Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-14
Special Correspondence.

| Special Correspondence.
/ tn ERLIN, Nov. 4.-Possessor OF
/ ~ the most honored hereditary
1 titles, blessed with a gigantic in
! heritcd- fortune and atthe same
time gifted With an energy and n
| genius for trading which have already
| at the age Of Is made him the most
| powerful factor in many branches of
commerce in this country-such is the
happy position of Prince Max Egon
| au Furstenberg, the J. Pierpont Nor
gan of Germany. today.
IT is only . years since--by the
sudden deatl of his cousin Prince
Lyon, without direct ,heirs--hc was
lifted at one bound from the lowlv
position Of head of a minor and com
parati lively poor branch, of-,the ancient
Furstcnberg family and became head
of the house. with unlimited wealth
at his disposal. Although tie amount
of his personal fortune has never
been made public, yet 1t is certain
that its total is well over s100.0U0,00O
and that lie is one of the richest men
in Germany. if not in Europe. He
owns such vast domains in the Black
forest, in Baden Baden and in. b.
hemia that their value cannot we'll be
computed.
is A TRUST IN HIMSELF.
He has put lis many sided energies
and opportunities for the utilization
of this colossal capital to such good
account that, III these few short years
since he succeeded his word almost
has become law as regards real estate,
banking, shipping and other transport
tation, dry goods, coal, mining and
brewing, in all of which branches he
has acquired extensive interests and
commanding influence.
So exalted is his commercial posi-
ton that bankers and tinanciers for
merly supreme in their respective
spheres are In despair. They do
not know where he is going to branch
out next and, as he has no need
of financial hacking to run his
schemes, they fear for the effort of his
operations on other concerns, which
he could so easily attack by floating
rival businesses.
HUGE SPECULATIoNS.
some idea Of the extent of his deals
may be gathered from the amount of
capital he has sunk i'll various under
takings, in conjunction with his close
friend. Prince Kraft ~ .Hohenlohe-
Ochrngen.. a man as high In aristo-
cratic rank and whose wealth is sec
ond only to that of Prince Fursten-
berg. Apart from all private deals
and enterprises no less than s2l,S75.-
900 lis the capital engaged in stock
companies, founded and controlled by
the two princes. Of this s6.250,00O
Is accounted for by the Commercial
Union formerly tic MADEIRA Exploit
tation company: $9,500.000 III the
Berlin Land and Building company,
s4,125 900 in the Neue Passage De-
partmcnt stores S1,000.00O IN the
Berlin Omnibus company and the
same amount in the German Levant
Steamship line. Besides these there
are tie endless private speculations
of Prince Furstenberg, which run in
to countless millions. There is his
brewing business, for instance: then
his coal mines in Silesia, and his
great holding in the Hamburg Ameri-
can Line.
HIS FIRST VENTURE.
Prince Furstanberg arrived at his
present powerful position in trade
through what may be described as a
search for an outlet for his strong
natural energies. After his succession
to the vast family estates he visited
them all in turn. It was while stay
chingen, in Baden, that he took his
first lesson in commerce. He discov-
cred the excellent quality of tie besr
brewed in the private brewery at
tached to tie domain. and the idea
came TO him to push its sale all over
the empire. As the brew virtually
was unknown outside the district. he
found many difficulties in placing it
on the market. These. however. did
not daunt for & moment a@man of
such determined character as the
princc. He decided to make ise Cf