The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-04-25

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hours, and he introduced into the
American market for the first time the
cube and crushed sugar of today. Then
he went to Hawaii and made himself
the owner of the island product of
sugar cane. This was in 1876, when the
first reciprocity treaty between King
Kalakaua and Uncle Sam admitting
Hawaiian sugar free of duty had been
signed. Spreckels found 10000 acres of
land, considered worthless. He dug a
canal fourteen feet wide and three feet
deep to build aqueducts, pierced thirty
tunnels through solid rock, and got
water to his desert at a cost of 100000.
He conquered Hawaii, industrially,
and became the greatest factor in the
up-building of the latest Territory of
the United States.
| He returned to California, and in 1888
was the unquestionable sugar king of
the Pacific Coast. Then the sugar
trust got after him. The octopus Of
fered him S1,0O0,0 900 for his interests.
He wouldn't sell, and the fight was
on. For a while Spreckels was at a
decided disadvantage. The trust had
numerous profits on its business in the
| Eastern States and could sell in Cali
fornia at a loss Spreckels went to
Philadelphia and built the largest and
most complete refinery in the world,
at a cost of $5,OOO,OOO He then fixed
prices in all the Eastern markets of
the trust, and became a very thorn in
its side. Then the trust made terms
and Spreckels got control of the Pa
! IA o., f,-;o
| Meanwhile he had established
steamship service between San Fran
cisco and Honolulu and had got a prac-
, teal monopoly of the freight and pas
, senger trade. He bought large tracts
, of land in Southern California and be-
| gan to develop beet sugar He plant
, ed thousands of acres in beets and
erected one of the largest crushing
plants in the world at Salinas, costing
over s1.000,0OO Spreckels gave the
farmers free sugar-beet seed. and as
a result thousands of acres formerly
! barren are now growing beets.
Meanwhile he had taken up battle
with the Southern Pacific Railroad. He
1 thought freight rates were too high
| from the San Joaquin valley, and he
built the San Joaquin Valley Railroad.
/ The Santa Fe has now bought this,
| and all the stockholders made a profit.
Spreckels put up the highest and
/ finest office building in San Francisco.
Back of It the San Francisco Gas and
Electric Company had a power house
and poured black SCOT into the win
, dows of Spreckels's skyscraper. Spreck-
els sent polite note to Joseph
1
asking him to abate the nuisance.
Crockett told Spreckels he'd do as he
pleased. Within a year and a half
Spreckels spent 100000 on new
electric light plant. He gave San Fran
cisco a service equal to any in the
country Now he is to put up an i'm
mense gas plant. Crockett's company's
market value has gone down from 3d.
900, 900 to s7,0OO,OOO. Today Spreckels
makes 600 barrels of sugar daily. He
controls the entire sugar trade of the
coast, and has so many other interests
that it would take much space TO emu
merate them.
Claus Spreckels is of medium height,
compactly built, and dresses neatly.
His round head is covered with a thick
growth of hair, now white. He is a
fighter from away back. Several of
his sons are interested with him in
some of his enterprises.
Spreckels has a magnificent residence
in the fashionable part of San Fran
cisco. He lives quietly, preferring his
own home to those of others. He be-
longs to the Pacific-Union, the leading
club of San Francisco, and is much
esteemed by his fellows there. He has
never affected society. His wife, the
choice of his youth, was a domestic.
He and she are still happy with each
other, He is not a sportsman, nor
does he care much for theaters, racing
or public pleasures. His heart is in
his business and he will die working.
Spreckels has always been known
, as man of honor, whose word was all
that was necessary. He has done much
for San Francisco and California. His
generosity has provided a 100000 music
/ stand for Golden Gate Park. He used
to have a great love for Hawaii, but
when annexation took place, against
his bitter opposition. he withdrew en-
tirely from any interest with the Is
lands, except the necessary connection
made by his sugar business. He was
! a great friend of King Kalakaua for
many years. That dusky monarch
made him a knight. Later he had
row with Kalakaua, and told him to
take back his title, spreckels is not
church-goer
|
| John G. Woolley and wife returned