The San Francisco call., 1908-10-27
HENRY BUFFERS,
FAMOUS MAN OF
MILLIONS, DIES
Noted Financier Stricken Down
Suddenly by Congestion
of the Lungs
Passes Away With Heart Still
Hardened Toward His
Separated Wife
Was Associate of Cecil Rhodes,
John Hays Hammond and
Other Worldwide Figures

OAhLAND, OCt. Zo.-f1enTy "A.
Buffers, president of the Northern
electric railway company, capitalist,
mining magaate, street railway con-
structor of world wide note, associate
of the late Cecil Rhodes in South
Africa and one of the foremost hg-
ures in the financial activities of Cali
fornia, died at 3 o'clock this morning
at the home of his aged mother, Mrs.
Sarah L. Buffers, 1924 Telegraph ave-
nue., Berkeley, after an attack of con-
gestion of the lungs with which he
was stricken Friday evening. 1t was
more than a year ago that Buffers left
his mansion in the Piedmont hills,
where his wife resides. The domestic
differences which sepa rated them had
never been adjusted. for in his will the
millionaire bequeaths his entire for
tune to his Is year old son, Henry
Buffers Jr., now at school at Exeter,
Mass. No provision is made for Mrs.
Buffers. Although she has holdings in
her own name valued al $500 600 a con-
test is anticipated.
Business cares, coupled with family
differences. had greatly exhausted But
ters' vitality, and cold developed
speedily into congestion of the lungs.
With him at the end were his brother.
Charles Buffers. his associate in many
of his earlier enterprises: his sister,
Mrs. p r. Boone of Berkeley. and his
mother. Mrs. Buffers. the widow. was
notified at her home. Alta Vista, of her
husbands death an hour after it had
occurred. She went to the Berkeley
residence later In the day.
In his last illness Buffers was attend
ed by Dr. S. II. Buteau. DIR. l.. l.. RiggiH
and DR.. Clark Burnham- They were in
almost constant attendance. but were
able only to alleviate at times the in
tense pain which he suffered.
MONEY CAUSES SEPARATION
The separation of Buffers and his
wife came at a time when the capitalist
was in need of ready money TO finance
his projects after the disaster of 1906.
He had previously transferred to her
property valued at 100000, including
the Palmerstone block at Sixteenth
street and San Pablo avenue in this
city. Mrs. Buffers, 1t is stated, did not
share her husbands view that the prop
erty should be used to assist his indus
trial enterprises, and from this dis
which led to the separation.
Buffers lived for time at the Cosmos
club in San Francisco and later re-
moved to the home of his mother in
Berkeley. but he never visited the beau
tiful mansion in the Piedmont hills.
Buffers was married twice but there
are no children from the first union.
His second wife, now his widow. was
formerly Mrs. David Edwards and later
~
in the United States geodetic survey. j.
Paulding Edwards, who recently mar
ried Miss Dolly Tarpey, is son of Mrs.
Buffers by her. first husband. Mrs.
Buffers daughters. Miss Marguerite and
Miss Marie, were adopted by the capt.
talist- Miss Marguerite Buffers is the
fiancee of Victor y. Metcalf, son of the
secretary of the navy. Besides his
brother, sister and mother in Califor-
MIA, Buffers is survived by another sis
ter, Mrs. S. d. Field, who lives in Stock
bridge, Mass.
In his will Buffers has ignored all of
his relatives but his son. His holdings
will run well into the millions, but no
exact estimate can be formed at this
time. The property includes street rail
ways in the capitals of South America
and Europe, vast mining enterprises in
South America. California and Central
America and interurban electric rail-
roads. as well as real estate. stocks and
bonds. The will was drawn by former
Judge Charles w. Slack of San Fran
cisco, his confidential adviser. AS ex-
ecuters it names Slack and Charles But
tiers.
NATIVE OF BAY STATE
Henry Buffers was born 5S years ago
at Haverhill, Mass. He came to Cali
fornia when he was IA years old After
attending the old College of California
he was with the book publishing house
of Bancroft & Co. and subsequently, was
in life insurance work. Buffers was
attracted to Leadville. Colo, by the
great mining excitement of 1878. For
years afterward. with his brother.
Charles. he was actively engaged in
mining and other large enterprises
which formed the basis of his fortune.
Charles went to South Africa and
became identified with the great de-
velopment of the johannesburg and
generally the Transvaal mining wealth.
Henry followed his brother to the land
of the Beers. His wife and their son.
Henry A Buffers Jr, Joined him there.
JOINS NOTED MEN
In association with Cecil Rhodes
John Hays Hammond Werner. Belt &.
Co. and other distinguished South
African promoters, Buffers became the
pioneer of electrical development in
South Africa So successful were his
operations that he subsequently in
terested his hackers in the Transyaal.
so that he installed electric railways I'm
Geneva, Switzerland. City of Mexico
Lisbon, Portugal, Valparaiso, Chile and
some of the European capitals.
Henry Buffers was fortunate enough
to escape capture as a result of the
Jameson raid. which preceded the Roer
war. Charles Buffers. however. was
imprisoned with John Hays Hammond
and only liberated by Dom Paul Kruger
after the payment of a heavy ransom
After spending several years abroad
] in his LARGE nneraffnns Rnftorr --s.i.