Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1911-08-09
American Financier Dies
This Morning--B
Wish that He Was Home.
CONSCIOUS UNTIL END
Body Will be Brought from
Paris to New York, August
10 for Interment.
Epeoial bu United Press Wre.

the American uudnCIeTy uISu thlo
morning in the arms of his wife and
son, after one of the gamest fights
against death, the physicians say,
they ever witnessed, Not long be-
fore he died he breathed the wish
that he might have been "at home. :"
He was conscious almost to the last
and knew that death was at hand,
but faced it with courage that
characterized his life. Besides Mrs
Gates, their son, Charles G. Gates,
the only ones present at the imam
cier's bedside, were DR.. EDWARD
Gros, an American physician, and d..
R. ReVee, of New York, an intimate
friend of the Gates family.
Both Mrs. Gates and Charlie were
in state of complete collapse from
grief today and arrangements for the
disposition of the remains were
made by Harry s. Black, of New
York, one Of the dead millionaire's
closest friends.
Friends Of the Gates family say
that his fortune will be about s4O,-
100000 and that the bulk of 1t will
go to his son Charles, although the
widow is very literally provided for.
Bring Body To New York.
For four weeks Gates has been
lowering between life and death. He
came to Paris In June for an opera
ton of the throat. He got well
enough to be taken out one day for
an airing and then had relapse.
The body will be brought to New
York for burial on the steamer
Kaiser Wilhelm der Gross, on Au-
gust Is. Services Will be held in an
American church here (Paris) on
Saturday.
Mr.. Gates had relapse and became
weaker last night. Kidney trouble,
coupled with q very weak heart, were
the direct causes of death.
OF John w. Gates they said in Wall
street that be was at once the most
uncertain and the most picturesque
figure In the whole list of fnanciers
VI his day there. Again and again it
was proclaimed that Gates had left
New York for good and that bis days
as speeulator were over. But he
always returned to the game, and 1t
was in ftrrs6eERaes Of a scheme to ex-
tend the operations of one of his com
Competitors Of the Gates companies
could no more tell what his next move
would be than the traders on the Stock
Exchange could prophecy where the
next Gates operation in stocks would
I'D them. The Republic Iron and
steel company, which he organized
after the formation OF the United
TO
disappointed that he had not got
place on its directorate, upset the steel
market twice by cutting prices unex-
pectedly. His oil concern, the Texas
company, played tricks upon the
Standard with such success that its
capital was increased from 100000
to S50,0O0,000 and at present is re-
ported to have accomplished silently
the elimination Of the Pearsons from
the Mexican oil fields.
Gates-his full name was John
Warne Gates-was born on farm
near Turner Junction, Ill.,, now West
Chicago, on May 1S, 1855. His father
was Asel A. Gates and his farmers
income wasn't enough to give the boy
more than common school education.
But the lad needed no special train
ing to develop his business instincts.
His first venture was contract to
husk O reighbor's corn. With the
proceeds he bought third interest In
q threshing machine, and at the close
Of the first season he had enough to
buy his partners out.
vented barbed wire. He sold out his
business and went to see the man who
made the new fencing.
This man was Colonel Isaac ELL
wood. Gates made an agreement to
sell barbed wire for him In Texas for
800 a month. He sold almost as
much as Colonel Ellwood's mill could
make. The idea came to him that if
barbed wire could be sold SO easily
there must be a fortune in making it
SO he broke with Ellwood when the
colonel would not take him into part
nership and set up barbed wire mill
of his own In st Louis
In 1892 he took in two other com
panies, forming the Consolidated Steel
huu N Ire COLupdHyp WHICH went III Ter
into the Federal Steel company.
This was the first great company
which Gates had to do with. It was
engineered In the steel revival, which
came Immediately after the Spanish
war, In September, 1898. 1t was CAPT
talized at $10O,0OO,OOO Four months
later the American Steel and Wire
company was formed with its S90,0O0-
600 capital.
John W. Gates was married when he
WAS nineteen years old to Miss Dellora
r. Baker Of St Charles, III. They
had one son, Charles Gilbert Gates
He has been his fathers broker and
Is a director in many corporations.
Mr.. Gates had planned to return to
the United States with Mrs. Gates
and Lord Cowdray the latter part of
June. He had been abroad a month.
Two weeks after his arrival in France
be complained OF pains in his throat
nrds underwent at various times seven
operations. These were reported not
TO be selrious, but Mr.. Gates seemed
unable to rally from the last. Charles
G. Gates left hurriedly for EurN0n 90
July S boy the Mauretania.
Let the NEWS ten your wsfA