The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-04
IOWA
LEWIS HAS ANOTHER
His First Fortune of $4,000 Melted
Away in Less Than Two
Fleeting Years.
He Was Good spender and His
Friends Encouraged Him
Wealth Again in Sight.
Special to The Journal.
"nhrHA OIL

Special to The Journal
Webster City, Iowa, Aug. 4.-Getting
ready to come into possession Of his sec
ond fortune. John P. Lewis, the former
King OF Stratford, is going thru bank
ruptcy proceedings in Butte, Mont What
he will do with this second fortune is a
matter for speculation, He ran thru his
first inheritance, amounting to $4,000, in
just two years.
When John was 10 his father died, and
his uncle. Jasper Bell was named as his
guardian. The property inventoried $685.
900 in cash, real estate in this state and in
Kansas, and valuable coal lands. The
young man wanted Immediate possession
Of the whole thing and worried over how
he was to get it. After consulting an at
torney, he learned that if he could obtain
his guardians consent to his marriage,
he could thereby get his property into his
own hands.
The records show that in December,
1884, John P. Lewis was given a license
to marry Emma Johnson daughter Of
Henry Johnson The money was now
Johns and he let the ropes and the anchor
drop. The first thing he did was to buy
a quarter section Of land three miles east
of Homer. He only paid $1,000 down on
the purchase altho he had money enough
to buy and pay for half dozen such
farms. He had other uses for the cash.
Later, the original owner Of the land got
price. Lewis then started to fit the place
up as the finest horse farm in this section
Of the country. He erected mammoth
stone barns with all the latest improve
ments and conveniences he could find.
Nickel plates, fancy iron work and pol
ished wood were everywhere.
The Lewis horses lived in padded stalls.
An extensive system Of waterworks was
established and a race track built on which
to train the horses. Word soon got
around that Lewis wanted to buy the best
horses he could find and he had no diff
Guilty in locating them; in fact, they were
brought to him. John never knew before
there were so many fine horses in the
west. He was the victim Of every big
CRATER in the state.
About this time Lewis started to cam
paign the race tracks. He bought an out
fit to startle the natives. Silk horse
blankets by the dozen and patent leather
halters with silver trimmings made the
name of Lewis we'll known on the Iowa
and western turf. At the home barn he
had as many as seventy-fve horses and
employed twenty men to care for them.
A little less than two years saw the end
Of the $65, 900. Before long, everything
was mortgaged up to the limit and when
the crash came there was a struggle
among the creditors to get their property
1t was difficult to find nything without
least one concerned. When everything
was gone he joined a threshing gang and
worked by the day. He has been working
ever since. About three years ago he
was employed at Frazier, a mining town
in Webster county, this state. One Of his
old friends Of his palmy days recognized
him and asked him how he felt over the
loss of all his property. "Oh, I feel lots
better than I did and my wife feels bet
ter. " When I had that money was tear
ing around the country and raising the
deuce, and now I am working every day
| and getting $50 and $50 month. I like
| 1t much better" - IN ~
| About two years ago Lewis went to
Butte, and nothing much has been heard
! from him until recently, when notification
was received of the institution Of bank
| ruptcy proceedings in the Montana courts
His old friends learned some time age
| there was another fortune waiting fol-
him and it is supposed these proceedings
are to prepare for his second Inheritance