The San Francisco call., 1909-12-05
Started With So,OO0,00O

George Crocker was a prominent fig
ure in financial circles in New York and
San Francisco. His interests were ex-
tensive, including banking. land, fuel
gas and railway companies. As u
foundation he had the fortune that
came to him through the death of his
| father, Charles Croker known the
world over as one of the builders OF
the Central Pacific railroad
He was a brother of William II
| Grecker. the San Francisco banker; the
late Fred Crocker and Mrs. Charles b.
Alexander of New York. Although he
made his home in New York, he re-
tained his California holdings and, in
o-operation with his relatives, in
creased the great wealth that he in
herited
He did not come at once into his
share of the ss0,ooo,OoO estate left by
his father. The will contained clause
directing that no portion should so to
George until, for the space OF i've
years continuously he shall abstain
from the use of spiritous, vinous, or
malt liquors to the extent that he shall
not during this period have been in
toxicated" The will was executed in
1888. Three years later he undertook
to fulfill the terms of the testament
and in 1894 received his bequest of
Sc, 600, 600.
During the six years intervening he
had deovted himself to the development
of ranch in Utah that had never been
regarded as valuable asset He put
it on paying basis and showed his
ability to handle successfully large
commercial enterprises.
In the early nineties Croker mar
ried Mrs Emma Rutherford, who was
Miss Hanchett of Sacramento. sister of
l.. e. Hanchett, the local railwayman.
1t was upon their return from a honey
moon in Europe that Crocker came into
his inheritance.
After his marriage the young mil
lianaire took up his residence in New
York and devoted himself to financial
affairs on a large scale. He opened
offices in Wall street and undertook
the management of the properties in
which his father had invested He
financed large mining and railroad en-
terprises on his own account and
showed the same business acumen that
had made his father leader in his
day.
Besides his home at East sixty
fo,ryfb Naxr Vac11 -.
residence of palatial proportions and
surroundings at Ramsey, N. j. It is
one of the show places OF the country.
Crockers chief worry was the health
of his wife. He took her abroad for
treatment, but little could be done for
her, and the end came in 1904 After
her death Crocker instituted suit
against Doctor Doyen, the attending
physician, for $4,000 on the .yround
that .'veritable moral violence" had
been used to convince him that she
could be cured.
George Croker was 54 years old.
He is survived by a son and daugh-
ter. the latter Mrs. Philip Kearny of
New York. William H. Crocker, his
brother, and TempIeton Crocker, a
nephew. both of San Francisco, We're
with him at the end.
The George Crocker interests in San
Francisco were centered largely in the
Crocker national bank and the Crocker
estate company. He was a director of
both His other financial connections
included the presidency of the Capay
Valley land company, Carbon Hill coal
company, Rocky Mountain coal and iron
company and the zwoyer fuel company,
the vice presidency of the Guatemala
Central railroad company and the KAN
sas City, Mexico and Orient railway.
He was a director of the Pacific i'm
provement company, Oakland water
front company International banking
corporation, Cuba railroad company,
Detroit city gas company and the Fed
eral sugar company.
He belonged to large number Of
New York clubs and associations.