The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-22
A
King of Finance
. ME went on for long period i

~ ME went on for a long period IN
the mountains as serenely as of
old. The executive had deprived
Mazda of his appointment. but other
wise the matter of dealing with Don @
fell once more into allegiance.
Thus the usual series of captives con-
tinued to appear in the Boca de Lobo
but although most of them were. salts
factory from a financial point of view. it
Glanced that not one presented any quail
tiles of interest in the eyes Of Don c..
until a certain Mr.. George mcCorkadale-
whose fame was emblazoned in the
bourses of the two hemispheres-blun-
dered into the wide-cast net of the robber
chief
Though a naturalized Englishman, he
had been born and bred in Cuba. He early
crossed to Brazil for larger facilities of
trade; later New York and London knew
him well. There was, in fact nothing
Scottish about him but his name his ex
traordinary business instinct He was
one of the few who, starting well equip
ped in life with a large banking account
and an excellent share in a profitable
business, have refused to sink back upon
the couch. of ease offered to them by cir
cumstanees. Barn rich, at % he was hard
at work, and at 35-the age at which he
visited Spain-he had contrived to roll
the ball of his fortunes through so much
of the mud of the worlds wealth that
ne was become one of the money kings
OF the day.
Already inclined to freshness, and
over-swarthy. he vet possessed in a pro-
nounced degree the type of good looks
characteristic Of the Spanish colonies
II was commonly reported that he had
never met his match at a bargain or as
a prophet of the weather changes of the
financial world. But his most salient
quality was said to be the capaciousness
of his NAV. Those who knew him best
declared that. If he had gathered all the
wealth of the universe into his pocket,
with the. exception of a single dollar
note, he would know no rest until he
had somehow acquired that last dollar
also. Under other conditions of life. or
lacking some share of his preponderant
cold greed, he could be conceived
gambler. In fact he was gambler, but
with accurate knowledge, power and pull
on his side-a peril to his generation of
the most modern kind.
in a lull in his electric career chose to
go motoring in Spain. He told one or
two friends that he was feeling the
strain of business and then slipped quiet
Iy away to joint his yacht at Nigo. As
a matter of fact he was in the position
of a hunter who has set snare and
waits out of sight for his quarry to fall
into it, He had engineered with skill
and consummate completeness a corner
in that human necessity, corn. Never
before had he held strong a hand in
the destinies of the world To be absent
while his enormous transactions worked
out to their appointed issue was a part
of his scheme He foresaw a possible
amount of embarrassment when those
most concerned saw his net closing over
them. He resolved to go away for hol-
iday and leave them to play his hand for
him. So, having forced even time to his
own uses He disappeared to await the
moment when he must return for his
final coup and victory.
At the pasoda in the village one night
spoken name reused him from his
moodiness. The talk had veered about to
a subject that under the sierra pos
sessed a perennial interest-the doings
past or possible of Don Q.
II have heard many stories of this fell
low" McCorkada1e Joined in. with the
half-contemptnous manner peculiar to
him. TELL me his last exploit
The innkeeper, a thin, dark. wiry noun
taineer, glanced furtively round at the
men gathered in the room and shook his
head.
The Cuban smiled unpleasantly
you have the nerves patron" he said.