Evening star., 1909-03-01
LUCKY BALDWIN DIES
Famous Horseman Passes
Away in California.
LIVES TO BE EIGHTY-ONE
|Speculated in Everything That
Promised Wealth.
FOUR HORSES WON THE DERBY
Familiar Figure at American Race
Tracks Since Early Days.
Made Millions.
FOUR HORSES WON THE DERBY

LOS ANGELES. Cal. March 1.-E. J.
("Lucky") Baldwin died at his home
at Arcadia, on Baldwin's ranch. today
after an illness of several weeks. He
was eishty-one years Of age.
lucky" Baldwin-Elias jackson
Baldwin. to give him his full name
was a gambler almost from the day
he was born. A few years ago he hal
SIC, 900 COO If he had one cent. but when
he died he possessed only a fragment
of his former wealth. Baldwin gam
bled In grain before he was of age. He
lost thousands to the cards. bet on gold
mines, plunged on race horses, took
chances on real estate and speculated
in everything that promised wealth.
For half a century nearly everything
Baldwin touched turned to gold.
His association with women cost him
heavily and ate great holes in his for
tune.
No man identified with horse breeding
and the racing OF thoroughly breds was
more widely known throughout the coun-
weight Of his eighty-one years did not
suffice to diminish his interest In turf
matters, and while horses bred by his
trainers were winning races on distant
~ dSAS tIc OWHeT or In6 vast estate
near Los Angeles lived the luxurious life
OF an old Spanish don. with an army of
employees and retainers on his great
ranch. which has become one of the
show places of southern California
Born on a Farm.
Lucky" Baldwin was born on a farm
Six miles outside OF Hamilton. ILL.,, and
on his fathers. estate he acquired the
taste for fast horses that made him a
familiar figure at many track. During
HIS boyhood the family moved into Indi-
ana. and thence to Racine, Wis, where
Baldwin engaged in the merchandise
business.
1t was at Saratoga. NJ Y, while at
tending the races. that he decided to
acquire stable of his own. Many of
his earlier purchases were made in the
ring after he had cashed bet on the
animal he favored. Grimstead and Ru-
therford were two of his horses pur-
chased In this manner.
In 1850 he started across the plains for
California. His first bonanza was the
Ophir mine. one of the Comstock lode.
He cleaned more than 100000 out of
that DEAL
Built Famous Hotel.
He speculated In other mining pron.
critics. took contracts. dealt in real estate
san francisco. Then he bought a. ranch
IN the FERTILE San Gabriel valley, in south
ern California, near Los Angeles.
lie became interested In the broodine of
Iast trotting and running horses, and
from his Santa Anita ranch came the
winners OF many classic races in fhis
country. Four of "Lucky's" horses won
the American Derby-Volante fn 1888, the
Emperor OF Norfolk in 1888, later ''Silyer
Cloud" and finally Rey Ell Santa Anita
IN 1874. Two of Baldwin's winners in
late years were Cruzados and Americana.
The tide turned again Baldwin in 1&,2.
Inc Baldwin Hotel burned down and he
mad very little insurance. He was en-
tangled in other ways. and at seventy-five
years old Baldwin went to Alaska to
make another fortune. The fisht was
too hard for man Of his years. and he
had to return to the states. He sold the
site of the Baldwin Hotel and was able
10 clear the mortgage which he had
placed on his ranch. There he settled
down for his old age
His health was poor during his last
years. and two or three years ago he was
threatened with the loss of his eyesieht.
Nobody knew exactly what he was worth
at the time of his death, but he has con-
siderable property left.