Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-17

came the Richest of Youths.
 Fourteen-year-old William Ziegler, the richest boy in the world and the adopted son and sole heir of the late William Ziegler, the baking powder king and protector of polar expedi- tions, recently told for the first time in an interview with New York Jour- nal reporter how he has determined to devote all the millions left to him by his foster father to seeking after the north pole and how he plans upon reaching his majority to personally lead an expedition into the frozen arc- tic regions to place upon the worlds map for all time to come the name of his father, who has left him such great riches.
 Here is his own story:
 T will be one of the richest men in the world. But I know it will not turn my head when gain possession of all that money. I will try and do the most good can with my millions.
 "The big task of my life is to find the north pole. Many brave men have tried to do it and failed. If by the time I become a man no other man has made great name for himself by doing it I will start out to discover the pole am only fourteen years old. must study hard for years to fit my self to be the right kind of leader Human lives will be in my hands. It will be dangerous I may sacrifice my life. I understand all this. l talk ed it over with my father It vii, be in honor of his memory that I will try to find the north pole. He dearly wish ed to be the father of the expedition that would do it"
 And the boy fully understands. So that while at most times he is hap py, rollicking youngster. with laughter always ready to his lips, when he thinks of these things the gravity of a man comes into his eyes and his speech.
 William Ziegler is the boys name. Chance laughed at Fate in the matter of little Willie Ziegler. He was born to the name of Brandt. His father was a poor man. But he was half brother to William Z;>;ler. William Ziegler made millions out of baking powder Brandt died. His children were taken to the home of several of his relatives. Ziegler. the millionaire. childless, picked Willie from among his brothers and sisters And so while Fate had ordained seemingly that Will lie was to be poor boy Chance laugh ed at the scheme and led the million aire half uncle to the babes cradle, and out of it the child came into the arms of his new father, destined to be the richest boy in the world and destin- ed, too, to have his whole future taken away forevermore from the influence of Chance-a future that was to be laid out for him and future that de manded of him that he should be other wise famous than as very wealthy man: that. indeed. he must make for himself an immortal name by the achievement of a great and dangerous task from which other men had finch [ ed; died. some of them. and failed. all of them-the task of the discovery of the north pole.
 This is what the richest boy in the world is like: He is little chap. He is sturdy His hair is brown and curly, his eyes blue He has a small nose. a bit tilted, pert and aggressive. His mouth is smiling. his complexion glow ing. He will probably grow up into a short sturdy. active, round headed, frank eyed man. He has to sit propped | in big chair now because be received an injury to the tendons of leg in a boyish game.
 His possession of the fortune does not hinge upon his making hazard ous attempt to find the north pole. He may abandon the project, and still. ac- cording to his fathers will, the mil lions may be his. But the boy says gravely that he will do the thing that he knows William Ziegler would be most proud to have him do.
 "The big thing that have to do in my life is to find the north pole he said solemnly in full sincerity. Tt is | the greatest thing open for any man to do. It would be great to do what So many others could not do. I would place my fathers name on the map to remain there as long as the world lasts. Wouldn't that be a fine way to repay him:
 My father first sent Captain Bald win, but he failed. Then MT. Fiala of Brooklyn undertook the task. He has not been heard from, and Mir. W. s. Camp. my fathers secretary, went away a little before my father died to start a relief expedition. Of course Mfr. Fiala may. for all We know. make the great discovery. I have to wait at least until I'm twenty-one Some one may get ahead of me But if the pole Is undiscovered when I become a man I shall surely try to make the discov- ery. My father and never settled on any plan. That would be a foolish thing now. because time. my father pointed out. would make many changes in the machinery of steamships and perhaps by studying the failure of oth- CTS new and better routes would be found when I came to make the triaL'
 odd Custom Tn Japan In Ianan ererT boy up to the age of