New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-18

1904
and had printed large illustrated book de-
scr,ntive of the farm. of which he gave copies
70 his guests as souvenirs of their visit
Mr. Lawson prides himself almost as much In
being an author as a broker. When only bank
clerk in his teens he was wont to spend his
evenings In writing bits OF fiction and verse.
He was once upbraided for thus 'idling away
his time" by a hard headed banker who Glanced
to learn of the youths doings. but he nearly
stunned the old man with this reply: II am
not idng my time. bet you get more money
out of my leisure than you do. I sell every
one of my writings. and get good money. toe.
Nowadays Mr. Lawson writes without the use
of pen or paper He dictates he walks up
and down the floor of his office his library
He has assistants dig up the facts and the sta
tistics and then rapidly assembling the mate
rial produced before him. he weaves what he
wants into the fabric OF his composition.
The brain rusts when idle" he said once
Mine is never idle. Even asleep it is dream
ing" Accordingly. Mr. Lawson makes 1t a
practice to be thinking out some thing or other
in every waking moment Just TO keep himself
thus employed he composed several years ago
"a chapter of proverbs" which he had printed
as Christmas calendar and presented TO
friends. There were fifty copies of the calendar
altogether and each cost S162. Here are
few of the proverbs
"A man who goes short of stocks will find
himself long in experience"
Nothing succeeds like success-except inside
information"
"A trust is a modern skyscraper. with a
foundation of water. windows and the roof
IN the cellar"
"Oftentimes a few yards of tape contain more
history than all the volumes of Macaulay
Bancroft"
The whiskey trust was not Wall Streets first
capitalized jag"
Laugh and the Street laughs with you;
Kick and you kick alone" "a saw which Mr..
Lawson has since said saws both ways')
If ST. Peter should visit Wall Street they'd
get the keys"
Among the proverbs some verses. of which
these two are samples:
Tlckery. tickery. took.
The stock ' IS turned the lambs get burned.
And then they go in hook
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as-no!
For Mary's lamb strayed down Wall Street,
And lost its fleece, you know.
After his yacht the Independence had failed to
qualify the Cup defender it's owner launched
himself into a detailed history of the Americas
Cup. Under this peaceful name. however the
Boston yachssman put into print many line
which he intended should burn into the vitals
of the New-York Yacht Club. But, although its
purpose may at bottom have been much like
tury. 1t was by no means a modest quarto leaf
let. but q super royal octave volume. with rich
deckel edged paper. Illustrations in color and
binding respondent in white and gold.
In the year 1888 Mr.. Lawson CHANGED to think
that he might write a history of the two po-
litcaI parties in America. \ national election
pending. which made the production of such
a book particularly Opportune. Acting straight
way on the impulse. the stock Spectator
turned away from the ticker for the nOnce and
dictated chapter after chapter The work was
brought TO the notice of the Republican Ma
tonal Committee which purchased its rights
and circulated 100000 copies of it IN all parts
of the United States.
1t Is the fnancler, however, who in the eve
Of Mr.. Lawson is the man among men, the
greatest the nlightiest citizen of the common
wealth. The rank of such a he regards
as kingly. the elimination OF earthly ambition
and power, and he lives up to this belief. In
his private office in Young's Hotel. which is
connected with his business office by various
wires, SO that he finds it rarely necessary to
step into the latter's sOrdid atmosphere, he has
a desk heaped with briC-a-brac and images and
vases filled with flowers. Its furnishings
as exquisite IS the boudoir of some princess
Here he sits and watches the course of Wall
Street from the ever unfolding tape, except for
moments row and then, when he turns to
telephone and talks 10 customers 10 his
on the floor IF the New-York Stock Exchange.
Among the images the desk of this sane
tum there are metal figures of Caesar. Frederick
the Great and Napoleon. 1t happened one day
that the statuettes attracted the attention of a
caller. who scrutinized them carefully and then
remarked:
Great you've got there"
Great, indeed Mr.. Lawson's reply.
And let me ask YOU this since you seem in
terested in great men. where do you think Caesar
Frederick and Napoleon would be if they lived
at the present time?'
The visitor guessed the brokers' thoughts. and
said:
In Wall Street"
Exactly. right in Wall Street repeated the
broker. That's where modern kings and
emperors are. Cesar to-day would not be lead
ing legions in the Philippines or Manchuria. but
watching the ticker.
Although Mr.. Lawson says ne does not be
lteVe that luck controls mans life a strongly
his ego nevertheless he has a larger super
stitiOus stratum in his makeup than most men,
He believes that the number 3 to him is espe-
cially propitious. His watch chain is composed
of 1913 carved gold gypsy heads. The number
of the building in which he has his chief Boston
offices is 1913. and that of his suite at YOung's
Hotel is So His telephone numbers are 1881
and 3.S49 1t is also said that the year when
he gained so much wealth out of specializing In
copper stock that BOstonians began to call him
the Copper King" marked the thirty-third
year of his financial career He began II as
messenger boy In bank at a salary of SO q