The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-04-12
Cafflsman Who Mads Big FALL
urs Turns Up In Kansas.
TO WORK Fer NEW FORTUNE.
Queer Life Of 4 Spectator WAt Was Able
10 Borrow Ssms Immense
Sums sf Msnsy


plungers in the cattle business. who has
been in hiding IN Mexico ever since hIs
sensational collapse startled the finan-
cial world some two years ago, is coming
back to Kansas. lie n.ends 10 recoup
his vanished fortunes a,'p
Glliet Is the man who made the most
brilliant failure eyer -recorded In tho an
mails OF cattle dealing His career was
brief, II bristled with scandal and e
ended in disaster rs abrupt as IL was
complete
Flying from the fury of hundreds of
creditors, the meteoric Gilett escaped
Into Mexico with several hundred thous-
and dollars, all OF which lie has since lost
BY successfully iuckless investments.
Now he proposes TO WIN more millions IN
the field OF his former extraordinary op-
erations.
People who know Gillett shake their
heads skeptically at this new move on
his part. Their confidence in him re-
ceived an earthquake uphesval when he
disappeared I'm ss
During the ex-cattle kings stay in Mex
conducted a millinery business in Chi
huahua. This she has sold and with
the money saved from the wreck of his
former deals In Kansas the couple will
settle near the scenes OF their former
splendor and begin life over again
But not I'm the old way. Gillett will have
To adopt tactics radically different from
those that led him to financial ruin I'm
the days when he dazzled the country
81
and iilled the air with the rustic of cat
tie paper" money
With the bursting OF his bubble schemes
went the confidence or those who had
trusted him. IL Is I'm the face of all this
that Gillett Will make his proposed start
anew.
MAY PAY SOME CREDITORS.
To friend in Mexico the enterprisinx
Gillett has said that he will make some
sort of settlement with his creditors To
avoid prosecution. Before the crash
came he had made over some valuable
Kansas property to his wife. and this will
probably go 10 pacify his creditors.
Gillett has supreme confidence In him
self He is as boastfufs of his ability as
ever. lie is quite certain that In short
while he Will again control millions and
recover his lost prestige.
But when he disappeared behind the ex-
tradition over the Mexican border he no
longer possessed the power OF a Midas
VIII he regain it, The Kansans and the
Texans say NO" Gillett smiles a con-
fident Yes"
Once upon time he started with moth
Ing but nerve, and ran his credit up into
the millions. He succeeded In charming
large sums out of the Golfers of shrewd,
cautious bankers; he persuaded close
fisted ranchers into parting with $4,000
herds, and kept his creditors successfully
at bay while he cut the widest swath
ever known in Kansas He wants TO re-
peat another spectacular experience,
without repeating a fssco, VIII he?
Time will tell
Years ago Gillett was a sub-station
agent on scant pay In "A Kansas town.
He picked up telesraphy. secured bet
ter position, and married another tele-
graph operator.
Then he shipped some grain. collected
for more than was in the car, and disap-
peared. About a year later when his
parents had patched up this difficulty.
he returned home, and a divorce fol-
lowed
Glllett went 10 work on the home place.
a little. sun-baked Kansas quarter sec
tion. When his father died he received
his share OF the estate and speedily
squandered it, Then he went back TO
ticking the telegraph wire.
Soon afterward he got hold of little |
farm near Woodbine, mortgaged Il for a |
few hundred dollars. which was every |
cent II would stand. and went into the |
business of feeding other peoples cattle |
for the market |
wIFEs MONEY AIDED HIM
From the start he did we'll A few |
months later he married Miss Baum |
baugh a school teacher, who had 5000 of |
her own. and with her money he In |
creased his business. In two years he |
cleared $1,000 Then he began the dash
Ing career that made him the most talked |
Of man in the country for the time
His plan was simple-to buy lean cattle |
Oh the Southern ranges, ship them to
Kansas, and fatten them for market
Some years he shipped over 75, 900 head |
~ this way, and his pront was frequently /
s. head.
He built UP his colossal credit In this |
way: lie would go TO Texas and buy
cattle I'm big lots, say 10000 In bunch,
and ship them to woodbine, where's he
would sell them in small lots 10 feeders,
taking their notes. These notes ne In /
lorsed and turned over 10 Kansas city
commission houses.
With the proceeds Of these notes he
would Immediately buy another bunch OF
'attle. and turn them nc once into notes.
In this way he very soon had his busi-
ross running on a gigantic scale. and his
Endorsement on cattle. paper" was as
rood as cash in Kansas City.
Ills enormous success soon affected his
conversation and manners. He became
lbsurdly vain and highly extravagant
Presently Gillette began TO feed cattle
m his own account. lie fitted out his
arm With extensive barns corrais and
cediug yards. and put m lot or fanciful
ourhes that made the simple country !
ok stare in amazement
Very speedily he was fsttening over
900 head of steers day on his place and
~ the corn and fodder for miles around
vent 20 no market but his ranch At
hat time his running expenses on one
af4el-~efe ksf9 n day
A. he prospered he began TO buy
anches IN other places. and thus ex-
end his bases Of feeding operations. In
his way he soon had Central Kansas
otted with his holdings with 8 strins
4 them leading 90 the bis ranges Ia
oklahoma and Texas
The display that started the ,tirst dis
ussion ~ hts methods was the orezniss-