The Washington herald., 1908-03-22
Case of Leigh Hunt, Who
Ran Millions in Debt, but
Restored His Fortune by
Getting the Emperor of
Korea Out of a Serious
Financial Difficulty.

College of Iowa, which position he re-
signed to enter upon business career
that has made him d familiar character
the world over"
Behind this brief biographical data ap-
pearing after the name. Hunt. Leigh. S
j.. in Who's Who in America lies one
of the most remarkable Of the numerous
more or less notable cases OF victory Sc
cured after defeat by various men promi-
nent in the public eye. Hunts case diff
fers greatly from all the rest. however. in
that he was called upon to suffer defeat
not once. but several times, after the last
apparent Knockout blow retrieving his
fortunes in an out-of-the-way corner of
the globe in the capital OF the little Her
NIT Kingdom.
Hunts first failure occurred when he
was still in his twenties. II was due TO
bad investments of his savings. and when
he came 10 balance up he found that he
was several thousand dollars to the bad
not large sum Of money in itself. but
very large. indeed. in the eye of coun-
try school teacher and former farm lad
whose father had experienced hard time
getting together enough wherewithal to
When young Hunt awoke to a realiza
ton Of the fact that he had made a mess
of his initial financial ventures he sat
down and wrote note 10 each Of his
creditors. telling them that they would be
paid in full with interest, in time. Then
he took the first convenient train out of
town. for he had made up his mind that
the best way TO win back his financial
good name was in a new field When his
creditors heard Of his departure most of
them figuratively kissed their chances of
payment good-by, especially as young
Hunt left no word behind as to his deSti-
nation, and. indeed, was not heard OF by
his former associates and friends until he
began to pay off his creditors. some years
later BY that time ne had risen high in
educational circles in Iowa The story Of
this first victory after defeat aptly illus
trates the indomnitable spirit he brought
TO his aid after each defeat that he sus-
t9ined.
Becomes Language Teacher
He had taught school in Indiana; when
he .ached Iowa and the town of Mount
Pleasant after leaving his native State.
he quite naturally looked about for po-
sition as teacher. The member of the
school board to whom he applied inform
CD lllA4A NlldL Allt Dilll pace OPtH WIS
waiting for a man who could speak
couple of foreign languages. Now, Leigh
Hunt could handle English only; but
nothing daunted, he informed the lowan
that he would be glad to ill the position
Furthermore. he would guarantee TO
make the school the most successful one
in the district. Thereupon the other sug-
gested that 1t might be well for the appli-
r,rr.4
guages. Hunt turned nary 4 hair A
wonderfully gifted talker. even in his
youSh he eloduently argued the official
into the belief that an examination was
no test Of a persons ability to teach Ian
guages, and so secured the promise of a
trial as language teacher.
Hunt, after leaving the school officials
house. couldn't get quickly enough TO a
bona hde master of languages After
swearing him TO secrecy. he began learn
ing the first lessons to be given to his
classes. and night after night, with the
tutor by his side. he mastered the lesson
which he was TO teach the following day.
Did he win out as teacher of Ian
guages? He did; and after he had made
the school the best in the district, as he
said he would, Des Moines captured him
as its superintendent o. schools Here
also ne introduced up-to-date methods
and ideas. and because the system under
his supervision was improved several
hundred per cent he received and accept
ed a call TO the presidency OF the State
College at Ames.
Hunt as college president. refuted the
somewhat cynical axiom Of the upper ed
ucational world-a college presidents am
Dition is to die in his chair. As a boy on
the farm he had dreamed of a dazzling
career in finance. As a school teacher
the dream had pursued him; as a college
president he still dreamed il; and. though
he was making the institution under him
ever stronger and increasing his fame
and hold on his position thereby, he
nevertheless one day vacated the presi-
Dental chair and set his face west. de-
termined to make the dream Of his life
reality.
Lands in Seattle.
He settled in Seattle In a few years
he was one Of the biggest if not the big
gest. man ia that booming Coast city.
He owned one OF the leading newspapers:
his shipping interests were only rivaled in
magnitude by his real estate investments;
he was at the head of a couple Of rail-
roads and a bank and in several other
financial institutions he was power. He
was pointed out 10 strangers as man
who was doing more than his share in
making the city; his favor was solicited
on all sides; even the politicians curried
= him. offering to make him a United
States Senator.
All this was just prior to the memorable
summer of 1898; before cold weather had
come Hunt was fiat on his back. finan-
cially, and all but buried under debt
running up into six figures. His splendid
properties had vanished over night As
in the days when he had been wiped out
of his thousands he wrote To his cred
itors that he would pay them every cent.
with interest. some day, and left Seattle
But he took with him 10 China, where
he went as a representative OF a New
York railroad-building syndicate. the
dream Of his boyhood
Up TO the day that he struck the Ori-
entail on his native soil. Hunt had been
able to talk almost everybody he met to
his way of thinking. With the Cinnamon
II was different. Hunt talked and talked.
pointing out the great advantages that
would rebound 10 his auditors through
the construction Of the proposed railroad.
But the yellow big guns remained OBJ
durate; they wanted none of the foreign
devils ways Hunt had banked on his
ability 10 put the concession through; to
do so meant his financial reinforcement,
In good part a. least; but here was fail
Nre enveioping him for the third time
Easy to supply S5,OOO,OO0.
Discouraged? Not he With his little
dream beckoning on. he soon found him
self in Seoul. the capital of Korea. where.
as it was a matter of common gossip. he
was not long in learning that the EN-
peror was shy OF ready money. Here was
fellow being in a predicament like unto
his own. and he at once began to cast