The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-10
EASY TIMES IN OLD MEXICO
SOME WELL KNOWN FRESHMEN
WHO BECAME MILLI0SAIREs.
How Their Money Was Made-The
Life stories of Don Patricio Mil
mo and Don Fred o'BoyIe-yast
Wealth With but Little Effort.

gulf from New Orleans. They, of course.
made a great ueai Of money, and the
widow of one OF them, the daughter of
Gen. Garcia, later married Don Juan
Clark, and her daughter, by Devine, mar
ried Francisco Garcia Msguerza, for many
years a merchant on the main piazza in
Matamoras, who received with her large
fortune, which in some way he managed
TO dissipate, falling in the early SOS and
dying in Monterey quite poor. This was
somewhat remarkable, as he was man
who lived quietly and was not of a specu-
laavo nature. and thus ended the last or
the Deyine dollars
Don Juan Clark, the stepfather of this
Mrs. Meguerza. was the first employer
that the great Monterey multi milionaire,
Patricio Milmo, had in this republic.
Clark, with Pats brother, Frank, were
IN business together under the firm name
Of Milmo & Clark, having the two little
stores. one in Monterey. run by Clark.
and the other In Saltillo, under Franks
management. Pat came over from VAL
ley Mote, county Sligo. in 1913, and went
TO work in the store in Monterey with
Clark. His brother Frank did not want
to give him any salary until he had
learned the language. but Clark, who was
always liberal, insisted that both OF them
had had a salary on their arrival and in
sisted that Pat should have one, too, so
he could thank Don Juan for the first
money he ever earned. In 1851 Frank died
from the effects of hard living. while on
a voyage home to Ireland. and Don Juan,
having married and retired in 1880, leav-
ing $4,000 capital in the house, the bust
ness was moved to San Luis Potosi. Pat
as the clerk having control of IL. Here
things took bad turn, and Hale and
Mulioney sold the concern ont, though
Pat managed to save some 1900 from the
wreck This he invested on his own ac-
To-,
terey to attend tho fair there. Hale, Null
loney. Groean and others of the old-time
Irish merchants, helped him, and when
the fair closed he had made some $1,000
clear profit, and at the fair at Saltiilo,
which followed. he made 5000 clear
profit, and his wealth was estimated
when he died the other day at from 49,,
900 900 to so, 900 900. He established him
self at Monterey permanently and when
he married Prudenciana, the daughter of
the then Gov. Santiago Nidaurre, of Nuevo
Leon. he was worth about $4,000, This
was In 1856
Gov. Vidaurre was a man who himself
had worked TO the front by his own ener-
giles as politician and a soldier. and was
known as ''El Tiger del Norte," or Tiger
of the North" all over the republic. He
had advanced from a position which his
education had secured for him in the gov
eminent offices, to the post Of secretary
and confidential adviser of the then COVER
nor, Cordova, and In that office was the
first to see an order from the then presi-
dent of the republic. Santa Ana, who
thought vidaurre was becoming entirely too
popular TO shoot vidaurre." When he
read of this he lost no time, but with some
go men who had nocked TO him retired
TO Lampazos. where he was very popular,
and getting a force OF some 600 men IN
all, returned and took Monterey, thus max
ing himself the head of the power IN the
state This was in 1874 He was a leading
man In the political affairs In the northern
part OF the republic and In his state until
late In the sixties, when not at that time
being IN accord with the government, ne
was induced to go 10 the federal capital,
where he lay hid for some time. but ans
whereabouts was sold, 1t is said. by an
American. for tho sum of $4,000. and he was
shot by those in power. At the place of his
execution he gave a gold ounce to each OF
the soldiers who formed the firing party
there were five In alb. telling them TO fire
at his face
In 1854 or 1865 Milmo bought the famous
Mesa ranch In northern Nuevo Leon, which
is some afteen miles long by three or four
bread, has an abundance of wood, water
and pasturage for the herds of cattle that
roam over It's surface, while being on the
n
dred feet high. with steep sides and but
one narrow path by which the top can be
reached, they can neither stray nor be stolen
For this property he paid the Insignificant
sum OF s6o,ooo He was then very rich. TIE
following year. lses. Gen. Nesrete. who had
occupied Monterey during one OF the
changes Of power 80 common at that time
pleaded that Milmo. through Vidaurres
influences. had been able to get large
quantity OF goods Ia through the port Of
Tampico without paying fun duties. lie
caused Milmo to open hts safe and took
from II $500 that was there 20 pay his
troop. Don Juan Clark, who vas then in
the bloom Of manhood and fun OF deviltry
later wanted Niilmo to let him horsewhip
Negrete, who had come up on the border
and was on the American side. But Milmo
took the matter very cooily. saying that II
he had not had the money Negrete could
not have taken Il. and that there was
plenty more where that had come from.
During the Confederate war Milmo
opened branch house IN Matamoras
building a large store there. He did an
enormous business and his wealth In
creased with leaps and bounds. At that
tlme Don Juan Clark sent him a conslgn-
ment OF 20 bales ~ cotton. which at that
time vas worth some IS or 90 cents
pound from up the river. Time passed
AuG IN the rush OF HAHAhEss aA4Q loose
WAY 81 dcing things AZ that time the mat
ter passed over. 4 question grew out
OF Il and Don Juan never got the 20 100
or 80 due him. Perhaps matters might
have been amicahly arranged: as 7 have
had - number Of the Old-tims residents
who we're eonversant with affairs at the
time tell rue that they thought Clark'e
claim a fusi ore; but pon Juan always
Thought more % fun than money. had Al
lTlsbusans kuack ~ Gaping verses aud
about that tins made Mumo the bait %
ouc 20 his Jokes. The latter thought ths
verses ware intended 10 lSmpoon him.
and had but little good VIII 20 pay mere
than ~ was obliged. and 80 Clark never
got bis money. The oid-tlnae merchant
and boa v4vant. nsw hard ga - years I'D
after having spent dozen fortunes s.
Dot very well on In the goods q this
world. ana & would be . graceful act on
the part ~ the Milnao heirs. oui 81 their
millions. 60 recognize even Ia part. the
claim that should have been paid 50 many
years aEe
Another man who lost fortune about
this time. but Ia another way vas Don
~ af.a D.