, 1907-03-14
HOW IVAN"
COT START
INTERESTING REIMBURSEMENT AR
TIc!.E ON EARLY LIFE OF
BOSTON CAPITALIST.
Isaac Van Horn Ran Away With pref
ty Daughter Of Niles Callahan and
Has Steadily Forged to Front
Owns Most Of Common Stock of
the Laramie Plains Line.

There Is a e railroad building into
the country west Of Weld county
known as the Laramie, Hahns Peal
n Pacific, says the Greeley Colo
Sun. For a few miles out Of Laramie
the road is in operation. 1t was said
when first proposed that the road
would begin nowhere and end the
same way, but it is not to discuss the
road nor its future that this article is
written. The promoter of the road is
an interesting character. Men who
have made brilliant successes in vari.
Gus undertakings are being brought
before the public every day and the
promoter of the above mentioned road
deserves attention.
Had Advertising Schemes.
Somewhere in the SOS Isaac Van
Horn was making a %precarious living
in Omaha on advertising schemes"
He was always hopeful and he was
also in love. Unfortunately his sweet,
hearts parents objected to the atten.
tons of VAN" Mr.. Callahan was a
wellto-do contractor. doing a great
share Of the immense amount of street
grading then being done in the boom
Ing city. Neither he mol his wife ap-
proved of their daughter making an
alliance with a young man with no DO.
sition nor any AS may be sur
missed, the young folks slipped away
and were married and received the pa
rental blessing, somewhat unwilligly
given.
Was Heavily In Debt.
Vans success in matrimony induced
him to plunge a little. He went to
Norfolk. Neb., then being exploited as
a booming town. Without any capital
he secured a large tract of land and
plated it into town lots. He drove
business, made some money and then
lost 1t on other "boom" schemes. He
left Norfolk owing about $4,000. He
tried the Black hills, exploited mining
ventures, tried his hand at anything
and everything that might make him a
living. He went to Lincoln, Neb..
when the bottom dropped out there.
He was always sanguine- of success.
always wore good. clothes and a brisk
business air. He made up his mindoto
go east and becomeia 1nancier.
Struck Tho Hub.
He landed in Boston with a few dol.
lars, an $50 suit OF clothes and a silk
and started in. That is not much
more h a ten years ago. He tried aev-
cry scheme possible to get a foothold,
but without success. He got up n
morning without any money in his
pocket to pay for breakfast. He st1l
had nothing at noon but that evening
he had $500 in his pocket, more in
sight, and is worth possibly nearly or
quite a million today. His nerve car
ried him through. The banking firm
Of Isaac Van Horn & Co. Is in the
building and in Offices adjoining
those Of Thomas w. Lawson. The firm
of Van Horn & Co. projected the Lar
annie and Hahns Peak road, endeavor-
ing to build 1t by selling small blocks
of stock and without bonding.
Bonded for Small Sum-.
It has been started, but is bonded
for only $4,000 a mile. The stockhold-
ers are scattered all owe the country,
but Isaac Van Horn holds most of the
common stock. He is one of the lead
fnanciers Of Boston, living in
where only the wealthy peo-
pie have permission to dwell. He lives
in luxury and his wife of the early day
is the handsome mistress Of a hand
Some home.
Debts Wiped Out.
Every dollar Of his old debts have
been wiped out in the last few years,
some accounts nearly twenty years old
being paid and when his road out in