The Seattle Republican. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1???-1915, 1901-03-29

counties OF the state for political
recognition on the state ticket y
Whether this be true or not, it is an
undeniable fact that from 1885 to
1898, during which time Mr.. Hunt
was the political head Of the Repub-
lican machine in this county, King
county always got whatever it want
ed, whether it was United States
senator or governor; whether it
wanted public patronage or public
hOnors, all came one and alike.
There is no doubt but that should L.
S. J. Hunt once more enter the field
of politics in King county a most re-
markable political revolution in the
affairs Of King county would be the
result.
% % %
But in the height Of all his glory,
when public opinion was swayed at
his command, when money to him
was like so many grains of sand,
when his word or signature would
command money by the thousands
of dollars, a fearful adversely over
took him, and all Unexpectedly, while
sailing over life's passive lakes, a
breaker, deadly and dangerous, hove
in sight. The panic Of 1898 was on
and fortunes melted away before it
without moments warning, fnan-
ciers in the North, South, East and
West were falling thick and fast be-
fcOre the panic that was sweeping
over the entire country like deadly
cyclone 1t was said at the time that
L. S. j. Hunt could easily have com
handed a million dollars on his in
vestments in and about Seattle any,
where from 1890 to 1898, but to
that amount for his property inter
estS he laughed his bidders to scorn.
Gigantic schemes were undertaken
by him, which, had not the panic
oVertaken, would have made him a
multi-millionaire many times over.
His Kirkland investment under
Ordinary circumstances would have
Melted him millions, but financial
panic, as said before. overlook him.
and he like hundreds and thousands
Of others found himself not exactly a
pauper, but a financial wreck. He
was forced to the wall in first one
place and then another. His real
valuable property was put up to pro-
tect himself from loss in other less
valuable investment until all was
total wreck to him. Truly those
were blue and dreary days for the
man who had welded such a power
in this community, and it must have
called for superhuman efforts on his
part to not do something rash, so
great must have been the mental
strain upon him Surrendering
everything within his grasp to his
creditors he sought new fields to re-
gain his fallen fortunes, and backed
by few friends who still had i'm
plicit confidence in the mans ability
to make money, he went to China
and Japan to secure railroad con-
cessions, but in this he was not Who'll
ly successful. He informed those
backing the proposition that there
was nothing feasible from a fnan-
Iclal stand point in the undertaking.
He however was attracted to
Core, where there was much
mining being done in a crude
and awkward form, there he soon
got concessions from that govern
ment to vast mining possessions
Returning to New. York city he said
to his friends that he now had some
thing that was tangible, that was
valuable, that was worth while to in
vest in. They took him at his word,
and he Immediately returned we'll
supplied with money to carry on his
undertaking, and as a result he now
returns to the United States worth
far more money than he was ever
supposed to be worth in Seattle.
While neither Mr.. Hunt nor his
friends desire to give out any figures
as to his real worth in Corea, vet it
is very apparent that his possessions
there will in a remarkably short
time make him one of the United
States most wealthy men.
% % %
But the romance of this whole
story is that L. S. J. Hunt has final