The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-01-13
COPPER KING VS..
PROVISION KING
Thomas W. Lawson Building Yacht to Com
pete for the Americas Cup-His Dazzling
Career as Spectator and Copper
Stock Manipulation.

HoMAS ". LAWSON OF Bos-
ton. who announces that he,
too, viii. build yacht 10 COM
pete for the honor Of defend
ing the Americas cup against
the Upton challenger. is IA
nous as the Copper King" and the
owner CT the $4,000 carnation- In
Boston he had been known as daring
Spectator and the owner of a stable
of fast horses long before his spectacu-
lar copper and carnation deals made
him a conspicuous figure in the eyes
of the world. The story of Aladdins
lamp is hardly more dazzling than the
career OF this young American. for he
is barely II years old. The story OF
his leap from poverty to wealth reads
ike a fairy tale, but dis ups and downs
in the hurly-buriy of this great world
could have taken place in no other
age but this, and in few other lands
than the United States.
To lose 81 100000 in day or to win
it has not been an uncommon expert
ence in Tom" Lawson's marvellous
career, and whether making or break
ing he has always worn a smile to the
world. To pay 100000 for a new va
riety of carnation in order TO name IT
in honor of his wife incidentally rob-
bling H. n. Higginbotham of Chicago
of the right TO the beautiful fower)
or to pour out s250,000 to build and
run a cup defender are but trifles to a
man VINO squeezes Wall street in one
day for 81 900, 900 and the next organ
.izes the Rockefellers into a copper
syndicate that enhances values more
than $50, 900, 600 He is a remarkable
man. this genius who dabbles with
millions as with playthings, and he
has had a picturesque career.
y y
Born in Cambridge, Mass, about for
ty-one years ago, he showed his bent
early in life. He left school at the age
of u. without the consent OF his par
ents. and secured a place as messen'
ger boy to a Boston banker at 80
week. He worked just one day, for
his parents put him back in school,
Five days later he again deserted his
books to become a banker, and served
lust one day more at his self-chosen
trade. Ten days later he left school
for the third time. and the banker. i'm
pressed by his persistency, persuaded
his parents to let him hold his place
Young Lawson showed the stun that
was in him by devoting three hours
day to study. He thus broadened
his education, and while still in his
teens he began to write for the news
papers on financial topics. He was not
only a marked success in this work,
but the pointers he picked up about
the Boston Stock Exchange enabled
him to make several profitable deals
His knowledge of stocks led him
into speculation and he was worth $780,
900 at the age of 90. He was soon
known as a skilled operator, and by
the time he was "a he sat with million
aires in the directorates OF big corpe-
rations. He maze and lost several for
tunes before he was 80. He made one
fortune in Boston gas, and still larg-
er one in the Butte and Boston copper
mine. He lost 100000 specializing
in sugar stock and made it back dur
ing the sensational rise year or two
ago. For years he was barred from
the Boston Stock Exchange, but he
persisted and eventually forced his
way in He gave the aristocrats of
the Back Bav district shock when
he announced his intention of build
IN thoS hIrrn-
blooded section of Boston. He has had
a big investment in horses of high de-
gree. among them being Pointdexter.
Gorgeous, Enchanter and Enchantress.
He is also an enthusiast on dogs, and
among the animals in his kennel Is
$3.50 English bulldog.
= -
Mr.. Lawson is fine specimen OF
physical manhood. He is tall, ath-
letic and in the prime of life. He is
smiling and democratic, as might be
inferred from the habit Of calling hin.
Tom" a liberty that no true Bos-
tonian would take without great provo
cation. 1t is said that ten years age.
after one Of his reverses. this daring
Spectator could not raise 800, but
since then he has become known as
the Copper King" He began by sue
cessful deals in copper on his own &C.
count. and became conspicuous bv get
ting John d. Rockefeller and his as
sociates into a great financial 1ombi-
nation to buy Up the best copper mines
in the country. Here is his own story
of how he managed the deal that en-
HANGED the stock Of three companies
alone by the sum of $1e6. 900. 600:
Boston is the home of copper in
vestments. That may sound strange to
many. but the fact remains that for
fifty years copper has been the only
speculation INDUCED in ny Bostonians.
It came natural for me, therefore. to
take hand in the copper game. The
only way the Bostonian CANDLES In a
big way is in his coppers-
Chicago CANDLES in wheat. New
York in stocks and running horses,
but old Boston has never been weaned
away from copper The old Boston
chap doesn't think it is gambling to
dabble in copper stock. &
Many years ago Boston laid the
foundation of its present wealth and
through Michigan copper. and the Cal
umet and Hecla. Is the cause OF Bos-
tons wealth today.
In the early day copper was prac-
tically unknown outside of Boston For
several years I had been conducting
an investigation in the copper industry
one Of the greatest in the world. I
found that one pound OF copper. which
anyone could take out Of the ground
for s or cents, could be sold q tn.
place Of consumption ct ID and "a