The Washington times., 1908-04-25
J. n. CAMDEN DEAD,
SERVED IN SENATE
w e S t Virginia Millionaire
Dies in Baltimore
Hotel.


atOr J. y. Camden of West Virginia
died at the Belvedere Hotel today. He
had been in i'll health for several years
and had undergone an operation at
the Johns Hopkins University for kid
ney trouble. after which he seemed 10
improve His death. however, was en-
tirely unexpected.
Senator Camden was eighty years old
and had been living for some time IN
Parkersburg, w Va. He is survived
by his wife and one daughter.
Born in Virginia.
Senator Camden was born in Lewis
county. Va. Barch 6. 1925. lie came OF
old pioneer stock. his father and mother
being among the early settlers TO mi
CRATE to West irginia. After a short
course at West Point he went to
Charles Town. W. Va. before that sec
ton OF the State renoUnced its allegiance
10 Virginia. ard studied law.
For several years he practised law
in and around Kanaka and adjoining
counties In 1857 he took a position with
the Exchange Bank. at Weston. and
without disseminating his profession,
held a responsible position in that in
stitution.
II was shortly after the war that
Senator Camden started on the work
destained 70 make him a millionaire be-
fore his death. In 1866 he began as an
oil prospector in Webster county. West
Virginia. entering into competition with
many in the effort 10 locate the Won
derous veins Of crude oil, which, it was
said, awaited only the sinking Of a piece
Of pipe.
His First $4,000.
His first $50 which was ultimately
multiplied to more than $4,000. CO., was
made in a peculiar manner. Senator
Camden. then plain John with three
other prospectors. was engaged in sink
ing we'll in the side of a hill. Two
hundred feet above them two Ken
tuckians were similarly engaged. The
KentuckianS struck oil first but as in
those days no methods for storing the
crude product in tanks was in vogue
they plugged up their we'll and left to
secure adequate receptacles for Carving
II TO town. In the mean time Camden
and his associates had, by a strange
coincidence, struck another place in the
same vein
Gathering together all the old barrels
and boxes they could find the three
young pTOSpeCtOTs caulked them I'D with
mud and filed them with oil. An old.
~
used FiHaiIS a Scow laden with the
dIsreputa0le looking carriers OF the
precious material was sent down to Par
kersburg and the oil was there bought
by the Boston Refinery Company. SEN
ator Camden's share netted him 5000.
After building up an oil trade the idea
OF consolidation came upon the operator
He first formed the Consolidated OIL
Company, which afterwards merged
with TIE Standard Oil Company.
Bought Coal Lands.
His oil company fiourishing, Senator
Camden turned to other fields. The
coal fields Of West Virginia presented
an inviting prospect, and the capitalist
bought large fields at Fairmont and
Clarksburg.
He then built the Monongahela rail-
road, so named because il ran along
the anks Of the beautiful MOnongaheTs
river and with IL handled the coal
mined in the two towns. He organized
the Mongolia Mining Company.
In later years he. with such men as
Senator Jones. of Nebraska, and John
Is. COwen, former president of the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad. he bought a
tract OF 100000 acres of land in Web
ster. BraXton. Greenbrier and RalGolph
counties. w. Va
He served as United States Senator
from 1SS1-7 and from 1885
Plans for the funeral have not as
yet been discussed, but II is supposed
that the services will be held at his
home in Parkersburg.