York for the purpose
of carrying on mercantile and
banking business. Deer Lodge was
selected, and the bank was located
there until 1884. Then Mr.. Donnell's
interested was purchased by Mr.. Clark
who moved the bank to Butte, and
today it is one of the leading private
banks of this northwest.
His Mining Interests.
In 1872 Mr.. Clark purchased group
Of mines near Butte and they proved
to be fabulously rich. To equip him.
self to manage his own business he
took a course in the mining depart
ment at Columbia College, New York
He has kept his mining studies up
and while he employs mining experts
he is personally the final judge oil
value when purchase is to be made
He has acquired mine after mine in
4 the Butte district and now owns q
score OF the richest and most famous
His, luckiest investment, tho, was il
the Verde copper mine at Jerome, Ariz
Other capitalists had CHANGED at it be
fore Mr. Clark, but their experts re
ported Tito be valueless. Mr.. CLARK
examined git personally, conducted
his own I'll, text, bought the
property and owns it today
NJ m