New-York tribune., 1908-12-27


also at his fathers bedside as Mrs. Harry
Holbrook and Mrs W. Alexander Hamilton, daugh-
ters of John y. Spreckels.
Despite his advanced age. Mr spreckels had de-
voted a large share of his attention to the various
enterprises in which he was interested. and it is
than a month since he appeared before
the Ways and Means Committee of the House OF
Representatives in Washington as an authority on
the subject of sugar duties Two years ago he
underwent a severe illness, but his vigorous con-
stitution enabled him Withstand this, and he
restored to his usual health.
Apart from the Importance which attached TO
Claus Spreckeis as the pioneer sugar rener OF the
Pacific Coast and az an investor of millions in
California and the Hawaiian Islands, the Spreckels
family has for many years been one Of the most
prominent in the state.
John D. spreckeIs, his eldest son. has been for
years deciding influence in Oriental trade apart
from his other interests, and Rudolph president
Of the First National Bank, has been supporter
of the graft prosecutions in this city TO the amount
Of thousands of dollars, well as participating
actively in the movement. Adoph SpreckeIs.
third son. is an officer in the various Spreckels
concerns
In addition to his three sons Mr. spreckels leaves
daughter, Mrs. Emma Watson.
Claus Spreckels was born in Lamstedt, Hanover,
Germany. in 1898 At the Of eighteen years he
came TO the United States with 50 in his pocket 20
seek his fortune. and was not long In finding IT,
on his arrival In New York, though he could not
speak English and had no education worth mem
tionng, he soon got work. He possessed thrift and
the commercial spirit and It not long before
he had grocery store In Church street. Then he
bought a store I'm Louisville and traded there
for time. and afterward In Charleston. S. ..
After the California gold discovery he started for
the Pacific Coast, but not 10 engage in gold seek
ing He esta ablished a grocery store in San Fran
cisco in 1856, where nc Immediately successful.
Money plentiful and profits were large. and
Mr.. spreckels sent for his brothers in Germany 20
join him. The spirit OF enterprise led him to sell
! the store and buy interest in brewery. This
he conducted with till 1853. when he again
sold oct and invested his capital in sugar
/ hnery. He made a trip TO New York and studied
the subject of sugar refining and on his return to
San Francisco made his new refinery profitable
/ investment. He bought out the other shave
+ holders.
Although the profits were large. Mr.. Spreckels
sa " even greater in store for the refinery
if could entire control Of the sugar trade
on the Pacific Coast To accomplish this he sub
sidized his only rival in San Francisco by a pay
ment OF $4,000 a yeer for five years not TO make
sugar. When the FIVE years time UP the rival
concern found that the bargain had been costly
one as its machinery rusted and useless from
neglect and Spreckes refused to pay any further
subsidy
In 1885 Mr. Spreckels visited Germany to study
the methods of sugar refining more closely. ON
his return he caused entirely new plant to be
made embodying valuable improvements, and in
1868 built works in San Francisco. called the
:
reduced the time for making hard sugar.
In the mean time Mr.. Spreckels had been turn
ing his attention to the Hawaiian Islands, tie
source Of supply for the Pacific Coast He found
that the finest Hawaiian sugar grown on the
island of Maru the plantations of Alexander,
Hartwell and Baldwin. all prominent men In Homo
lulu and the last named Attorney General OF the
kingdom. They had built an irrigating ditch 70
their plantations which cost $4,000 The remain
der of the island separated from them by high
mountain ridge, was sterile for lack of irrigation,
though consisting of rich aluviaI land. Spreckes
rented this land for nominal sum- and then irri-
gated it by tapping the source Of supply of tie
Alexander ditch. There a great legal contest
to enjoin him, but he removed all obstacles by get
ting the King TO discharge his Cabinet, including
Attorney General Baldwin, and put in their
places men who would approve his scheme. His
ditch cost him $4,000. but it irrigated twenty thou
sand acres of the richest land the islands.
Mr. Spreckels lent money freely to King Kala-
kaua and so won his heart that for Vlany years
he remained paramount in influence. With
limited power the islands. he set to work 20
crush all opposition in San Francisco Several new
rehneries had started up. but he managed to in
duce their owners 10 sell sugar At the same rate
he charged. Then he got control of the carrying
trade between San Francisco and the islands. and.
so forced even the other planters to sell their
crude sugar to him and at his terms. He
PEELED the oregon lumber dealers. who had been
exchanging their lumber for sugar direct, to make
this exchange through him. Finally he made
special rates with the overland railroads by which
he was enabled to ship sugar Denver and st.
Louis sell it for from two TO three cents less
than Il could be brought from New York or than It
was sold for in San Francisco. He forced all gro
Gers In San Francisco to buy his sugar only. Those
who refused and insisted bringing sugar around
the Horn or by way Of the isthmus lie cut off en-
tirely.
For nearly eight years Mr. Spreckels enjoyed
this sugar monopoly He shut up every other
sugar refinery in San Francisco; he crushed every
opposition planter the islands; lie had every
San Francisco merchant who dealt In sugar at his
beck and call Then came a change. 1t was first
brought about by combination among the Sand
wich Islands sugar planters. They secured vessels
TO ship their sugar, and they started up one
of the old San Francisco refneries. They formed
4 company which aided by all the men whose
business Mr.. Spreckels had injured.
Then came the series OF quarrels with King Kala-
kama and his Cabinet. The first over the coin
age which had farmed TO SpreckeT 8
lie tried TO float 100000 in debased currency bat
the controversy over II caused much Ill feeling
enreclelss loans to the King had reached In 1856
t5e sum OF $4,000. When the project Of a new,
g. ooo 600 loan was broached Spreckes made
rroncsal 10 furnish the money, but this was re-
;ectei Then he wanted stipulation inserted in
lie loan act that the TaymenI Of his money should
"a ka praoedence of any claims. This also Vas
ref,,sed stormy interview followed between
and tha mil al nd